Summary Of The Killing By Andre Dubus

He talks about his constant fear of losing his children to things he can’t save them from such as drowning in a pond or sea. Matt was only relieved when he came home and saw that nothing had happened to them. He particularly talks about how both Cathleen and Frank were very fond of the high oak tree they had in their backyard. Although Matt would pretend like he was calm and collected, by smiling and keeping his hands in his pockets, he was very apprehensive at heart. He imagined them falling and him running to catch their small bodies. He often wanted to say, don’t fall, but never did. He wanted them to think he didn’t think about them dying reasons such as falling out of the big tree. In the movie, In the Bedroom, as Matt is cutting some branches on what presumably is the big oak tree that was mentioned in “Killings” he sees steps that he remembers young Frank climbing

In “Killings,” Matt thinks about Mary Ann’s “...long brown legs he loved to look at; her face was pretty…” (Dubus 1128). Matt found Mary Ann very attractive, in an inappropriate way for a father to act towards his son’s girlfriend. In the film, an eyeline match shot shows Mary Ann then reveals Matt admiring her. This shot showcases his attraction to her, realving her importance to Matt. Ruth quickly observes these desires Matt has towards Mary Ann. Shortly after the death of Frank, there is a a shot reverse shot scene between Ruth and Matt revealing conflict. In this argument, she demands he his at faults for Frank’s death due to him wanting to live his youth again through their son (In the Bedroom). She explains the only reason Matt is willingly allowing Frank to continue to date Mary Ann is because he wishes it was himself dating her. After her fight with Matt, she sees he is not interested Mary Ann, but a relationship with his son. She is envious Matt is closer with Frank and ultimately is what causes her to feel responsible. Ruth soon realizes it was not Matt who killed Frank, but her overbearing

Anti-social acts and isolation are themes of Andre Dubus’ short story “Killings”; Fowler is a study of the effects, which violence takes on the human psyche. As a father, and as a husband Matt Fowler is marked by the care he shows for his family, and as a killer he is set apart by this empathy. The inner conflict created for want of revenge, protection of family, and a desire for closure, leads to further solitude for Fowler, as he is incapable of accepting his actions. Matt Fowler is a man whose humanity forces him into a desperate isolation after the murder of Richard Strout.

“Killings” by Andre Dubos is a short story surrounding the death of a young man named Frank Fowler. Following his father Matt, the story opens at Frank’s funeral proceeding where family, mother Ruth and siblings Steve and Cathleen, and friends have gathered at the cemetery to send Frank. The way the family expresses their grief not only suggest that Frank’s death was tragic, but also at the hands of another individual, specially expressed by Steven repeating “I should kill him” when the service had closed (Dubos, 1). Evidence that the death was sudden and tragic continues as a month passes and the Ruth and Matt still struggle to grieve over their son. Tension intensifies towards Frank’s murderer as Matt and his friend, Willis Trottier, discuss

"We mustn't kill him!’ ‘Why not?’ demanded the boy.” This quote also shows how Matt felt compassion and forgiveness to a person who hurt him and his friends. Also, it shows how strong he is on the inside. It takes a lot of self control to be able to do what Matt

The major theme of Andre Dubus’ Killings is how far someone would go for the person they love. It is important to note the title of the story is killings and not killers, for the reasoning that the story does not just focus on two deaths or two murderers but rather the death of marriage, friendship, youth, and overall, trust.

By analyzing the conflicts of stories help readers understand why the specific characters act certain ways. We better comprehend the characters’ personality and why the flaws of other character affect the main character. Are main characters’ problems the result of other characters’ personality flaws? Characters endure arduous situations and it is because of another character’s flaw. Being possessiveness, overly critical, and controlling of others are the reason for main characters problems.

Therefore if you’re able to achieve vengeance on someone doing the same thing they did to someone else, it creates an ongoing process of vengeance and death. A man, Douglas Horton once said, “While seeking vengeance, dig two graves- one for yourself.” You see, Mattie didn’t think before going on with her “plan” and that comes back to bite her, in which will be mentioned in the next

After leaving Strout's car at an apartment building in Boston, they lead Strout to a pre-dug hole in a wooded area where Fowler kills him. “The gun kicked in Matt’s hand, and the explosion of the shot surrounded him…Richard Strout, squirming on his belly pushed himself towards the woods. Then Matt went to him and shot him once in the back of the head (106).”

The story also contains a full circle of emotion. It begins with the funeral, an obvious source of sadness. From there, the sadness seems to vacate the story until the very last paragraph. It ends with Matt crying into his wife’s breast. I think Dubus did this to make the disassociated feelings that surrounded the murders even more apparent.

Mattie does not beat around the bush when it comes to justice. She has a fixed view on how law should be carried out against Tom Chaney and stops at nothing to achieve this. Put simply, Mattie wants him dead, and she wants him to know that he is dying as a result of him killing her father. This view and interpretation of justice closely resembles the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” philosophy of the Code of Hammurabi where the life of Tom Chaney must be payed for

Andre Dubus’s 1979 short story, Killings, was adapted into a film called In the Bedroom directed by Todd Field in 2001. The film received five Academy Award nominations, three Golden Globe nominations, and Field was named both Screenwriter and Director of the year by the National Board of Review. The short story is about a father seeking vengeance for his son’s death. Dubus use the literary devices of conflict and character to illustrate the story. Todd Field’s film adaption uses dialogue, sylbolism, and character to convey the intensity of the short story.

Throughout our time in literature we have read poetry, short stories, and watched plays. As we did this we were able to break down the key components of each literature piece, by getting deep into the stories and poems and plays and finding the real meaning and background of them. We were able to figure out all the themes, plots , more on the character’s personalities. As we read these literature pieces i have noticed a lot of the works themes are the same. About love or death and racism. But all those themes are a real reality to today’s world.

Strout may have been a killer, but he was still a human being, knowledge that Matt forced himself to forget. Matt begins to identify with the forces that took his son’s life – murder. He and Trottier planned and executed the murder of Strout not only to avenge Frank’s death, but also to protect his family. Dubus tells the readers how Ruth suffered every time she went into town and would see Strout on the streets or in a store. He wrote, “Ruth sees him… She can’t even go out for cigarettes and aspirin. It’s killing her.” (108) and “It’s the trial. We can’t go through that, my wife and me…” (116). Ruth’s suffering was Matt’s motivation to protect his family. Matt could no longer handle seeing Ruth’s life become shattered by Frank’s murder and her inability to deal with the loss. This was Matt’s final deciding factor to bring forth an end to their suffering by killing Strout.

While in neither the film nor short story does Ruth outwardly express her desire for the death of Richard, within the film, one is able to glimpse into the inner workings of Matt’s mind, understanding the emotional manipulation, brought on by his wife, he endures. Matt describes how Ruth has “concrete objections which he trie[s] to overcome” and “in his intent to do this[,] he neglect[s] his own objects” (1127); here, Dubus is indirectly telling readers this is the foundation Ruth has previously built in her marriage, allowing her to manipulate Matt into carrying out tasks, or specifically “it” (1136). Furthermore, several times in the short story, Matt convinces himself that “he [is] certain that [Ruth knows and] she [is] waiting for him” for “she knows” (Dubus 1125, 1134). In Field’s adaptation, one can see the change in behavior and demeanor both Matt and Ruth undergo, driving Matt to commit a seemingly inevitable killing. Several times in the film, the camera focuses on Matt and then quickly switches to a smash cut, implying disruption and cacophony follow Matt; however,