Analysis of Killings by Andre Dubus

The major theme of Andre Dubus’ Killing,s 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.

Richard Strout was married to Mary Ann, who was most likely fed up with his hot temperedness that always seemed to get him into fist fights. She separated from her husband and while they were going through the process of divorce, she began a new relationship with Frank Fowler, killing all hope of reconciling her marriage with Strout. In return Strout became enraged not only in losing his wife, but their sons, who now spent their days with this new man who was taking on the father role in their life. Whether it was his love for his wife and children or pride, it drove him to the only solution he could find, and that was to kill Frank. “Richard Strout shot Frank in front of the boys…Strout came in the front door and shot Frank twice in the chest and once in the face with a 9mm automatic(100).”

However, Matt Fowler had different reasoning for his actions. After burying his twenty-one year-old son who was just on the cusp of graduating college, he finds that Strout, his son’s murderer, has been released on bail pending trial and until then he has resumed his normal life. Watching his wife not only mourning the loss of their son, but also having to see the killer in daily activities, has caused a mental and emotional strain on their life. The affect on Fowler’s family that Strout is walking around free and seemingly unconcerned is one of the main reasoning that is posed when Fowler and his friend Willis T...

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...iately afterwards. He knows he has done wrong and has to serve his time. If anything these two characters are alike; both fighting, killing, for the people they love.

The crime committed by Matt Fowler can be seen as justifiable, for there really is no greater pain than having to bury your own child, and seeing the culprit walk around seeming to have no care in the world. However, It is never right to take the law into our own hands, no matter the circumstances. In this case, once the authorities realize that Strout is missing and they find his body they will automatically look towards Fowler as the culprit, thus putting more strain and tearing his family apart even more.

Work Cited

Dubus, Andre. “Killings.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to literature, Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th Ed Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 96-108. Print.