The story Killings by Andre Dubus Essay Example for Free

The story Killings by Andre Dubus Essay The story Killings by Andre Dubus is about a man named Matt and his love for his son Frank. He is upset because his son has been killed by a man called Richard. Matts wife, older son, and his friends think that Richard should be killed too. His son wishes to kill the murderer of his younger brother, but Matt is even scared of the thought because doing so means that he would lose his second son, too. His wife also does not want to see Richard alive. In Killings, Matt is very angry at himself for the reason of not being able to protect his son and is forced to kill his sons murderer; however, at the end he is not very enthusiastic about it instead he is very upset and depressed. One of the reasons that Matt kills Richard is his own wife. She is very hurt by her sons death. She is always crying because she sees her sons murderer walking around in the stores all the time which kills her. Once Matt tells his friend Willis Ruth sees him too much. She was at sunny Hurst today getting cigarettes and aspirins and there he was. She cant even go out anymore. It is killing her (90). This explains how much of pressure he is under to avenge his sons death. This leads him to kill Richard even though he does not really want to kill him Another one of the reasons for Matts action is that Matts older son Steve wants to kill Richard. For example, when they leave after burying Frank to his graveyard, Steve turns to his family and states, I should kill him (89). This point out that Steve is also very hurt by his younger brothers death, who was only twenty one years old. He feels so helpless and wishes to kill Richard. Matt is very alarmed by this because he does want his son to kill anyone. If he commits murder, Matt would lose his second son, too. Matts friend Willis also suggests that he should kill Richard because Richard has always been cruel and violent. Once he shot a womans husband for her and dropped him off the bridge in the Merrimack River with a hundred pound sack of cement. He even covered his crime by saying that nobody helped the woman. This declares what kind of a man Richard is and what he has done to others. Now he has killed Frank which was very cruel of him, and Matts family believes that he has no right to live. Willis is also forcing Matt to believe that whatever his family thinks of doing to Richard is right. Willis urges Matt to kill Richard himself before someone in his family commits the act and he loses another family member. Just so everyone would be relieved and think that justice has been done.