Killings by Andre Dubus - Book Report/Review Example

These emotions, love, hatred and revenge, are as powerful as they are basic, an though the course of events in his short story, Dubus has tried to explore some of the consequences of actions taken in their wake. This paper tires to examine the story through a certain angle, by breaking down the plot, the character and the theme, and by asking of it is ever possible to replace the loss of losing a loved one by doing the most that one can, even avenging it.

Dubus gives the answer to that question in his story, "killings", and through this paper, we will try to reach to that answer and find out how effectively Dubus has made its audience believe it. "Killings" revolves around just that_ two killings that take place in the story out of reasons of jealousy, hate and love. The plot of the story is relatively simple, involving only a handful of characters whose stories are quite relatable.

What makes the story tick with the audience is the intriguing approach the writer has adopted, and the harsh realities that he has uncovered. All the characters in the story display a certain level of hatred and anger towards either their enemies, or towards themselves. Frank, a young man, is blindly in love with a married woman, Mary Ann. Mary Ann has two children, and is in the process of taking divorce from her husband, Richard Strout.

However, the divorce is not complete yet, and so Richard is still legally her husband. Frank, blinded by love, does not care at all about the difficult situation that he is putting himself into, and continues his relationship with Mary Ann. Richard finds out about the affair, and decides to take matters into his own hands. Mary Ann is happy with Frank, and this fact, above everything else, makes Richard extremely jealous of Frank.

"One night he beat Frank" (Dubus 716). Frank is immediately rushed to the hospital one night after Richard caught him with Mary Ann. Frank knows that his love is being interrupted by the jealous husband, but would not accept it. As time goes by Frank is spending his days and nights with Mary Ann.Frank's parents, Matt and Ruth, are very worried about their son, and the position he has put himself into. Richard is known for his reckless character, and it is not long before the matter gets worse, forcing Richard to commit the ultimate crime of passion.

"Richard Strout shot Frank in front of the boys. They were sitting on the living room floor watching television, Frank sitting on the couch, and Mary Ann just returning from the kitchen with a tray of sandwiches" (Dubus 718).This is how Richard kills Frank. Dubus does not go into details about the murder. He does not care to describe the murder scene, whether Frank was rushed to the hospital, or what emotional dilemma Mary Ann had to go