Inside “Killings” written by Andre Dubus is the story set in Massachusetts, exploring the emotions and psychology of heartbroken parents, Ruth and Matt. They lost their 21 year old son to a woman’s jealous ex-husband and were living with the knowledge that he was walking “free” on bail while their child was dead, never to walk the earth again. Within this fiction of a father’s love for his son by killing the ex-husband is the lesson teaching how even by avenging wrongs, there is no peace from revenge, only guilt and loneliness, and that forgiveness is the better path. In this case with the funeral and the foreshadowing from the phrase, “‘I should kill him’” (Dubus 100), the author starts with the problem, adding flashbacks so readers can…show more content… the words had no images for him, he did not see himself doing what the words said he had done; he only saw himself on that road.” (Dubus). The irony is the connection felt to the Fowlers, indeed Fowler’s acts are condoning, but there should have been a way for them to release their grief. Not being able to express their agony, Fowler killed Strout just as Strout had killed his son;he does not feel at peace,struggles to feel the hatred after going through his house and seeing the human side of Strout. For the most part, sadness had been felt for the Fowlers, but at the end of the story the realization strikes that justifying the murder of Strout is no better than Strout’s murder of their son. On the whole readers are left wondering whether all the empathy they felt for the Fowler’s loss, and the pre-planned, cold-blooded murder of a murderer was a necessary experience to feel justified in their feelings of inner violence. “Killings” provides an engaging, emotional read with lessons that influence readers. When Fowler experiences guilt and loneliness at the end of the story, “...he shuddered with a sob that he kept silent in his heart,” (Dubus 112), the truth that revenge does not satisfy was reinforced and that it is not better than
