Poem Analysis: The Killing

The Killing A twisted story of the plights of love, revenge and mystery. A wife is the root cause of two deaths that are intertwined in both love and hate. A husband who finds his estranged wife cheating, then murders a father’s son. Reeling from the death of the son, the father and a friend put together a complex plan of revenge, in hope of finding solace at the end. As the story unfolds, the wife is replaced by a mystery woman who is as shadowy in the end as in the beginning. The theme goes to explore what is deemed right and wrong and how we justify our actions against injustices against us or our loved ones. Lastly we see the tragedy that love can cause and unforeseen doom that may spark from it. Starting with the death of Matt

On the way there Matt is almost afraid of what he might do to his prisoner in the car. Memories and thoughts continue to surface that have him filled with anger. While pulling up to the house Richard tries to test his captor’s resoluteness with by saying, “You wouldn’t have cocked it would you? For when I put on the breaks.” He is implying that if the gun was ready to fire and he slammed on the breaks an accidental discharge could happen and the kidnapping would be compromised. While in the house, Richard is told to put clothes in a suitcase. During this time Matt feel’s an empty presence. Mary’s presence. There were few pictures and feelings came to both in different ways. Matt seeing the picture of here happy could have been one of her and his son one day. To Richard it was not so much the picture but the spare bedroom where he thought things had happened. While leaving Richard again tells Matt that his son was “making it with my wife” and “I’m going to jail. Isn’t that enough?” Matt calmly lies, that he is not going to jail but that he is being taken out of state so that him and his family do not have to see him anymore. They then depart to a destination only known to Matt and

It show’s their resoluteness to kidnap and kill Richard Strout. Although, Matt had told Ruth he was doing other things such as going to a “Red Sox game” or “having a nightcap with Willis”, she still knew what was going on but made no mention of it. This is telling that she is agreeing with the choice of killing their son’s murderer. Matt’s original hesitation or thoughts of second guessing are the little morality that is causing conflict with what he feels, what he knows he must do. Not just for his own peace, but especially for his families, who he has always tried to care for and protect. Not being able to protect his son was likely as painful as the