Monstrous Duel: A Battle on the California Highway

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‘’Duel’’ by Richard Matheson is set on a California two-lane dessert highway. David Mann, a sales person in his mid-age travelling below the average speed limit even though he has an appointment in San Francisco, He encounter a tanker truck driver who is diffusing the atmosphere with a heavy thick gasoline smoke on the road. Man noticing this decides to by-pass the truck to prevent inhaling these fumes which irritates him and it ends up in a duel of machines. The term monster according to a layman’s definition is a creature that cannot be control and causes a lot of distractions, the intention of a monster is to put fear in others to fulfill their desires. Literary, monster in any given piece is when someone or creature is endowed with power …show more content…

Irrespective of Mann’s actions the truck driver finds all means to kill him. This makes man become aware that he is dealing with not just another driving on the road; but a beast who is chasing its prey, who adopts all tricks to put Mann to his grave. Mann has to reach a point where he cannot run no longer but rather have to fight …show more content…

Coming to think of the Guy’s actions, if he is doing the right thing why didn’t he show up his face? Even to the point where they enter CHUCKS CAFÉ. Another instance where the Guy exhibits a character of a monster is when the Mann runs for help from the old couples; he is never move by the crowd but goes ahead to chase them out of the scene but he never wants anyone to interfere in his plan of killing David Mann. Another part of prototype monstrous is when the truck Guy has to wait for David on the bend for minutes before Mann sets off to meet him for them to continue their rage. I believe the truck Guy has his purpose for the his journey not just to find someone to kill but I wonder why he has to change his mind on the trip to make a war to a passerby car. David Mann at the other hand, show forth some of the monstrous characteristics. Mann somehow supported the rage between them to some extent which aggravates the Guy by making a series of overtaking. But the rage is to a point of death and I don’t think nobody will play with his in relation to the idea of ‘’death’’, the probability of the Guy killing him with his big truck is high and I don’t think he is to entertain him to that

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