Literary Essay Example on Killings by Andre Dubus

Life is full of challenges; these challenges can be overcome successfully while others might turn out to be problems in peoples lives. Matt in the short story Killings, turns out to be a murderer out of his caring and loving heart of a father. He changes his real demeanor Richard killed his son Frank. Two wrongs cant make a right, but what happened to this loving father compels him to become vengeful.

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A father in a family is seen as key figure that growing children imitate as their model. In a family set up the father is seen to be the pillar and strength behind a resilient and prosperous family. As a parent, a father is expected to show a lot of care hope and respect to his children. Matt Fowler in the short story Killings by Andre Dubus portray the role played a father in a family environment. His fatherhood character comes out clearly during his interaction with his wife Ruth and the advice he gives to his last born son Frank who until his death was twenty-one years, eight months, and four days old.

The, first act of Matts proof of a caring father is when Frank comes home with stitches on his face and swollen lips. Matt and his wife Ruth stands up quickly worried what has happened to their son. Matt even turns off the television they were watching so as to concentrate on Franks issue (Dubus, 90). On getting to him, Matt turns Franks face to the light, so as to see the stitches well and bruised the face. He goes ahead and asks Frank if he has filled a charge against his attacker. Frank answer him apparently no he feels for him and is tempted to ask him what he did to guarantee him that there will be no another attack of that type. These acts depict Matt as a real a caring father.

Matt extends his parenthood role to a point of protecting Ann Mary, a girl that is in a relationship with Frank. He tells Ruth that Ann is not to blame for her divorce with her former husband Richard of whom they had two children. According to him, Ann was young and liked Richards looks even though she realizes later that she had married a bastard (Dubus, 130). To him, this is nothing wrong since she did it out of naivety. He justifies this by the fact that there are laws of the land that compromises her case. Those days, Frank was not around and Matt spends time with Ann on the dining table to show her parental love (Dubus, 110). When Frank is around, he serves them with gin and tonics as he goes to the backyard to start the charcoal.

Matt also comes out clearly as caring and concerned father by advising his son Frank. When his wife Ruth asks him about Franks arrival time he tells her that he had already talked to him concerning the same issue during which he warned him of being a housebreaker. Matt also explains to Frank how he woke up a day before to receive him. He is also willing to talk to the mother so that she should also wake up to receive him without any cold blood, .One of these mornings your mother will. And Im the one wholl have to talk to her. She wont interfere with you. Okay? ..... (Dubus, 150).

Matt is seen trying to flashback how he was happy and proud of Frank when he was just seventeen and had outgrown him (Dubus, 140). He organizes a night out to Fenway Park by ordering tickets for the two of them, that they can have some private time to talk about some things that matters in their lives.

Matt became vengeful after the death of his son, Frank, who had been murdered. The next month after his sons death, Matt is so distressed and full of anger. The man who murdered his son walks through town being seen by Ruth, and this became unbearable to him after a lifetime of taking care of his children. Matt was tormented to see he was out on bail with the vicious crime he did and the unbearable loss. Strout had taken away what Matt had accumulated in his adulthood as a parent: the quietly hurried and quietly pleasurable days of fatherhood (Dubus, 30).

Matt kidnaped Richard when he going home only to revenge the death of his son. Matt was with Willis, his friend. Matt was very keen executing his plans as he watched the parking lot waiting for Strout. Quickly he stood behind him with his weapon pointed at his head. Matt told Richard, not to talk; he was to unlock the door front and get in (Dubus, 220),Its cocked, drive to your house. He was dynamic when he lied to him that he was going to make him travel away because he has a job for him.

Matt admitted that he had started carrying his gun having hopes that Strout will do anything that will make him shoot him as an excuse. His wife Ruth knew about the gun but she did not have herself to believe that Matt kept it at his store because of the high crime done in the area. These actions by Matt portrayed him as a dynamic man who can do anything for his beloved son. Matt was afraid as he would not be alone with Strout for very long, smell his smells, hear his voice and shoot him finally; he did not tell Willis (Dubus, 230).

The act of Matt taking Richard to Boston and shooting him portrayed the revenge for the death of his son, Frank. Matt went ahead and shot him once in the back of the head (Dubus 410). He shoots him twice and Willis, his friend, helped him as they pulled Strout off the road into the woods, a dynamic act by Matt.

In conclusion, it is evident that Matt was once a caring father, who was protecting his children.After his son is murdered, he turns out to be a vengeful man seeking justice by avenging for the horrible death of his son Frank. These acts makes Matt a dynamic character in the narrative.

Work Cited

Dubus, Andre. "KILLINGS." n.d. 30,90,110,130,140,150,220,230,410 .