“KILLING” BY: ANDRE DUBUS
Breanna Andrews
and
Bruce Mosley
ANDRE DUBUS
oAndre Dubus was an American short story, essayist, and autobiographer.
oBorn on August 11,1936 in Lake Charles, LA
oDied on February 24, 1999 in Haverhill, MA
oHis only child is Andre Dubus
oAttended Christian Brothers School and McNeeses State College.
oMany of his stories are written in Merrimack Valley N or Boston.
oServed as an officer in the USMC for five years then taught at Bradford college in
Massachusetts.
oHis stories earned him numerous awards
oHe published “Broken Vessels” a collection of autobiographical essays (1996)
OTHER WORKS
o"The Curse”
oFinding a Girl in America (1980)
o"The Colonel's Wife”
oThe Times Are Never So Bad (1983)
o"Dancing After Hours"
oVoices from the Moon (1984)
oThe Lieutenant, in 1967
oThe Last Worthless Evening (1986)
oVarious stories in magazines such as The oSelected Stories (1988)
New Yorker and Playboy
oBroken Vessels (1991
oSeparate Flights (1975)
oDancing After Hours (1996)
oAdultery and Other Choices (1977)
PRÉCIS
The story “Killings” starts out at the burial site of Matt Fowlers youngest son Frank. The whole
family is upset about the death, and a couple of the family members want to kill the person
that killed Frank. A couple days after the funeral, Matt goes to Willis’s house to vent how he
feels about Richard Strout. Richard Strout is the man who shot and killed Matt Fowlers son. As
Matt is venting to Willis, he tells him how it’s killing his wife seeing Strout in stores. He also tells
Willis that he carries around a gun just in case he sees Strout. One night Matt and Willis wait
outside of a bar for Strout to come out so they can “take care of business”. Once Strout comes
out and reaches his car Matt and Willis get out of their car and aim their guns at him, and they
tell him to get into his car. As he does as he was told Matt gets into the car with him and tells
him to drive to his house. When they get to Strouts house, they both go inside and Matt tells him
get his suitcase and to pack clothes. While they are walking through the house Matt notices how
clean the house is. After Strout packs the suitcase they go back to the car and drive to New
Hampshire. Once they reach New Hampshire Matt tells Strout to turn onto a dirt road to an
abandon gravel pit. Matt, Willis, and Strout all get out of the cars and they tell Strout to get his
suitcase and walk up the road. Strout gets his case and takes a step and attempts to run for it,
but gets shot. Matt walks over to him and shoots him again and kills him. After this Matt and
Willis bury Strout and then they go home. When Matt gets home he tells his wife what he did,
and with his cheek touching her chest, “he shuddered with a sob that he kept silent in his heart.
SETTING
oBoston, Massachusetts
oFrank’s grave site
oWillis’s house
oMary Ann's House
oThe bar where Strout works
oStrouts House
oNew Hampshire
MAJOR CHARACTERS
oRichard Strout- was twenty-six years old. He was a high school athlete, and had a
football scholarship to the University of Massachusetts where he lasted about two
semesters. He was a bartender and married to Mary Ann Strout at one point. He
killed Frank.
oMatt Fowler-is the father of Frank. He is married to Ruth and has three children. Matt
is determined to get rid of Richard Strout.
oRuth-is the mother of Frank. She worries that Strouts ex is not the lady for Frank.
oFrank-the son of Matt Fowler. Frank is in love with Mary Ann. He is shot and killed by
Strout.
MINOR CHARACTERS
oSteve
oCathleen
oWillis Trottier
POINT OF VIEW
o3rd person omniscient. The author knows the characters thoughts.
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
oStory starts out at a burial sight. Matt Fowler is burying his youngest son Frank.
oMatt goes to Willis's’ house and vents to him how he feels about Strout. He also tells
Willis how he carries a gun around now just in case he sees Strout.
oMatt and Willis wait outside the bar for Strout. They kidnap him and tell him to go to
his house to get clothes. After they leave his house, they drive to New Hampshire and
drive off the highway to an abandoned gravel pit so that nobody sees them kill
Strout.
oThey tell Strout to get out of the car, and as he does he attempts to run but gets
shoot. Fowler walks over to Strout and shoots again but this time he kills Strout. After
Strout is killed Matt and Willis drag him to the hole and bury him.
THEME
oRevenge isn’t always what it seems
oTreat others the way you want to be treated.
QUOTE
o“I’ll do twenty years, Mr. Fowler; at least. I’ll be forty-six years old.”
SPECIAL TOPIC
Love story vs. Murder story
oDiscuss with a partner how “Killings” could be a love story or a murder story. Then on
a sheet of paper write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences)