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Samantha Adams
Dr. Oguine
English 1202 ZAB
Paper 2
11 February 2006
“Killings”: Moral, Legal, & Psychological Repercussions
Jealousy and revenge take over the lives of the characters in the short story,
“Killings,” by Andre Dubus. Out of jealousy, Richard Strout murdered Frank Fowler,
upon his discovery of Frank Fowler’s affair with his estranged wife, Mary Ann. In an act
of revenge, Matt Fowler, Frank’s father, murdered Richard Strout. In turn, the moral
choices these characters have made create a pattern of legal and psychological
repercussions on both families. In fact, one may be able to empathize with the victims,
but is there ever any justification in exacting revenge of this magnitude on one another?
The taking of a human life, no matter the reason, is unjustifiable, because there are far too
many consequences. For instance, such a murderer could spend the rest of his or her life
in prison, receive the maximum penalty, lose family and assets, and could spend the rest
of his or her life harboring the guilt of what has happened. Therefore, jealousy leads to
the revenge, and in the case of “Killings,” it leads to other legal and psychological
repercussions for Frank, Mary Ann, Matt, and Ruth.
The choices these characters have made lead to a domino effect of one negative
event after another. Morally speaking, all the characters are at fault. Frank and Mary Ann
are wrong in having an affair, Mary Ann’s husband Richard, is wrong in killing Frank,
and Matt, Frank’s father, is wrong in killing Richard in retaliation. Many people set their
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moral standards based on the Bible where, the positions on adultery, murder, and revenge
are clearly stated in “Sermon on the Mount,” as recorded by St. Matthew, “Thou shalt not
kill” (5.21) and “Thou shall not commit adultery” (5.27). Therefore, while Frank, and
Mary Ann have both committed moral crimes, Matt and Richard, however, are guilty of
both moral and legal crimes. They both committed acts of murder and revenge. Richard
murdered Frank as a revenge for the adultery with his estranged wife and Matt murdered
Richard as a revenge for killing his son. But, according to “The Sermon on the Mount,”
no matter what the other person’s transgressions are, one must learn to, “turn the other
cheek” (5.39). So, in killing Strout, Matt loses the moral high ground and becomes just
as much of a criminal as Richard by getting even with him.
Obviously, the legal system has failed Matt Fowler and his family when Richard
Strout is released on bail after being arrested for the murder of Frank Fowler, as a result,
Matt decides to exact his revenge on Strout. Legally, adultery is not an easy, punishable
crime, but murder is. Frank and Mary Ann’s adultery results in Richard’s jealousy, which
is his motivation for killing Frank. Again, one can understand the feelings family
members may have after losing someone so violently and unexpectedly and the need for
retribution if they feel that justice is not properly done, because Richard should not have
been released to roam the street soon after his murder of Frank. Unfortunately, legally
and morally, Richard and Matt are now even, as killing Richard puts Matt on the same
legal level as Richard. Under the law, Matt Fowler would indeed be made to suffer the
same penalty for murder as Richard would have, had he lived. Legally, Matt’s friend,
Willis Trottier, is equally liable for the death of Richard Strout for helping Matt to
dispose of Strout’s body. According to Dubus, “He and Willis each held an arm and
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pulled Strout face- down off the road and into the wood [ . . .]They pulled off the
branches then dragged Strout to the edge of the hole [ . . .] and pushed him in” (501).
Ruth, in having knowledge of Matt and Willis’ murder of Strout, would be considered an
accomplice and would be punished by the law as well. So, Dubus clearly shows how the
legal system in the society is based on moral laws, and how studying literature can offer
choices to prevent people from repeating the mistakes made by characters they study.
Both Fowler and Strout families have become dysfunctional as a result of the
murders committed by the Matt and Richard. Richard Strout has killed Frank Fowler in
front of his wife, Mary Ann, and their children, scarring them emotionally, which will
definitely result in psychological repercussions. Similarly, Matt will most likely be sent
to prison for the rest of his life, leaving his wife alone for the rest of her life, putting her
in an even worse emotional state than the loss of her son, Frank. Moreover, Strout’s
children and wife will most certainly be damaged psychologically because their father,
Mary Ann’s husband, is never coming back and neither is Matt. So, Richard’s jealousy
and Matt’s grief have affected their rationality. Although their feelings are valid and all
too common, their reactions are extreme. Both situations should have been handled
differently. Of course it is not easy for people to love those who have hurt them, but if
they are unable to do that, they should at least try to forgive and move on or allow the law
to take its course.
It is clear that the characters’ actions are motivated more by their emotions than
by rationality. Their deep feelings overcome their judgment, as expressed in the poem
“Symptoms of Love,” which is a good explanation of how matters of the heart cause
people to do things that they would not do otherwise. In the poem, Robert Graves says
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that love is “A bright stain on the vision” (line 2), love “blots out reason” ( 3), and that
“jealousy is a symptom of true love” (4-5). For both Matt Fowler and Richard Strout,
their love has made them lose all reasoning, causing them to take extreme measures in the
end. In Strout’s case, love for his wife has made him jealous enough to take the life of
Frank Fowler, Matt’s son. Richard wants to mend his relationship with Mary Ann, but
sees Frank as an obstacle. “I couldn’t even talk to her. He was always with her,” (Dubus
499), Strout said. For Matt, his love for his son has made him seek revenge on Strout
because “[ . . .] he had lost Frank in a way no father expected to lose his son, and he felt
that all the fears he had borne while they were growing up, [ . . .] had backed up like a
huge wave and [ . . .] swept him out to sea” (Dubus 496). Obviously, he has been swept
out of his normal life by this single act of revenge.
Furthermore, the characters in “Killings” have shown that revenge only breeds
revenge; nothing good ever comes of it. Usually, taking revenge creates an ongoing
cycle, with each side reacting negatively to the wrongs that have been done to them.
Based on the statement, “[ . . .] he shuddered with a sob that he kept silent in his heart”
(Dubus 503), it is clear that even after getting a revenge on Strout for killing his son, Matt
is still not any happier. Revenge does not make him feel any better; afterwards those
painful feelings are still there. Therefore, the characters’ actions are a perfect example of
the cycle of revenge and how taking such extreme measures can lead to other disastrous
consequences, such as the war on terrorism, raging throughout the world.
Finally, because of Strout’s love for Mary Ann and Matt’s love for Frank, they
have lost all reasoning. As a result, they, as well as their families, have been affected
psychologically. For instance, Strout’s family has lost a father and a husband. Matt’s wife
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has lost her husband and her son, Frank. Now, both families are grieving and Matt and
Richard are consumed with revenge and murder, which have legal repercussions no
matter how hurt they may be. The moral, psychological, and legal repercussions of what
the characters have done have caught up with them. For instance, Matt, in addition to his
already damaged psychological state, will most likely be brought to justice. So, the initial
immoral decision of adultery, has led to this domino effect, but even in crimes of passion,
one is not exempt from the law, that is why Dubus’ arguments in “Killings” can help
people make moral choices, to allow the law to take its course, instead of opting for
revenge.
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Works Cited
Dubus, Andre. “Killings.” Literature. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York: McGraw Hill,
2007. 491-503.
Graves, Robert. “Symptoms of Love.” Literature. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York:
McGraw Hill, 2007. 845.
St. Matthew. “Sermon on the Mount.” Sundance Choice. Ed. Mark Connelly. United
States: Thomson Heinle, 2006. 79-85.