What Is The Theme Of Violence In Townie By Andre Dubus

In Andre Dubus’s rough, unadulterated memoir “Townie”; he accounts in detail of the despair and violence that emerges from a childhood of poverty and parental absence. Dubus speaks of his main conflict, an internal one that tempts him, which is the power of violence and its hold on him and his struggle to break free. He speaks of violence, his desire to hurt someone, yet he rarely resorts to the actual act. When he does, however, he reacts full force, flat out, no holds barred. The author conveys his argument by using rhetorical strategies during the various stages of his life and its events. Andre Dubus speaks of his childhood years and how he was tempted by violence. He often employs flashbacks and allusions for his childhood years. A …show more content…
The first time Andre punches a guy is when the person had kicked his brother down a flight of bar stairs. He experiences a sort of ecstasy from punching the guy: “I could feel my weight sink back on my right foot, my arms go loose at my sides, and it was as if I were in a warm bath under a blue sky.”(Townie, page 128) The usage of this simile helps show the audience what the author is feeling at that exact moment. After he had defended his brother and punched the guy; he compares the exhilarating feeling as to being under a blue sky on a warm, sunny day. It provides an imagery of Andre’s perspective on violence and the fact that its all pleasant, warm and fuzzy for him. This makes the audience concerned about his likeness for violence and makes them wonder if he will harm himself or others badly. This comparison also can be seen as a case of juxtaposition, the idea of violence and pain doesn’t qualify as warm and sunny for everyone. Later on the novel, Dubus has become increasingly violent and senses that he’s become addicted to the upside-down intimacy of throwing a punch. “This was different from sex, where if you both want it, the membranes fall away,” he writes. “With violence you had to break that membrane yourself, and once you learned how to do that, it was easier to keep doing it.”(Townie, page 135) In this passage, Andre contradicts sex and violence; claiming that sex is mutual but violence is …show more content…
On a trip to England, at his wife’s cousin 's home in Oxford, a large black preacher appeared to him in a dream and repeated to him, "You 're gonna die" (Townie, page 343) This was his epiphany. “Seconds before, when I was still in the dream, I’d begun to hear those words as a warning that I must change, but no more: this was a predictor of my intermediate future… I knew I would probably die today or maybe the next and it would have to be violent, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that what the black preacher’s eyes were telling me? That violence begets violence, no matter who you claim you’re defending or protecting?”(Townie, page 343) Dubus realized that his fighting was a struggle against a childhood of being small, afraid, and passive. He also realizes that he needs to stop fighting or he will eventually get harmed or worse, die. After the dream; Andre, who is not a religious person, picked up a New Testament and eventually found the Gospel of Matthew and the verse, "Love one another." That was the turning point that enabled him to reconcile with his personal demons, his parents, and siblings. The usage of the author’s epiphany brings a new perspective and makes the readers realize how much Andre has grown as a character. It also evokes an emotional response from the audience, making them relieved and proud that Andre has realized the errors of his ways and the fact that he decides