Comparing Killings By Andre Dubus And Clean

Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being. The main characters from “Killings” by Andre Dubus and “Clean” by Edward J. Delaney know this term well. Both short stories illustrate a violent crime committed by a character experiencing deep pain. Matt from “Killings” murders the man who killed his son, Frank. The main character from “Clean” accidentally kills a boy that wanted the girl he desires. In both cases, outside influences encourage their actions, and the police never catch either one of them. Although both characters share the characteristic of being murderers, their reasoning, accomplices, and behavior after the murder differ significantly. Delaney writes “Clean” in second person point of view to enable readers to place themselves …show more content…
On one hand, he physically hurts another human being, but he worries about his life and how the incident affects it. He regrets the fact that he would never be able to be home without thinking of Barry’s body buried less than half a mile from his house. Additionally, even though nobody ever discovers the narrator’s secret, he can never remain home in fear that the police or someone else might unearth the body. The narrator can never live down his crime; he constantly thinks of the body tucked away into the fresh earth. To end his suffering, the character reminisces about that night and dreams of what would happen if they turn themselves in. The narrator analyzes his actions for the entirety of his life. On the other hand, Matt Fowler from Andre Dubus’s short story, “Killings,” never feels any remorse or regret for his actions. Matt justifies his murder by explaining that killing his son’s murderer is the only way his wife can get any relief from her suffering. Richard Strout’s, the murderer, face constantly tortures Ruth, Fowler’s wife, which leads to Ruth feeling depressed and Ellender 3 spending many nights lying awake,