A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser" (Poe). The narrator uses the ultimate punishment, death, simply because he feels that his friend insulted him and his family name at some point. It seems to be a petty offense, but it points out how totally nonconformist the narrator really is. He is totally mad, but because he hides it well, he has a distinct place in society and is respected by his peers. No one would ever suspect that he could be capable of his actions, which makes them all the more chilling and bizarre.
             Sammy is quite similar in that he seems like any young man at his first job. He does what he is supposed to, and does not challenge authority. No one would expect him to take a stand against his boss, because it seems totally against his nature. The reader wants to cheer when he makes his decision, because it seems like the right one, even if it is only to impress the girls. His manager treated them unfairly, and he knows it. Updike writes, "The girls, and who'd blame them, are in a hurry to get out, so I say 'I quit' to Lengel quick enough for them t
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