Literary analysis of "Killings" by Andre Dubus
             "Killings" is an excerpt from a story called Finding a Girl in America. "Killings" is a story that involves elements such as sex, murder, and revenge. The title of the story, the way in which the characters are developed, and the order of events are unique to the story. The story effectively evokes suspense and emotion as the plot unfolds into its own unique sequence.
             Though it might be easy to overlook, the title of the story is very important. The title "Killings" leaves much suspense in the reader's mind. The title prompts the question killing what or whom. If the title were "Killers" or "Murders," the wrong assumption of the story could easily be made. Either of these titles would make the reader think of a mass murder of some type and would leave little suspense. The title is important for setting the mood of the plot.
             The chronology of the story employs a seldom-used style called "in media res." This technique allows the reader to prejudge the characters then later form new opinions about them. Dubus does this by providing the climax of the story at the very beginning, and then telling of the events leading up to it. At the beginning of the story, the scene is set at Frank's funeral service. Even though it did not actually happen that way, it strikes the attention of the reader and also increases the suspense in the reader. The story starts out, "On the August morning when Matt Fowler buried his youngest son." (80) The story continues for several pages without letting the reader know what happened. It can be inferred that a murder has taken place, but that is all the reader knows adding to the suspense of the story. Matt Fowler is depicted as a grieving that the readers feel remorse for. As the story unfolds in backward order, it is realized that he is really no differen
             ...