Revenge, Consequences, and Guilt
This week we will study three short stories that explore the toxic results of seeking revenge and the level of guilt the acts may or may not engender. They are:
- “Killings” by Andre Dubus – attached pdf
- “Saboteur” by Ha Jin – attached pdf
- “Mother Sauvage” by Guy de Maupassant – https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/mother-sauvage
Discussion – 1 page
Discuss two of these questions
1. Which character’s death(s) do you think is the most horrible– Matt’s son, Strout’s, Chiu’s victim(s), the Prussian Soldiers, or Mother Savauge? Provide textual evidence.
2. Why did Dubus use the plural form “killings” instead of “killing” for his title?
3. Which, if any, of the three protagonists has a more justifiable case for revenge?
4. What is a saboteur? How does the term relate to the character(s) in Ha Jin’s story?
5. Discuss whether it is sometimes justifiable to avenge a crime or wrongdoing by going outside the law. Draw on incidents and cases in real life for support.
Assignment – 3 pages
Please respond to the following prompts in sentence or short paragraph format. Please number responses.
1. Briefly explain Mr. Chiu’s, Mother Savauge’s, and Matt Fowler’s justification for their acts of revenge.
2. Why does Matt kill Richard Strout? Consider the possibility that he has more than one reason.
3. Why does Willis help Matt take revenge?
4. Does Matt have a more understandable case for revenge than Mr. Chiu?
5. Why do the police arrest Mr. Chiu and demand a confession from him before they are willing to release him?
6. Could the police’s abusive behavior in the Chinese city of “Saboteur” occur in Matt Fowler’s New England community?
7. How does Mother Savauge treat the young Prussian soldiers she has been forced to house during the war before she receives the letter from her son’s friend? Why does she repeatedly ask the soldiers the same question?
8. Why does Mother Savauge ask the Prussian soldiers to write down the addresses of their families?
9. How is Mother Savauge also a victim of the war?