Thematic analysis
The Potential to Kill
Throughout the story, a basic principle is brought up multiple times; the potential for a person to kill another. Guy, a simple architect, seems to have no potential to kill Miriam, let alone any human being, yet the motive is there. Miriam broke Guy’s heart by sleeping with other men during their relationship and leeching his money and life away. Bruno sees these events as reasons that give Guy a potential to kill Miriam, and uses them to blackmail Guy in the long run.
Throughout the story, a basic principle is brought up multiple times; the potential for a person to kill another. Guy, a simple architect, seems to have no potential to kill Miriam, let alone any human being, yet the motive is there. Miriam broke Guy’s heart by sleeping with other men during their relationship and leeching his money and life away. Bruno sees these events as reasons that give Guy a potential to kill Miriam, and uses them to blackmail Guy in the long run.
Double Talk
In the beginning of the novel, Bruno brings up the idea of a “Perfect Murder”; a murder with all the right circumstances and motives that the killer would be able to get away with it Scott-free. Guy shrugs off this idea as an incredulous thought, why would a person murder someone simply because the timing was right? As the novel continues, Bruno cashes in on this idea of the perfect murder and strangles Miriam in cold blood on a random day in a random location. The signs all point to Guy as he has motive to kill Miriam, but the police can’t pin it on him. The ironical part of the story is that Guy doubted that Bruno would ever kill anyone, but when Bruno actually does, he drags Guy down with him, eventually making Guy murder someone as well.
In the beginning of the novel, Bruno brings up the idea of a “Perfect Murder”; a murder with all the right circumstances and motives that the killer would be able to get away with it Scott-free. Guy shrugs off this idea as an incredulous thought, why would a person murder someone simply because the timing was right? As the novel continues, Bruno cashes in on this idea of the perfect murder and strangles Miriam in cold blood on a random day in a random location. The signs all point to Guy as he has motive to kill Miriam, but the police can’t pin it on him. The ironical part of the story is that Guy doubted that Bruno would ever kill anyone, but when Bruno actually does, he drags Guy down with him, eventually making Guy murder someone as well.
Intrusive Thoughts
An intrusive thought is an unwelcome involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea that may become an obsession, is upsetting or distressing, and can feel difficult to manage or eliminate. These thoughts are natural and happen to everyone, and the heinous idea will exit the mind almost as soon as it entered. Bruno’s thoughts of homicide are tossed around very freely during the beginning of the book when Guy and Bruno first meet. These thoughts of Bruno do not leave, and grow in his mind, until they finally materialize and he kills Miriam.
An intrusive thought is an unwelcome involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea that may become an obsession, is upsetting or distressing, and can feel difficult to manage or eliminate. These thoughts are natural and happen to everyone, and the heinous idea will exit the mind almost as soon as it entered. Bruno’s thoughts of homicide are tossed around very freely during the beginning of the book when Guy and Bruno first meet. These thoughts of Bruno do not leave, and grow in his mind, until they finally materialize and he kills Miriam.