Essay Questions

How did the murder of the mad man take place?

Billy and Isaac are among the people who are adversely affected by the steel mill's closure in town, and they are now jobless. While walking in town to search for any other available opportunity, Billy and Isaac are ambushed by a group of madmen. While trying to defend themselves, Billy and Isaac kill one of the madmen, but they try to run away from the crime scene to avoid detection. With the help of the policeman, they evade justice.

Why did the town's police officer help Billy and Isaac hide the murder evidence?

The policeman knows Billy because he is romantically attracted to his son. Therefore, when the police realize that Billy is the main suspect in the murder case, he acts very fast in hiding the evidence from the scene to ensure Billy is not convicted. Consequently, the policeman helps Billy evade justice because he is interested in his son.

What is the symbolic meaning of the character Isaac?

The author symbolically uses the character Isaac, to symbolize sibling rivalry. Isaac's sister has the opportunity of exploring the outside world, and this makes Isaac jealousy. Isaac decides to steal his father's money to move out of town and see what is unique from the small town he has called home for years. Later, Isaac comes home and asks for forgiveness.