Essay Questions

Why does Tanner chose to distract the police knowing full well that he would die and his brother may or may not escape with the money the two had stolen?

Ultimately, Tanner chose to distract the police instead of Toby for two reasons: 1) because he did not have any children in his life that he needed to look after (nor a wife) and Toby had two to look after and raise and 2) because his life had been marred with mistakes. He went to prison for many years and lived wildly, irresponsibly, and selfishly. He wanted his last action on the Earth to be a good one that would better his brother and his family. In other words, he made a selfless decision rather than a selfish one.

What purpose does Toby's visit to the casino serve?

Toby visit the casino to launder ("clean") his money. Obviously, having the exact amount of money that was stolen from area banks in cash arouses suspicion. So, he went to the casino to ensure his money would look like it came from legitimate gambling winnings, not illegal activities. It allows him to spend his money essentially.

Why do the brothers rob the Texas Midlands bank in the first place?

Toby and Tanner rob local Texas Midlands bank because they need money to pay off debt on their families ranch. Prior to her death, their mother had taken out a reverse mortgage on the property. They needed to rob the banks to pay off the reverse mortgage on the ranch. More pressingly, they found out there is large amounts of oil on the property, oil which would ensure their family would be financially set for life. If they did not gather enough money to pay off the mortgage, the back would take the ranch, thus seizing all the oil on the property.