Essay Questions

Deconstruct Letty’s reaction after Red asserts that Ben may have killed Sonny.

Let calls Red a rat after divulging the factor which many have motivated Ben to murder Sonny. She says, “It should have been you instead of Sonny…You rat.” Equating Red to a rat is evidence that Letty hates him for exposing her and Ben's possible involvement with Sonny’s murder. Evidently, Letty wants to protect her husband even though he could be a murderer.

What is the import of the knife in the investigations?

Juvenalis writes, “ ‘Here’s the answer,’ said the detective, looking about and raising the object.” The knife is analogous to the answer regarding the identity of Sonny’s killer. Scrutiny of the knife using scientific principles would confirm the exact identity of the individual by divulging the murderer’s finger prints. The finger prints on the object would be compared with the finger prints of all the individuals in the household.

What are the probable deductions from the position of the wound?

The Medical examiner declares, “Then it wasn’t suicide…The site of the wound and the angle of the thrust rule out a right hand. The depth of it makes even a left hand unlikely.” The examiner’s assessment of the wound leads to the conclusion that the stabbing was not performed by Sonny. The wound itself offers sufficient indicators to rule out a conclusion which would have let the murderer to elude justice. Although the stabber used Sonny’s knife to perpetrate the murder, he/ she did not envision that the medical examiner would rise above Sonny’s ownership of the knife buy focusing on the positioning of the wound and the hand which may have been used.