Essay Questions

Mallory is at her most violent when she kills men who make sexual advances towards her. Why do you think this is?

Mallory actually begins the couple's multi-state murder spree when she kills one of the rednecks in the diner who are making sexual comments directed at her; one comes over and starts to make advances, and for a minute she flirts back before beating him to a pulp. She also shoots the gas station attendant with whom she has sex on the hood of the car, although it's not clear whether or not she would have done so if he had not recognized her from her wanted bulletin on the television news. Their encounter was a more evenly balanced one, with Mallory as much the "aggressor" as the gas station attendant.

However, when she kills Scagnetti, it is again a result of his coming on to her. Again, she allows him to think that she is flattered and going along with it, but she slashes his throat when she gets close enough and he drops his guard. Each time she turns on a man who has attempted to take advantage of her, she responds almost with a "how do you like me now?" comment, showing them that she is not the helpless little woman that they had anticipated. This reaction is probably because her father was abusive both physically and sexually; each time she kills a man who is trying to take advantage of her sexually she is killing her father over and over again.

Why is Gale surprised that the Knoxes are going to murder him?

Gale had begun to feel part of the team. He was instrumental in helping Mickey and Mallory escape from the prison during the riot, and he seems to be participating in what he believes is a murder spree ride-along by the time the three make their getaway. He also begins to act violently himself, claiming that he felt his most alive after killing someone. Gale is beginning to get high on violence. He is not suffering from Stockholm Syndrome in the true sense because Mickey and Mallory are not keeping him captive; he is the one continuing to follow them, not the other way around. However, he is bonding with them and mistakenly feels that they have some degree of familial feeling for him too. He does not realize until it is too late - he is too self-absorbed to realize that what they are really interested in is his camera. He is merely the man holding and pointing.