Boredom and Homicide in "Under the Radar" Anonymous 12th Grade

“Under the Radar” by Richard Ford is a story about a couple on the last day of their marriage. On the way to a dinner party, Marjorie tells her husband Steven that she has had sex with the host. Steven is taken aback by the news of the affair, but he is not upset about the affair so much as the awkwardness of going to a dinner party with a vulgar host who probably has had sex with his wife. As Steven drives, he pays attention to the minute details along the way and ponders about the truthfulness of Marjorie’s claim. Upon seeing a raccoon run over, Steven stops the car and hits Marjorie. Marjorie uses this event as a catalyst for telling Steven what she feels about him and when Steven acquiesces to her demand to help the raccoon, she gets into the driver’s seat and runs over Steven.

Told from Steven’s perspective, “Under the Radar” is a story about a woman who is so bored with her husband that she kills him. Marjorie Reeves is not just a femme fatale, but a woman who has endured a bad marriage to the point that it’s driven her mad with boredom and anger. Steven is a tedious husband with no empathy and his lack of concern for Marjorie and her feelings leads her to needle him until he gives her an excuse to kill him.

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