Is Killing Someone Justified In The Intruder By Andre Dubus

Is killing someone justified when they believe themselves to be in danger? This is a question that arose as I read through the story “The Intruder” by Andre Dubus. This story describes a young boy named Kenneth who more or less is seen as a shy and lonely person. If not at home he is portrayed to be somewhere in the woods where he hears voices, plays with his gun, and allows his imagination to run wild. Nevertheless, as the story progresses, we come to learn that due to Kenneth's shyness, the only true person he is close to is his older sister Connie. He states, “She was also the only person with whom, for his entire life, he had been nearly perfectly at ease" (Dubuss 450). Through this, as a reader, I was able to understand how close a relationship

This was evident when Connie's parents left her in charge of Kenneth and the house while they were gone on a night out on the town. No one knew that later that night Kenneth would end up shooting Connie's boyfriend after believing that he was “a prowler” (Dubus 457). Though this story's ending was unexpected, surprising, and confusing throughout the read I also felt an underlying feeling of wordiness.
Our feelings toward a piece of work can make or break our experience. Take for example people who hate feeling fear. If someone hates the feeling of fear and goes ahead and reads a horror story their experience will be quite a displeasure due to their dislike. With this in mind, As I read through the story “The Intruder” by Andre Dubus I at first felt a feeling of worry which then transformed into confusion. Though most would think that I disliked this piece due to my reactions I quite enjoyed it because these feelings enhanced the suspense and surprise that came at the end of the story. Nevertheless, my worries came to fruition quite early in the story. From the beginning of the book, I found it strange how two “loving” parents would allow their thirteen-year-old son to carry a gun around with him at all times. I understand that this was set in a post-war America, but it's