Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - Tom Fanklin

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immediately wanted to find out who the culprit was and became curious. However, If I am honest, I find the author's writing a bit superfluous. In the first chapter, many things were described in unnecessary detail. The author tells the story with the dialect of deep south, which made the language harder for me to understand. In contrast to his writing (linguistically), it was much better content-worse, and the plot also started out exciting. 1 CHAPTER 1: An introduction to Larry Ott When? ● Whose viewpoint ? Larry ● What happens ? story begins with the facts that a girl is missing and a monster is waiting for Larry at his house Larry's ordinary daily life, an old single man who lives alone in his parents' house in rural Mississippi -> isolated place: „a mile to his nearest neighbour“ and no shops nearby On this morning he does his usual tasks like cutting the gras with his tractor, feeding his chickens his mother Ina had gone to a nursing home ● ● ● ● · ● ● 2. Chapter Overview ● present/ 2007 - early September ● works as a mechanic ,,but only in theory" in his small workshop that had belonged to his father -> his business is unsuccessful ,,because of his past, Larry hadn't been allowed to own a gun" puts his mechanic uniform + eats breakfast while watching the news: missing girl still hasn't been found yet ,,he already knows what his working day will be like" -> knows he won't have any customers" Larry's daily routine: checks his cell phone, reads his novel + is a book-of-the-month club member, drives his truck, checks his mailbox, drives to his garage, watching the cars, inside the office flips the CLOSED sign to OPEN, with his coke sitting behind his desk reads books gets a call from nursing home - mom is having a good day and wondered might he bring lunch wants to be there before noon therefore he drives fast, ,,unwise for him. The local police knew his truck and watched him closely" -> actually drives carefully because he is under observation has few visitors: local teenager, who sometimes come to his yard late night to make noise, and his only friend Wallace Stringfellow occasional visits from chief investigator Roy French with a search warrant saying ,,You understand, right..." -> Larry always lets him in without reading the warrant and sits while the police officer is searching everywhere without finding anything Larry understands why the police suspect him, knowing that ,,If he'd been missing a daughter, he would come here, too." -> he is suspected of having killed a girl after that he returns home - sees the monster's face wearing the zombie mask, which belongs to him and which French had never found -> up to now, Larry has managed to hide the mask from the police the man shoots Larry in the chest saying ,,Ever body knows what you did....but Larry didn't get to deny abducting the Rutherford girl last week, or Cindy Walker twenty-five years ago" -> before the shot Larry recognises sth. familiar about the man ´s eyes when opens his eyes, he is lying on the floor and he thought of his mother... Of Cindy Walker standing in the woods." his attacker tells him to die -> Larry feels sympathy and forgiveness for his attacker ,,because all monsters were misunderstood" ,,Die, he said again. Okay with Larry" -> is willing to die, left to die 2 When? ● ● Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● What happens ? Silas has returned to the small town Cabot, Mississippi where he grew up to work as the only police constable ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● CHAPTER 2: An introduction to Silas Jones ● ● present ● people call him ,,32" = his baseball number returns from afternoon patrol - notices a lot of buzzards in the sky flying over one particular place; birds are a sign for a dead body nearby -> decides to take a closer look he pulls onto a small dirt road searching for a dead animal; stops infront a gate with „No hunting“ sign, signature of Rutherford Lumber Company ,,the wealthy Rutherford family owned the mill in Chabot as well as thousands of acres for timber farming" -> the body is on this land he hopes not to find the missing girl: Tina Rutherford, the 19-years old college student, white girl -> daughter of the mill owner; left home to return to college but never arrived there -> now every cop in the state was looking for her he drive through the gate hoping his Jeep will get stuck in the mud message on his radio from Voncille thought of his mother, dead 8 years: two living together in a hunting cabin on land owned by a white man two years now as Chabot's law - never fired his pistol except at targets a few days before a report of a burning car - car belonged to Morton Morrisette, who he had played basketball with at school + sells drugs; was in the car with Charles Deacon, a well-known drug addict search of M&M's house: someone had been shot there and then moved Silas finds M&M's body in the water surrounded by buzzards and flies he sits with some distance from the body - gruesome crime scene - while waiting for Roy French French arrives and they speculate about the crime suspect later two EMTs arrive - Angie is Silas 's girlfriend in his office Silas thinks about M&M and regrets losing touch with him shares a room with Voncille French comes back to office + tells Silas about his visit to Larry because he is a usual suspect in missing girl cases French notices Silas calling him just Larry -> he was in school with him + knew him a little -> Silas doesn't want anyone to think he and Larry were friends It seems the two of them share secret Silas avoided him since returning Chabot when he hears that Larry is not at work, he is sure sth. is wrong -> he sends the ambulance to Larry's house The people in the town keep a distance to Larry because they believe he has harmed Cindy rattlesnake in the mailbox case - Irina is attracted to Silas Silas directs the traffic and thinks about his original dream Angie arrives at Larry's house 3 When ? ● Whose viewpoint ? Larry What happens ? 1979: Larry and his father drive to school; they notice Silas and his mom not wearing coats and let them in the car ● CHAPTER 3: Flashback to Larry's and Silas 's first meeting ● ● ● ● ● flashback CHAPTER 4: Investigation of Larry's house When? ● ● the woman is not a stranger to Carl Ott Silas and his mother, Alice, are very poor -> live in a hunting cabin Larry's parents and Alice have met before ● Larry loves reading horror stories - Silas is secretly reading his book too They keep driving them to school until Larry mentions her mom about it - Ina isn't happy about it Ina humiliates Alice by giving her coats and appalling on ,, You've never minded using other people's things" Larry starts to work at his father's car repair shop and listens to his friends when they come over Larry sees Silas as his doppelgänger Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● he often secretly watches Cindy Walker from the woods Larry is a misfit at school: teased by the white kids and bullied by the black kids Larry insults a black girl at school -> his attempt to be accepted by the white kids fails Larry and Silas become friends and when they are alone: Larry teaches Silas how to shoot What happens ? Angie reports Silas about Larry's condition and that they will move to the hospital Silas wants to hide that they were friends will Larry present Silas and French investigate the crime scene at Larry's house after the attack -> nothing much to find, books in every corner of his house + tidy and clean Larry has been found, badly hurt but still alive Silas remembers the day he spent with Larry in his barn Larry isn't allowed to own a firearm -> the mystery of where the gun came from; speculation whether Larry was shot or not no modern appliances in Larry's home or work French thinks that the shooting might be connected with Rutherford girls disappearance back home, Silas discovers a message from Larry on his answering machine - Larry has tried to contact Silas 4 When? ● Whose viewpoint ? Larry ● What happens ? The summer vacation started; Carl orders Larry to cut the grasses so he doesn't stays all day inside the house reading ● ● ● CHAPTER 5: The end of the friendship ● flashback ● Silas and Larry spend the spring together shooting and playing games, catching snakes, etc. but they have to keep their friendship secret Larry takes Silas to spy on Cindy Walker and tells him on the way about the story Cecil throwing fireworks at Cindy in New Year's Eve -> Silas doesn't see the funny side of the story They stay hidden in the woods and watch the argument between Cecil and Cindy; Carl is just watching ● Silas defends against her step-father's abusive behaviour After that Silas runs away and Larry is still hiding while his father is looking around 22 Silas accuses Larry of spying on people and claims that he wasn't gone help her" -> Silas is mad on Larry for behaving like that when Larry gets home his father asks about his rifle -> Carl finds out that Larry has lent his rifle to Silas and orders him to get it back; his father had seen him at the bottom of the hill Ina is upset that Alice and Silas are still living on their land - ,,If they don't leave then me and Larry are." threat of Ina doesn't seem to affect Carl His mother is very protective of Larry - she alway prayed for him the next morning Larry shows up with a present for Silas and asks him to return the rifle but Silas refuses Carl appears drunk and aggressive -> has followed Larry, starts to abuse and insult him He forces the boys to fight for the gun -> at first Silas refuses, but Carl threatens him When? as a result of forcing them to fight dirty and not 'friendly' Silas easily wins the fight making Larry weak and helpless Larry starts to stutter and begs Silas to let go; says something unforgivable to Silas that he finally lets him go -> out of anger Silas hits Larry hard; their friendship is broken CHAPTER 6: The photo of Alice and a flashback to their journey with Silas to Chabot Whose viewpoint ? Silas present/flashback What happens ? while having breakfast Silas finds out that Larry hasn't recovered consciousness -> relieved that doesn't have to visit him: avoided Larry since his insult Silas looks for more clue at Larry's shop and in his house -> finds an evidence that someone has been at Larry's house recently While investigating in his house Silas remembers many memories with Larry 5 CHAPTER 7: The mysterious date When ? ● Whose viewpoint ? Larry (past) ● What happens ? 1982: Cindy asks Larry (16) to take her on a date -> drive-in movie Larry's first date; he is very excited -> his mother is supportive and even his father encourages him he brags about his date to the boys in school -> boys suddenly friendly to him ● ● Silas makes a surprising discovery while looking through Larry's house -> finds the photo of his mother in Larry's attic ● he remembers his journey from Chicago to Mississippi with his mother The journey was difficult: most of their possessions were stolen on the way, Alice didn't want to talk about where they are going, Silas try to escape made the things harder for Alice, humiliating situation for Alice with the bus driver, Alice is irritated by Silas and asks him for his support They end up moving into Larry's father's old hunting cabin Silas secretly keeps the photo ● ● ● flashback to 1982 +1985 Cindy is using Larry Larry goes to pick up Cindy - Cecil is confronting him; demands respect and is violent towards Larry the date doesn't go as Larry had imagined she reveals the reason why she asked Larry out - she is pregnant and needs to talk with her boyfriend -> persuades him to drive her to Fulsom where she will meet her boyfriend Larry pretends to be with her all evening when Larry arrives at the agreed meeting point Cindy doesn't show up after waiting few hours he asks Cecil where she is -> they call the police Larry tells the sheriff everything but not the pregnancy because of his promise Cindy Walker disappears; is never seen again -> Larry is suspected of having harmed her the Ott family is destroyed by the accusations 1983: Larry joins the army and discharges, is trained to become a mechanic 6 When ? Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● What happens ? Silas at the diner, where his mother had worked for 20 years, after he saw the photo Angie arrives and they talk about Larrys case: French thinks Larry shot himself but Silas disagrees with him -> unlike him, she believes Larry might be guilty Silas opens up to Angie about his past + tells a lot about his personal life + about Larry how he didn't have a friend CHAPTER 8: The half-brothers ● present someone has been in the cabin -> discovers a grave in the old hunting cabin; has found the place where the missing girl is buried CHAPTER 9: A new friend for Larry When? ● Silas finally goes to see Larry in hospital, but he is still unconscious visits Larry's mother + tries to tell her what has happened, but, because she has Alzheimer's, she can't understand him . outside the nursing home he thinks about the day he spent at his house -> realises the truth who his father was = Carl Ott -> Silas is Larry's half-brother decides to go to see the cabin on the way comes across Wallace Stringfellow, illegally driving a four-wheeler -> pulls him over + warns: Wallace attitude towards him cocky drives back to Larry's place -> way to cabin and thinks his mom . Whose viewpoint ? past/flashback to 1997 What happens ? Larry notices that someone keeps breaking into his barn while he isn't home Ina, just moved to a nursing home, warns his son to be careful; has forgotten about Cindy's disappearance Larry (31 years old) Larry discovers that the intruder was a young boy, uses his zombie mask to scare the intruder away Ten years later, Wallace Stringfellow, appears and tries to sell a satellite dish to Larry -> they start to talk and realize they have few things in common Larry is hoping and waiting for Wallace 's return; realizes he had seen him as a boy Teenagers intimidate Larry at his house -> Wallace suggests him to defend himself Wallace keeps asking personal questions to Larry Wallace has been fascinated by Larry for many years - started with his visit to church on Christmas Eve Larry gets a gun as a present from Wallace Larry considers Wallace the first friend he has had since Silas Wallace wants to talk about what happened to Cindy -> tried to find her body in the old hunting cabin Wallace is aroused by the idea of raping a woman Wallace gets aggressive when Larry won't admit killing Cindy Larry misses Wallace when he stops visiting 7 CHAPTER 10: The truth behind Cindy's disappearance ● When? ● ● Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● What happens ? Tina Rutherford's body was in the cabin -> Silas gains fame with his photo in the newspaper ● ● present/ flashback ● ● Silas lies again to French about how he had found the body Larry, still unconscious in hospital, is now the only suspect Silas volunteers to guard his hospital room at night; also takes care of Larry's chicken -> tries to protect his old friend; tells him not to confess people are convinced of Larry's guilt Wallace had visited Larry on the first day in hospital Silas visits Mrs. Ott on her good day and finds out that the nursing home staff are neglecting her - forces someone to help her He asks questions about her mom to her to find the truth but Mrs. Ott is too confused Silas opens up to Angie about his relationship with Cindy -> finally admits the truth about his relationship with Cindy Cindy met with Silas on the day she had disappeared - after that day Silas went away to live in Oxford and didn't know about what happened to Larry He has been carrying the guilt about Cindy's disappearance around him for twenty-five-years -> admits his guilt When? They come to the conclusion that Cecil must have killed Cindy Since Silas told the truth their relationship becomes strained Larry comes out of his coma CHAPTER 11: Larry woke up Whose viewpoint ? Larry What happens ? present Larry regains consciousness At first, Larry doesn't know what is a dream and what is reality the doctor checks whether Larry remembers anything; the first thing Larry asks: ,,Did they find that girl?" has to face accusations from the police He discovers that Silas saved his life He reacts violently to the news of how Tina Rutherford died, which makes him seem guilty French interviews him and tries to get a confession -> tries to convince Larry that he killed Tina Rutherford by telling his own version of the events when Larry asks to talk to his friend Silas, French is being sceptical about their friendship French thinks Larry committed the crime but can't get the confession from Larry 8 CHAPTER 12: Larry's innocence ● When ? ● Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● What happens ? Silas rushes to the hospital when he hears Larry is awake; stops Larry from confessing Larry is glad to see him until he admits what really happened on the night Cindy disappeared Silas confirms that he and Larry were friends Silas intervenes the interview which annoys French -> he confesses he had dropped Cindy off that night Larry is shocked by the truth ● ● ● present ● CHAPTER 13: Wallace suspected of killing Tina Rutherford ● When ? French questions Silas, but doesn't want to take the Cindy Walker case any further -> for him Larry's innocence in this case doesn't prove his innocence in the Rutherford case it is hard for Silas to talk with Larry; tries to apologize to Larry, but Larry doesn't accept it Silas goes to a bar to get drunk and meets Irina again -> finds out that Wallace probably sent the snake to her mailbox she tells him about her roommate who narrowly avoided being raped by Wallace Whose viewpoint? Larry present What happens ? Larry is still restrained on his hospital bed In hospital, Larry has time to think about his past - he has been a victim for years Larry has lost his trust in Silas He remembers that Wallace had come to his house one evening after having done something bad, almost confessed something to him a few nights before the shooting therefore he wants to talk with French in that evening he wanted to give Wallace a chance to improve his way of living Larry starts to question his understanding of being a friend Larry realizes Wallace must have killed Tina Rutherford and shot him -> decides to tell French Larry is no longer prepared to protect his ,,friends": he doesn't want to be a victim anymore 9 When? Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● What happens ? Silas wakes up feeling terrible after the night he had drunk was drinking because of guilt -> realizes that he has never taken responsibility for his past actions Silas search's evidence of Larry's innocence in his house -> notices the driver of the four-wheeler had been there, wonders if it is the man he stopped on the road Silas goes to Wallace 's house to ask him about the rattlesnake in the mailbox He comes across a run-down house on the catfish farm and realizes he has found Wallace's home with a guard dog in yard He talks his way into the house, making Wallace nervous -> Wallace wants him to go back Inside the house Silas keeps asking questions to Wallace; notices a zombie mask Wallace sets his dog on Silas and yells at the dog to attack him, which Silas then has to shoot while fighting off the dog Wallace gets shot in the leg but he manages to run away Silas has also been shot and is left bleeding on the floor in Wallace's house ● . ● CHAPTER 14: Silas confronts Wallace When ? • present ● Whose viewpoint ? Larry ● What happens ? Larry asks for French for a few times but French is busy with investigating Silas 's shooting Larry hears that Silas has been shot and guesses the truth that Wallace was the attacker Larry tells French on a radio about his relationship with Wallace and what he knows (zombie mask) -> French now also believes in Larry's innocence French tells Larry about Silas's injuries and that Wallace is death Larry talks about how his loneliness lead to being befriended with Wallace and how Wallace had looked up to him ● CHAPTER 15: French finds out the truth about Wallace ● present Larry had originally wanted to tell Silas about his suspicion, but decided not to talk to him after finding out the truth about Cindy Walker Larry wonders if he is responsible for the Rutherford girl's death because he had not read the signals from Wallace correctly Silas is put in the same room as Larry after his surgery 10 When? ● CHAPTER 16: Larry and Silas in the same hospital room Whose viewpoint ? Silas ● What happens ? Larry and Silas share a hospital room - Silas asked for it Silas wakes up in the hospital room to find Larry watching the TV news; thinks of how they could be like normal brothers ● present CHAPTER 17: Larry's resentment to Silas When? The story of the attack and Wallace 's death is on the news -> Wallace killed himself at first Larry tries to avoid listening to Silas and Silas also struggles to start the conversation but then Silas reveals that they are half-brother Larry asks if Silas thinks his life was better -> he envied Larry for having a father because it wasn't easy for him growing up without a father but admits growing up with a father like Carl must be not easy either Larry doesnt want to remain in the same room as Silas; asks to be moved to another room ● Whose viewpoint ? Larry . What happens ? Larry still refuses talking to Silas; a curtain between the two beds Silas apologizes to Angie for his behaviour; Angie has forgiven him and was worried about Silas condition ● present Angie introduces herself to Larry and apologizes for Silas; she also shows sympathy and understanding towards Larry Silas has a lot of visitors French comes and tells the two men that Larry's name has been cleared Wallace killed Tina There are lots of television news teams that want to talk to Silas and Larry Silas is discharged from hospital; Larry decides not to change rooms 11 When ? ● ● Whose viewpoint ? Silas CHAPTER 18: Silas tries to make amends . What happens ? The only Silas gives is to the local police reporter, who he has been avoiding The mayor rewards Silas rather than punishing him -> he will be doing real police work Silas is very nervous to visit Larry ● present Larry is still refusing to talk to him and ignores him Silas starts trying to make amends for the way he has treated Larry; tries to be friends again Silas visits Larry's mother and the Walker's house Silas and Angie clean Larry's house, and Silas returns the rifle ● CHAPTER 19: The first step towards giving a chance for their friendship When ? present Whose viewpoint ? Larry and Silas What happens ? Silas keeps visiting Larry but Larry insists on not speaking with him although he enjoys Silas 's visits; tells him about his mom and his chickens When Larry is allowed to leave his room -> walks out of the hospital at night without telling anyone While walking to his shop Larry is wondering whether he will be able to get rid of his reputation as ,,Scary Larry" After being informed from the hospital volunteer that Larry has left the hospital Silas drives his Jeep to go to look for him despite his injury Silas finds him walking alone down the street and drives him home; on the way they about the Jeep and that it needs to be repaired Before entering to his house, Larry tells Silas to bring his Jeep over the next day so that he can repair it Silas watches Larry's reaction to his cleaned and prepared house from distance Larry gets into bed after discovering the rifle 12 3. Final Thoughts To start with, I have to stay that I found the chapters too long. Some chapters were over 20 pages long, which prevented me from continuing to read. Manche Kapiteln waren über 20 Seiten lang. I was torn between reading and not reading because I wanted to keep reading due to the intriguing endings, but the length of the next chapter stopped me. Therefore, I can say that reading took longer than I have expected. The plot was really exciting and interesting. It was my first time reading a crime novel, and I don't regret reading the book. I liked experiencing something new and learning more about South America. The story is told through a combination of present and flashbacks. I enjoyed slowly learning about the events and the truth. Instead of reading the entire backstory at first, I preferred the combination of the present and flashbacks. This made it more exciting to read, and the reader could think and assume what the real murderer was. With this structure, partly revealing the background story, the reader were allowed to form their own theories. For example, I tried to guess who the real murderer of Cindy was and If Larry had anything to do with the Rutherford girl case. The story is told from different points of view. Through the different narrative perspectives of the two main protagonists, one could better understand and empathise with both of them. The reader could follow the story from both sides, allowing them to decide what they think about the characters. They were, in a sense, the judge and could decide for themselves who was guilty. The language: Although I struggled to understand the story at the beginning because of the southern dialect, but in the end the dialect helped me to understand and demonstrate myself the South America. As a reader I had the feeling of living in the south, and I could experience the southern vibe. A positive aspect was the diversity of topics covered, such racism, ambiguity of belonging, friendship, and life in Southern America. I liked that the book covered several themes, not just crime. If I have to say something about the characters, it is that I really couldn't like any of them. I found them all annoying and off-putting. Only towards the end, I could feel a little sympathy for them. It just annoyed me how all the characters behaved, but I could still feel empathy at some points. Larry was a passive person, Silas made excuses for not knowing the consequences of his actions, and he was obviously avoiding Larry when he fist came to the city. In conclusion they were not mature enough to face their faults and actions. I was a little disappointed with the ending because I had imagined it differently, but I didn't think it was bad either. The author left left it up to the readers if Larry and Silas could rebuild their friendship or not with the open ending. There were open questions like who the real murderer of Cindy was. Although the author hinted at Cecil, it wasn't confirmed that he was the murderer - which I find disappointing and frustrating. Overall, I found the book very engaging. I could really immerse in the situation. I felt like I was the investigator myself and was investigating the case. I experienced exactly what I expected from a crime novel. Therefore I definitely recommend it to crime novel lovers 13 ● ● . ● . Appearance: white lean face, brown, short choppy hair, olive skin, long lashes -> soft, feminine traits ● had been chubby as a kid not strong and healthy boy: asthma, stuttering, etc. his first friend in his childhood was Silas -> their friendship broke because Larry insulted him (,,nigger") -> regrets insulting him but realizes it was late bonding with Silas half-brothers with Silas can't forgive Silas for hiding the truth, ignores him was a misfit in school -> rejected, teased and bullied by peers in his childhood social outcast and isolation had a difficult father-son-relationship -> Larry doesn't feel a sense of belonging to his father, lack of confidence, negative influence his secret friendship with Silas failed attempts to get acknowledged and attention tries to belong -> unsuccessful wants to be accepted after Silas, Wallace was his only 'friend' Larry become aware of how lonely he had lived after Wallace 's visits -> his loneliness lead to misjudge Wallace ambiguous relation with Wallace was shot by him -> the innocent world he grew up disappeared after finding out the truth about Wallace with Wallace's appearance his daily life changed • 4. The Characters mother lives in a nursing home father died in a car accident LARRY OTT has a daily routine: breakfast + watching TV, going to work, cut the gras and feed the chickens back at home home: every corner fulfilled with books, tidy and clean, no modern appliances ,, frozen in the 1960s kind of 22 character: no TV with remote control, cable, answering machine -> outdated spirit of time ● ● first date with Cindy Walker - has a crush on her • bad reputation because he is the first suspect of Cindy Walker's case ● • critical reflection of himself and his past -> development: not passive anymore, takes action in his own life, new start' not allowed to own a gun occasional visits from French • suspected of the missing girl Tina Rutherford gets shot someone tried to murder him . ● ● ● 41 years old male ● single works as a mechanic in his own repair shop -> barely has costumers grew up in Chabot, Mississippi lives in his parent's house without any neighbour nearby -> kind of a farm lives in isolation from the rest of society -> an outcast nickname - ,,Scary Larry" . unusual hobbies interest for nature: fishing, catching snakes, etc. loves reading books, especially horror and thriller novels by Stephen King -> even a member of a block club likes to be for himself introvert smart naive loner his chickens are his only ,,friends", cares a lot about them = good guy for him its hard to judge people - wrong understanding of friendship feels empathy with monsters 14 . ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 43 years old black, athletic black lower class ,,32" (nickname) -> used to play baseball lived and grew up in Chicago, then in an old hunting cabin owned by Larry's father without water, electricity and gas his mother died eight years ago; was raised by a single mom; aggressive boyfriend of his mother half-brothers with Larry dates Angie friends -> police force introspective quite popular investigates in the Rutherford case Silas doesn't appreciate his mother's hard work and sacrifices until he is an adult defends Cindy against Cecil's abusive behaviour - a black boy who dares to challenge the actions of a white man studied in Oxford former baseball player -> destroyed his arm in baseball - had to give up his dream joined the Navy, then discharged occupation: constable/police officer in Chabot (failed career for him) - role law enforcement has never fired a shot with his gun drives a 37-year-old Jeep (his request for a new car is declined) daily routine: reglementing the traffic at the mill's shift changing times . ● ● SILAS JONES ,,He wished you'd been the white one" -> Carl preferred a son like Silas to one like Larry unknown father -> Carl is his father no father figure in his live, has longed for a father racial issues poverty unable to maintain an emotional relationship (Cindy, Alice) secret friendship with Larry competing for fatherly love (rifle) integration in society (girlfriend) ● ● ● ● ● Silas gives the rifle (the reason for their fight) back -> return of the gun is a way for Silas to ask forgiveness, wants a fresh start with Larry lied himself about past events realisation of guilt acceptance of responsibilities realisation of the values of bonding; opens up to girlfriend avoided Larry after returning to Chabot attempts at reconciliation and a new start has to work for Larry's forgiveness hided the truth about Cindy's disappearance and him dating her 15 ● . . ● . ● ● authoritative and abusive father puts pressure on Larry with high expectations distanced behaviour towards their family rejects Larry as a son (has a preconception of how Larry should be) -> doesn't show love, but demands respect isn't satisfied with Larry's interest and appearance -> like his mother-side which he hates being a man and physical strength are important to Carl let's the two boys fight -> sadistic tries to defend Larry against his father prays for him (her biggest wish is a friend for Larry) sees the prayer as a solution for Larry's problems CARL OTT Ina doesn't really understand Larry lives in a nursing home mostly full of blacks suffers from Alzheimer's -> forgot about Cindy's disappearance her health is very poor, often absent-minded black single mom cares for Silas and want to offer him a good life works hard: several jobs to afford a modest living standard -> Silas doesn't appreciate that at the bottom of social ladder - life has never been easy for her coat scene: Alice stands looking at the coat and hesitates to wear it = for Alice, accepting the coat meant sacrificing her dignity (,,Silas had followed her, still not seeing what an emblem of defeat, shame, loss, hopelessness, the coat was.") INA OTT ALICE JONES affair with Alice Jones - treats her not well, doesn't help her uncaring husband lack of support and trust in his son • alcoholic ● . friendship • ends up as an alcoholic - dies in a car accident . biased and racist enjoys other people's humiliation is also Silas father -> influence on their ● dislike for his son and wife thinks not good about Larry is devoted to her son loves and protect her son -> wants him to be happy housewife - simple life very religious, occasionally visiting the church humiliates Alice by giving her the coat -> her treatment towards her is cold and unforgiving aware of the affair loves her son deeply sacrifices a lot for Silas very attractive (many of whom use her) was a maid in the past - affair with Carl->sent to Oxford and left alone forbids Silas to date Cindy because of her own or similar experience -> for her: a relationship between black and white won't end good also forbids Silas to be friends with Larry 16 . ● ● . ● . . asks Larry for date (he is attracted to her)-> uses him to meet Silas Larry is her victim ● disappears after the date night, never seen again -> case still not solved livers near to Larry's house with her mother and stepfather sunbaths often on the porch -> Larry spied on her ● ● is contemptuous of Cindy abusive towards her stepdaughter (maybe her murderer?) attracted to Cindy racist blames Larry for Cindy's murder enjoys annoying Cindy (firework) ● CINDY WALKER Larry's denial make him aggressive, screams at him has an unhealthy obsession with Cindy's disappearance/case and Larry looked up at Larry + fascinated by him -> he wants to be like Larry have with Larry a lot in common - both loner, dropped out of school, misfit smokes weed + is a heavy drinker owns a dog CECIL one night he confesses to Larry that he has done something he rejects Larry's job offer, saying he is worthless • when Silas investigates his house he attempts to run away; shoots at Silas -> dies while trying to escape from the police WALLACE STRINGFELLOW ● ● ● ● ● pretty and popular white girl 15 years old cool kid: smoker, has a lot of friends she makes life difficult for her mother her step-father is abusive towards her; acts inappropriate -> doesn't tell her because she wouldn't believe her dreams of escaping the small town with Silas her boyfriend is Silas unemployed - couldn't work because of his injury, spends his days drinking beer grew up in poverty friend of Ott family - knows Carl since childhood ● goes with friends to Carl's repair shop, laughs to his story's murderer of Tina Rutherford -> was copying his ,,hero" • is the kid Larry frightened away from his barn with the zombie mask is certain that Larry killed Cindy shoots Larry with a pistol + wearing the zombie mask -> tries to punish him; wants him to die reappears as a saleman after 10 years -> tries to be close with Larry first meeting with Larry at church (Wallace was 11 years old at that time) -> was excited to meet him; after that Larry stopped going to church starts visiting Larry - they become 'friends'; company for Larry Wallace seems harmless at the beginning gives as a present a gun to Larry in Christmas sick fantasies for him women enjoy being raped -> aroused by the idea of raping a woman 17 5. Meet the Author - Tom Franklin Thomas Gerald Franklin was born on July 7, 1963, in Dickinson, a small town in Alabama with a population of around 500 people. He is an American writer known for his crime fiction. In 1981, he moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he lived for some time. He later married his wife in 1998, and they now live in Oxford, Mississippi, with their daughter and two sons. Franklin studied English at the University of South Alabama and received both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the same institution. While getting his B.A. he had to do various jobs to finance his studies. He later met his wife, the poet Beth Ann Fennelly, at the University of Arkansas, where he received his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing. Tom Franklin is currently an Associate Professor of English at the University of Mississippi, where he teaches in the university's MFA program. Books he has written: 1999: Poachers - collection of short stories 2003: Hell at the Breech - novel 2006: Smonk - novel 2010: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - novel => literary highlight of his career 2013: The Titled World - novel TAHU TL Tom Franklin's best-known novel is ,,Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter", which was published in 2010. The novel was nominated for nine literary awards and won five, including - is one of only three novels nominated for the Crime Writer's Association Gold Dagger Award for Best Novel and the LA Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller While Tom Franklin is primarily known as a crime writer, he is often described as a ,,southern writer" because his novels are set in the American South and explore the complexities and contradictions of life in that region. His work often covers themes such as racism, poverty and the decline of small-town life in the South. Overall, Franklin's work provides a powerful portrait of the American South, offering readers a glimpse into the religion's rich and complex history, culture and people. Tom Franklin was interviewed at the American Academy in Berlin during his stay as a residential fellow with his family, on 16.11.2016. A transcribed part of a spoken interview with Tom Franklin related to the topic of ,,The Ambiguity of Belonging": ,,There is a lot of autobiography in my novel, more than I meant, ...like the part about Larry going to the drive-in movie. I did that - that was me. My first real date. Instead of going with me (the girl) needed to go see her real boyfriend who she was having a baby with. So I drove her there and left her. I went to the movie alone. I didn't know what else to do. The people I knew pulled in behind me and I was embarrassed to be alone. They'd heard that I had a date and they admired that, 'Hey, Tommy, he is normal, he has got a date!' But I didn't. Now I was pretending again. ,, 18 As Tom Franklin says in his interview, his novel ,,Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" does contain some autobiographical elements, but it still isn't a complete reflection of his life. There are some parallels between himself and the characters in the novel: Tom Franklin ● ● ● . ● living in the American South liked reading horror stories, especially by Stephen King grew up in a small town - Dickinson his father was a mechanic spent his free times as a child roaming the woods his highschool time wasn't the best -> his painful descriptions of Larry's highschool life reflect some personal experience he wasn't a good student he got married and has children with his wife ● Crooked Letter takes place in American South Larry likes reading horror/crime books, especially by Stephen King grew up and lives in small town - Chabot Larry's father was a mechanic Larry spent his free times in his childhood playing in the woods Larry got bullied by schoolmates in highschool Larry broke up with school Larry was still single at the age of 41 19 Angie girl friend +Alice Jones boy friend mother Silas Jones affair Ex-girlfriend Ex-boyfriend investigator 6. Figure Constellation father-son missing father figure Carl Ott 4 + teenage friends half brothers Tina Rutherford (missing girl) + Cindy Walker t (victim) married D father-son rejection, abusive suspect abusive step- father uses him likes her; suspect of her murder - wants him arrested Cecil Larry Ott murdered mother Ina Ott friend role model Wallace Stringfellow (outsider) t friends 20 7. The Ambiguity of Belonging The ambiguity of belonging refers to the uncertainty surrounding our sense of belonging. The feeling of belonging comes with being certain of one's place in society or of one's personal identity. Therefore the ambiguity is that social or personal identity can be more complex, making it difficult to have a clear understanding of where someone belongs. Larry's experience highlights the ambiguity of social identity. The black kids and white kids form two distinct groups, which do not mix. Despite being part of the white community, he doesn't feel like he belongs to the ,,white" because he has different interests, such as reading books. He isn't accepted by the white boys in the school. For is being laughed and bullied for his unusual hobbies in school. He longs for acceptance and therefore he tries to fit in and gain acceptance, often seeking attention through actions like showing off his pet snakes or insulting a black girl, but this only reinforces his reputation as ,,weird". This shows that Larry doesn't how to belong somewhere. At one point, Larry believes he has finally been accepted when he wears a zombie mask at the haunted house, but it turns out to be his illusion. He gets excited when he receives attention from the girls for his zombie mask. He even gets an invitation to the haunted house party but at the end they just ignore him and still want nothing to do with him. The Ott family is later shunned by everyone when Larry becomes the number one suspect in the case of two missing girls. As an adult, Larry continues to struggle with his social identity and wonders if he will ever be able to get rid of his reputation as an outsider, always known as ,,Scary Larry". Apart from his ill mother, ,,belonging" seems to be limited to a place and animals or things for Larry. He lives in isolation and has a daily routine. Even after his name has been cleared, he has doubts about being able to live a normal life again. Silas's experience demonstrates the ambiguity of personal identity. Initially, his identity appears clear, and he finds it easier to integrate into his new school, playing baseball and becoming popular among the kids. He doesn't have problem with the black kids. Silas was the cool kid at the school, but he still build a friendship with Larry, the misfit, This shows the ambiguity of belonging. A cool kid can feel belonging to a misfit. Being black and facing racial issues doesn't seem to shake his sense of belonging to much. Growing up without a father, Silas seems to have come to accept it. However, when he discovers Carl Ott is his father, it shakes his sense of identity. He starts to question his identity, because he isn't the person, he has known till now. Silas later finds out too that Larry is his half-brother. Due to their new revealed relationship with Larry, he feels a sense of guilt and attempts to rekindle their friendship. He starts to take care of his house and chickens. That is Silas's way of making amends for his amends. As an adult, Silas is accepted by the community. Despite his introverted side, He has colleagues in the police department and has a white girlfriend, Angie. Also Silas had mixed feelings about Mississippi first. He refused to move to Mississippi and even tried to run away, but his return to Chabot his sense of belonging to Mississippi changed too. In Chabot, he feels like his roots are there and has a feeling of familiarity and belonging. In the end, Silas takes responsibility for himself, his actions and his faults, but it may be too late. Nevertheless, his journey highlights the complexity of personal identity and how it can be challenged and redefined throughout life. 21 8. Friendship and Betrayal In the novel we can see different types of friendship and get to know Larry's understanding of friendship, how his choices in friends leads his life. To start with, I would like to take a closer look to the friendship between Larry and Wallace. Their friendship is born out of shared experiences of being outcasts, loner and rejected by society. They have a lot of things in common like for example dropping out of highschool. Larry has not other social contacts besides Wallace. Wallace is his only friend" after Silas. Therefore he is glad to have a friend and a sense of belonging. However, due to past betrayals, Larry is sceptical and wants to get to know Wallace first. He even asks his mother in the nursing home for advices. Unfortunately, his trust proves to be misplaced again as Wallace nearly costs him his life. His only friend tries to kill him. Despite his sceptic, Larry offers Wallace a job as a mechanic, which shows that Larry hopes for a new start for Wallace, but Wallace is just searching for a role model to help him cope with his murders. He wants Larry's trust and even tries to force a false confession out of him. Wallace looks up to Larry as a father figure, but what Larry initially sees as a friendship is an unhealthy obsession of Wallace ´s with his ,,crime". When Wallace doesn't get what he wants, he becomes aggressive and violent. The relation between the two demonstrates the complexity of human relationships and how seemingly positive connections can turn the opposite. The friendship between Larry and Silas is characterised by their differences. Larry is a bookworm and a social misfit, while Silas is more outgoing and active, the popular, ,,cool" kid. At that time, a friendship between a black and white boy was unlikely to see. However, they have to keep their friendship secret because both of their families would disapprove of their friendship. Carl doesn't allows Larry to mix with black people and Alice also forbids Silas to get close with Larry. Both boys suffer from some form of exclusion, Silas because of his skin colour and Larry due to his unpopular hobbies and general character. Because Silas is his only friend and his first real friend, Larry invests more time and effort into the friendship. He teaches Silas how to catch a snake,fishing, hunting and how to shoot with a gun and explains him the nature. They both enjoy each others company. He introduces Silas to his horror stories and shares his secret with him by inviting Silas to spy on Cindy. Their friendship is unbalanced and fragile. Larry trusts Silas, relying on him for support, including access to a rifle. However, Silas seems to be embarrassed about their friendship, especially later on. He avoids Larry after returning to Chabot and tries to keep secret their friendship from the police force and Angie. Their friendship ends when Larry insults Silas by saying ,,nigger" to him, which leads to Silas thinking that Larry is racist like all the white people. Larry's attempt to maintain a friendship fails, and he painfully realizes that he lost his only friend. This leads to a collapse of his world. The stuttering, which had disappeared for a while, reappears momentarily, showing how the fight/incident has affected him. The amount of regret he feels is much higher than when he called a girl ,,monkey lips" in school, as this incident has deeper implications for his life and relationships Later the reader finds out that Silas betrayed Larry too by not telling the truth and destroying Larry's life. Larry who didn't expected such a betrayal attempted to contact Silas because he regrets insulting him. Despite this, they still have a connection and are able to get a chance to rekindle their relationship due to their family connection - they are half-brothers. 22 Overall, their friendship highlights also the complexities of relationships and how they can be influenced by societal pressures and personal insecurities. Their friendship can be described as rather one-sided, with Larry investigation more in the relationship due to his lack of other friends. The ambiguity of their relationship is a consistent theme throughout the novel, as they both struggle with personal and societal issues that impact their connection. A quote which describes their relationship: ,,We were friends, weren't we?" Larry asserts that they were friends in the past (,,We were friends"). It brings back the memories of his desperate attempts to find a friend. However, Larry's use of simple past shows that this friendship may have ended, or that it was not a strong friendship to begin with. ,,Weren't we?" demonstrates Larry's uncertainty and his need for reassurance. When Silas responds with ,,You were", it indicates that he has a different perspective on their friendship. It was a one-sided friendship. This suggests that Larry may have perceived their relationship as more significant than Silas did. Silas 's response implies that he might not have considered Larry as his close friend, or that he doesn't value their past friendship as much as Larry does. Silas answer ,,I don't know what I was" reveals a sense of uncertainty and doubt or even guilt about his own role in their friendship. He is unsure how to define their relationship. His silence about Cindy makes him feel guilty. In conclusion, this quote shows Larry's struggle with his past and his relationship with others. He is feeling isolated and is seeking for reassurance from others. Betrayal: Larry's racist remark to Silas, after a fight forced by his father, instantly destroys their friendship. Larry regrets saying it, but the damage is already done. This shows how words can have a significant impact on relationships and how it's essential to be mindful of what we say. Silas doesn't open up about what happened on the night of Cindy's disappearance and lets Larry take the blame for it. This leads to Larry's ostracisation from society for years, and he is forced to conf the consequences of his actions alone. Cindy uses Larry to meet her boyfriend because she knows that he will not refuse to help her. This shows how some people can take advantage of others, even if they claim to be friends. Carl Ott cheated on his wife, which brings shame to Ina by allowing Alice and her son to live on their land. This highlights how one person's actions can have significant consequences for those around them. Silas breaks up with Cindy to save his baseball career, which leads to Cindy's disappointment as she thought he would help her out of her family situation. Silas lets her run away into the darn, and if he had spoken up, the murderer might have been found. This shows how some people prioritize their own goals over others' well-being. Finally, Wallace betrays Larry's friendship, pretending to be his friend, but he only wants his confession to a crime. He kills the Rutherford girl to be Larry's "hero" and tries to destroy Larry by shooting him. This highlights how some people can be manipulative and deceitful, even to those they claim to be friends with. Overall, the novel portrays how betrayal can have significant consequences, and it's crucial to be mindful of our actions and words in our relationships with others. 23 9. Larry's story about his first date with Cindy I have to confess that I didn't expect her to ask me out on a date, the girl I had a crush on. Getting encouragement and support from my parents - my dad gave me literally his car and some money. I was thrilled and excited by the idea of sitting with her together at a drive-in movie and thinking about how the night could go. Maybe I would have gotten chance to kiss her. Even the boys in the school were shocked at first but then gave me advice on how I should act. But from the start, the date was completely the opposite from what I expected - a DISASTER... She just used me to meet with her boyfriend and tell him that SHE WAS PREGNANT. While drinking her second beer bottle, she explained why she had chosen me as victim. Because I, an idiot, wasn't a possible candidate for her stepfather, Cecil, who could make out with Cindy. Though he is befriended with my father but nevermind. She begged me to pretend that I was with her and tell nobody about it. She said: I should just go to the drive-in movie and act like everything was going well. She said her boyfriend will drop her off at the meeting point and just leave me alone on the highway and disappeared in the woods. While she was talking, I just listened. Talking didn't seem like an option for me. For a second, I just thought, ,,What am I doing here, for God's sake?". My brain wasn't perceiving what was going on. When I came back to myself, I found myself driving the car. So in the end, I just did what she said - pretended to be with her all night long because I promised her. At the drive-in movie, the boys from school literally stalked me all night long and tried to see whether I was really having a date with Cindy. I put my own hand on my shoulder and pretended like it was her - how embarrassing. I hope they didn't understand it. Later I drove back to the place where we agreed on meeting, but as the time neared, nobody showed up. At some point, I was so worried that I went to her house and asked her stepfather if she had come back - but SHE HADN'T. And so my life 's turning point had started. They called the police, and I became the suspect in my missing date girl's case, accused of killing and raping her. To this day, I don't now what happened to her. I just hope nothing happened to her. I sometimes think about her and ask myself, ,,Why did she use me? What did I do her?" but it's meaningless to wait for an answer. The truth is, I regret leaving her alone and not refusing her request. I should have stopped her or at least accompanied her but now it's too late to think about it. from This date affected my whole life and my family. Now I live alone in isolation far away the people, just me, my chickens and my horror books. What could possibly go more wrong on a first date? 24 Offense 10. Police Report O DUI o domestic dispute o traffic accident Involved Parties in the incident: Larry Ott Wallace Stringfellow LOF www IN GOD Probable cause: hatred revenge of wi COUST o burglary o fraud o stalking Identifying Information on victim and suspect: Victim: local police following his truck suspect of Cindy Walker case shot on the left chest o violence Witnesses: - Date of the incident: 09/07/2007 - early September Location of the incident: Larry Ott's house (near Highway 11 North) Officer involved: Silas Jones o missing runaway o witness statement Larry Ott, 41, single, white living alone man in rural Mississippi in his parent's house job: mechanic, owns a repair shop is not permitted to own a gun occasional visits of Geral County chief investigator Roy French with search warrant Suspect: wore a zombie mask, white cotton gardening gloves, old blue jeans frayed at the knees, had a splotch of bright blood on his shirtleeve unsuccessful attempt to kill Larry Ott with a pistol acquaintance of Larry 25