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John Steinbeck

The Murder Essay: The story “The Murder” is written by John Steinbeck. The story took place in Monterey County, in Central California. The story is about a guy named Jim Moore who married a foreigner named Jelka Sepic. In their marriage, they had a lot of problems. They were emotionally not connected with each other. It was clear that Jelka didn’t want to get connected with Jim. It was like she had something else on her mind all the time. After all these martial problems, Jim and Jelka should get a divorce and find a better partner which they could feel emotionally connected with.

Jim was thirty when his parents died. Jim decided to start a new family by marrying a Jugo-Slav girl, Jelka. On the day of the marriage, Jelka father told Jim to beat her wife as he beat his wife too. That is how it goes with the Slav girls. But Jim was mad about what her father said.

Their martial life started. Jelka was a very good life. She used to all Jim’s work as if it was her duty. But they not connected with each other. Jim would try to talk about something but Jelka would completely ignore. It seemed like Jelka didn’t want to talk to Jim about anything. She was so busy with the chores that she would ignore what Jim had to say.

Soon Jim realized that he cannot do anything to get connected with Jelka. It was like that Jelka had a barrier in her eyes. As Jelka was not fulfilling Jim’s need, he started to go meet the girls from The Three Stars again. But Jelka never protested about Jim going to meet girls outside. It was like Jelka had no interest in what Jim was doing. Jim would go the girls to talk to them and have some pleasure.

One time, Jim asked Jelka what if someone comes in the house when you are alone. Her eyes opened wide, as she was happy. These behaviors were showing that Jelka is upto something. Not paying attention to her husband, not protesting her husband when goes to meet girls outside, staying in the home alone. These were the signs that were showing her suspicious behavior. Jim felt sad for Jelka’s loneliness. He thought she would have felt lonely when she is alone in the house by herself. This is what Jim thought of Jelka, but that was not the case.

One day Jim was very tired because he was cutting oats in the farm. He came in the home washed his hands and sat down to eat. He said that he was pretty tired, but he would go to Monterey anyways. When he said that, something unusual happened, Jelka’s eyes soft smiled. That is not how someone reacts when their husband is going to meet bar girls. Jim asked Jelka to come with him because he thought she would feel lonely, but Jelka didn’t want to go with Jim. It was like she already had something in her mind. She made excuse that the stores would get closed so she cannot go with him. Jim tried to convince Jelka but all in vain. Jelka’s mind was busy in thinking of something so he spaced out. Jim asked what she was thinking about, she

replied that she was thinking about the eggs under the black hen. That was an irrelevant statement.

Jim was getting ready to go Monterey and Jelka was putting away the dishes. When Jim walked through the kitchen’s door, he saw Jelka sitting near the window knitting a brown wool sock. Jim asked why she was sitting there she said to see the moon. Jim said you cannot see the moon from that window. Jim said he thought Jelka knew directions better than him. Jelka smiled and replied she would see the moon from the bedroom window. Jim put his black hat and went outside cluelessly.

As Jim was on his way to the town, he met his friend George on his way. He told Jim that he saw a old campfire. That was suggesting that someone was near his house. Jim went back on his horse to check on things. When he went there, he saw the same signs which were suggesting that someone was here. But Jim had no idea that who that person was. He reached his home; he saw a horse tied inside his barn. He quietly came out of the barn. He thought to look through, but then decided not to because the reflection of his head would fall on the room. He regarded the rifle in his hands and started to move towards the house. He went inside the house on his toes, making no noise at all. He was looking for the invader when he saw the bedroom door open. He peeked through the door to see what was happening. What he saw was unbelievable, he saw his wife with his cousin, on their bed.

Jim was in a shock when he saw that. He slowly came out of the house. He sat on the edge of the water-trough and cried. His thought turned on the way his mother used to hold a bucket to catch the throat blood when his father killed the pig. She kept the bucket at arm’s length to avoid the spattering of the blood. This was the thought that stirred up Jim’s mind and decided to do something. Jim stood and went inside the house again, but this time not quietly. He opened the bedrooms door, cocked his rifle and shot Jelka’s cousin.

After killing Jelka cousin, Jim came outside of the house, dipped his head in water and threw up. Then he sat on his horse and ran down the valley. At daybreak, he came with the Deputy Sheriff and his men. They took care of the dead body. Jim asked to the sheriff that he should go with them or not. They said to come later with his wife. The sheriff said that Jim was charged of murder, but he will easily get through it. Sheriff also told Jim to go easy on her wife. That means that the deputy was giving Jim permission to beat her wife. The deputy and his men left.

Jim went slowly into the house and brought a whip. He beat Jelka as bad as he could without killing her. This was the time that Jim realized that the advice that Jelka’s father gave was right. If Jim was beating his wife from the start, things wouldn’t have gotten so worse. Even after what happened, Jelka still made breakfast as if nothing happened. Jim decided that they would build a new house farther down the canyon. Jelka asked Jim that if he would whip her more. He replied he will not and stroked her hair and the back of her neck.

Things were not working not between them from the start. Both tried to get connected with each other but was like they were not meant for each other. After all the problems that happened between them, no emotional connection, both Jim and Jelka cheating on each other. It is best that they get a divorce and find someone else whom they could value and feel satisfied with.

The End...