Red Harvest · Chapter
XX: Laudanum explained
The narrator visits Dinah Brand's house, learns from Reno Starkey that Noonan has been killed by Whisper Thaler, and reflects on the wave of murders in Personville.
What happens
The narrator visits Dinah Brand's house, learns from Reno Starkey that Noonan has been killed by Whisper Thaler, and reflects on the wave of murders in Personville. He confesses to Dinah that the violence has corrupted him, describing how he manipulated a peace conference to turn the gangsters against each other. He also reveals his growing bloodlust and paranoia, including a disturbing fixation on an ice pick as a weapon.
Themes in this chapter
Violence and Moral Decay
The narrator explicitly describes how Personville has poisoned him, making him enjoy planning murders and losing his moral compass.
Deception and Manipulation
The narrator manipulated the peace conference by lying about Noonan's knowledge of MacSwain's crime and exposing the bank stickup, turning the gangsters against each other.
Corruption and Power
The narrator admits he could have used legal means with Elihu Willsson's support but chose to have the gangsters killed off because it was easier and more satisfying.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Confesses to feeling 'blood-simple' and corrupted by Personville, admitting he now enjoys planning deaths.
- Dinah Brand
Offers the narrator gin and tries to calm him, but he accuses her of stirring up murderous notions in her boyfriends.
- Reno Starkey
Calls to inform the narrator that Noonan has been shot dead by Whisper Thaler.
- Noonan
Reported killed by Whisper Thaler after the peace conference.
- Max Thaler
Identified as the killer of Noonan, and is now being hunted by Pete the Finn and Reno Starkey.
- Dan Rolff
Mentioned as a potential threat to Dinah Brand due to his unrequited love and access to laudanum.
Key passages
“This damned burg’s getting me. If I don’t get away soon I’ll be going blood-simple like the natives.”
This town is corrupting me; if I stay much longer, I'll become as addicted to violence as the locals.
The narrator acknowledges the psychological impact of Personville's violence.
“Play with murder enough and it gets you one of two ways. It makes you sick, or you get to like it.”
If you engage in killing long enough, you either become disgusted or develop a taste for it.
The narrator reflects on the moral consequences of his actions.
“I sat at Willsson’s table tonight and played them like you’d play trout, and got just as much fun out of it.”
I manipulated the gangsters at the meeting as if they were fish, and I enjoyed it.
The narrator admits to deriving pleasure from his manipulative tactics.