Mystic River Question #3

“Revenge converts a little right into a great wrong”. This proverb proves to be true in the film Mystic River in many cases. However, there is one instance where it really stands out. Throughout the whole movie, Jimmy seeks to gain vengeance for his dead daughter by getting revenge on her murderer. He goes against the wishes of the detectives with the help of the Savage Brothers in order to seek out Katie’s killer in a timely matter. In a Greek tragedy, when a family member is murdered another family member is expected to seek out and administer revenge. But when Dave’s not-so-bright wife confesses to Jimmy about what “really” happened that night, he is quick to jump to conclusions. Although he does not have concrete evidence Jimmy blames Dave for Katie’s murder, thus stabbing and shooting him to his death with the help of his brother’s plan to get Dave alone. Shortly after, Jimmy finds out that Dave was in fact innocent. It’s a little too late to go back- the deed is already done. Jimmy thought what he was doing was justifiable and right but ultimately it turned into a huge mistake. Dave’s wife and son are left without a husband or father. Jimmy did not achieve revenge on the right person. They lost a friend. Sean has to go about pretending he does not know the truth. This goes to prove how rash, impulsive decisions cause hardship for everyone involved. Revenge does not solve the issue, but instead creates an even bigger mess. Jimmy has to live with the pain of his daughter’s death and the guilt of killing an innocent friend.