Keep It in the Family

How do the excerpts from interviews, newspaper articles, and podcasts inject an element of dramatic irony into the story? Analyze at least three different examples in your response.

Compare and contrast Debbie’s first-person perspective with the chapters narrated by the unnamed serial killer. What parallels are apparent in their perspectives even prior to the revelation of Debbie’s true identity?

How do Dave and Finn’s characters contribute to the story’s characterization of masculinity? What example do they set for Sonny?

Why does Finn engage in an affair with Emma? Why has he never been honest with Mia about Chloe’s existence?

Debbie has followed in her parents’ footsteps as a serial killer, but George is portrayed as a kind and thoughtful person. Why do George and Debbie grow up to be such different people?

When reading the unnamed serial killer’s chapters, how does the author’s wording encourage false assumptions about the killer’s gender?

Although Debbie recognizes that she has followed in her parents’ footsteps, she believes that her motivations are different, and in turn, Finn convinces himself that his motivations are superior to Debbie’s. Analyze the similarities in the Hunter family’s outlook. How does each succeeding generation choose to rationalize their compulsion to kill?

Despite the fact that she is a serial killer, Debbie’s identity as a woman causes many people to assume that she is also a victim. How does Marrs critique the fact that societal perceptions of women impact the treatment of female serial killers like Debbie?