Mystic River

Revenge converts a little right into a great wrong. When individuals seek revenge they do it for themselves. They may think it is right for them however, they do not consider the consequences of their actions to others which will turn revenge into a great wrong.  An instance when this occurs in the Mystic River is when Jimmy kills Dave. When Jimmy kills Dave he thinks this is right, however killing Dave was a great wrong for several reasons.

Part of the reason Dave’s death is a great wrong is because he was innocent. Dave did not kill Katie; however he lied to Jimmy about what happened to his hand. This already made him guilty in Jimmy’s eyes, which shows another reason why Dave’s death is tragic. Dave the entire movie was misunderstood. Already damaged from his past everyone assumes he is crazy, which is why the cops and Jimmy can see him as being a murderer. Dave in this incident was not going to survive. Even if he lies or tells the truth Jimmy is going to take his life. His desire to avenge his favorite daughter is too great. This incident is also wrong because while Jimmy stabs and shoots Dave, simultaneously Sean is catching Katie’s real killer. This is critical because as Jimmy said if only Sean could have been a little faster, Dave’s death would not have had to happen.

This is why Dave’s death is such a great wrong. His death did not have to happen. If Dave was able to live he could be with Celeste, and he could raise his son Michael, but Jimmy takes all of this away when he pulls the trigger. His actions did not only take one life, they took a piece of Celeste’s life and Michael’s as well.