Patterns

There are a few underlying patterns within the story that are not too obvious, but they are there. Dubus' continual references to the eyes, and what people see (or didn't see) is a very important pattern that developed much of the tone of the story. Obviously killings are another pattern, yet they are not really the death of people. The killings that are patterned in the story are deaths of dreams and hopes. They were murdered and lost, which is the central point of the story. Both examples are heavily evident from the beginning to the end of the story and crucial to its overall development.