In my mind, Mr. Decker is portrayed as a sneaky little slinking weasel. He exhibits cautious behavior, is non-believing and irritating. He is constantly seeking rewards and has a strong inclination for neatness. It was evident that he was skeptical because of his consistent use of negative words and exclamation points, such as “Ridiculous!”, “Rot!”, “Rubbish!”, and “Nonsense!”. In retrospect, I started to think about how he was driven by rewards, which became apparent when he manipulated Mrs. Decker to obtain the information he desired and ultimately solve his problem.
You can clearly see that Mr. Decker had a strong aversion to a lack of cleanliness, evident when he expressed his annoyance at his wife’s infrequent hairbrush cleaning. Although both parties are contributing to the conflict, it is primarily Mr. Decker’s behavior that is causing tension. In regards to the division of money and property, he is being unjust by dismissing his wife’s demand of receiving half of both. He manipulates the situation by only allowing her to speak in order to gather information and even twists her words against her. His reserved and silent demeanor further aggravates her, leading her to challenge him with her knowledge. When he dismisses her claims with “Rot!”, she responds by stating that she could easily kill him and inherit all the money and real estate without any consequences.
The text states that it is impossible to differentiate between death caused by voodoo and death resulting from heart failure. The author identifies Mr. Decker as the antagonist because he opposes his wife’s efforts to secure equal possessions and consistently irritates and misleads her. The author views Mrs. Decker as the protagonist due to her prominent role in the play, evidenced by her speaking more lines than Mr. Decker, being the first and last character introduced, and engaging in the crucial action of attempting to murder her husband but ultimately causing her own demise.
I believe that I possess qualities of both Mr. Decker and Mrs. Decker. Despite their contrasting natures, it feels unlikely for me to solely resemble either one. However, presently, I find myself resembling Mrs. Decker more, as I am often stubborn, independent, brave, and adventurous. Moreover, if I were to step into Mrs. Decker’s shoes, I would undoubtedly be annoyed by Mr. Decker’s apparent emotional detachment.
