The Fencing Motif: From Performance to Survival in Killing Stalking

Introduction

In Killing Stalking by Koogi, fencing appears as a seemingly minor detail until the climactic chapter, where it transforms into a defining symbol of Suzanne Barnes’s reclamation of agency. The fencing motif carries layered meanings: it is a refined skill from her childhood, a theatrical discipline tied to her Hollywood past, and finally a practical tactic used to survive a murder attempt. This analysis traces where fencing recurs, how its meaning shifts, and what it reveals about Suzanne’s character and the novel’s themes of stalking and obsession, trauma and survivors guilt, and reality versus performance.

What Fencing Literally Is in the Story

Fencing is first mentioned in Chapter 45 when Suzanne faces the masked axeman in her backyard. The text explicitly states that she is “thankful for the dancing and fencing lessons her mother had forced her to take as a child.” She then performs a “classic fencing attitude” — a lunge with the knife, dropping to her knees to avoid the axe swing and thrusting upward into the attacker’s shoulder. This is a precise, balanced move from the sport of fencing, adapted for real combat. The fencing lunge is a forward step with the front foot while extending the weapon arm, delivering a thrust. It requires timing and control, contrasting sharply with the chaotic, brute-force swings of the axe.

Where the Motif Recurs

Fencing appears only in this single climactic moment, but its resonance echoes backward through the story. Suzanne’s background as a child star included lessons in fencing and dancing, likely for roles in period pieces or to cultivate poise. Earlier, in Chapter 36, she recalls her mother’s insistence on such lessons while describing her Hollywood upbringing. The skill remains dormant until the life-or-death moment. Its recurrence is thus a flashback that becomes a physical action in the present.

How the Meaning Changes

The meaning of fencing evolves from a forced, performative skill to a weapon of survival.

• Childhood: Forced Polish – Suzanne’s mother forced her into fencing lessons, part of a regimen designed to mold her into a marketable star. At this stage, fencing is a symbol of parental control and the artificiality of her early life. It is something she endured, not chose.
• Adult: Reclaimed Agency – In the attack, Suzanne reappropriates the drilled movements. The fencing lunge is not just physical; it is an act of defiance against the masked figure—later revealed as her stepfather Raymond Barnes, who had stalked and attempted to murder her. The refined, almost artistic motion becomes the means to end the threat. This shift mirrors her broader journey: from passive victim of her past to active survivor who writes her own story.

Character and Theme Connections

Suzanne Barnes – Fencing symbolizes her reclaiming of bodily autonomy. Throughout the novel, she is stalked, watched, and controlled by men (Tim Randolph, Arthur Barnes, Raymond). In the yard, she relies on a physical memory from her childhood, turning a learned obedience into a self-determined act. This connects to themes of family betrayal and trust, as her mother’s lessons were meant for performance, but now save her from a family member.

Raymond Barnes – The stepfather is the attacker. The fencing lunge that wounds him is the final blow that causes him to fall over the palisade. He is the embodiment of the monster from the horror films Suzanne once acted in. The fencing move — straight, precise, elegant — stands against his brute violence. It is a literal defeat of the performance of violence by a real, rooted skill.

Tim Randolph – While not directly linked to fencing, Tim represents the performative world Suzanne left. He is an actor who continues to play roles; his obsession with Suzanne is another form of stalking. Fencing, as a theatrical sport, contrasts with his Hollywood fakery. Suzanne’s use of fencing in real danger underscores the gulf between acting and authentic survival.

Theme: Reality Versus Performance – The fencing motif is a microcosm of the novel’s exploration of how performance infiltrates real life. Suzanne’s entire adult life has been shadowed by her childhood fame. The fencing lesson, originally a performance aid, becomes a genuine survival tactic. The novel questions what is real: the horror films she starred in are echoed in the real horror she endures. Her fencing lunge is the moment the performance becomes reality — and she rewrites the script.

Theme: Trauma and Survivor’s Guilt – Using fencing to survive carries a bittersweet weight. Suzanne’s victory is not triumphant; she later identifies her stepfather’s body and grapples with why he hated her. The skill from her past, forced upon her by a mother who later died, now saves her but also connects her to the family trauma. She survives, but with new guilt.

Study Questions

1. Where in the novel does fencing appear as a literal action?
   Answer: In Chapter 45, when Suzanne is cornered by the masked axeman in her backyard. She uses a fencing lunge to stab him in the shoulder, causing him to fall over the palisade to his death. The text notes she was grateful for the fencing lessons her mother forced her to take as a child.

2. How does the meaning of fencing shift from Suzanne’s childhood to the climactic scene?
   Answer: As a child, fencing was a forced performance skill intended to polish her for acting roles. In the climax, it becomes a real weapon she voluntarily uses to defend her life. The shift is from passive compliance to active agency.

3. How does the fencing motif relate to the theme of performance versus reality?
   Answer: Suzanne’s fencing lessons were part of her Hollywood training, a performance of grace. When she uses the lunge to survive a real attack, the line between performing danger and experiencing it collapses. The motif shows that what was once rehearsed becomes genuine when life is at stake.

4. Why is fencing particularly fitting as a contrast to the attacker’s weapon (the axe)?
   Answer: Fencing is precise, controlled, and uses a thrusting motion, while the axe is heavy, swinging, and associated with brute force. Suzanne’s fencing lunge requires timing and footwork, matching the attacker’s momentum to defeat him. It contrasts the refined, learned skill of the protagonist with the raw, obsessive hatred of the stalker.

Conclusion

Fencing in Killing Stalking is a compact, potent symbol of transformation. From a childhood obligation into a final, desperate act of self-defense, it encapsulates Suzanne’s journey from controlled performer to autonomous survivor. The motif also connects to the novel’s wider themes: the blurred boundaries between film and reality, the lingering grip of family trauma, and the physical reclamation of one’s life. By wielding a fencer’s lunge against the embodiment of her stalking nightmare, Suzanne writes a new ending — her own.

For further exploration, see the character page for Suzanne and the theme of reality versus performance.