Chapter 2: Epigraph – Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Notice: This page discusses the epigraph of Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide. As an introductory chapter, it contains no plot spoilers for later events, but it does reveal the philosophical tone and core justification that the rest of the book builds upon.
Summary
Chapter 2 consists solely of three quoted epigraphs, each attributed to a different voice. The first is from abolitionist Harriet Ann Jacobs: “Death is better than slavery.” Below it, Dean R. M. Tarrant (1937–41 of McMasters) responds, “Agreed. But whose death?” The final line is from the school’s founder, Guy McMaster: “It is simplicity itself to fire one’s employer. All it takes is some kindling and a match.” This tripartite exchange sets up the book’s central moral question—whether some employers deserve to die—and its wry, instructional tone. No narrative action occurs; instead, the epigraphs serve as a thematic overture.
Key Events
Since Chapter 2 is not a narrative chapter, there are no plot events. The only “event” is the sequential presentation of three quotations on the fictional McMasters University letterhead.
Character Development
No character development takes place in this chapter. However, the voices of three figures are introduced:
- Harriet Ann Jacobs (historical author and abolitionist) provides the moral touchstone: death is preferable to enduring an oppressive condition.
- R. M. Tarrant acts as the interrogator of that principle, challenging the reader to decide which party’s death is intended.
- Guy McMaster, the school’s founder, delivers a pun on “firing” an employee, pivoting from philosophy to practical arson.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Justification of homicide: The Jacobs quote frames killing as a lesser evil than continued servitude. Tarrant’s reply refines the question into a calculus of victim selection.
- Dark satire: The entire epigraph functions as a grim joke: a serious moral statement undercut by the trivializing pun on “fire your employer.”
- Rebellion against oppressive authority: The “slavery” metaphor extends to any exploitative employer, turning the act of murder into a liberation strategy.
- Dual audience: The epigraphs simultaneously appeal to a reader seeking revenge fantasy and one looking for intellectual provocation.
Why This Chapter Matters
Though only three lines long, Chapter 2 anchors the book’s ethical stance. The Jacobs epigraph roots the manual in a real historical cry for freedom, lending gravity to the otherwise farcical premise. Tarrant’s jab injects ambiguity: who deserves to die? The founder’s closing quip reminds readers that the guide is, above all, darkly humorous and practical. This page primes readers to approach the rest of the book not as a literal murder manual but as a satirical thought experiment about power, justice, and the lengths people might go to reclaim autonomy.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does the Harriet Ann Jacobs quote contribute to the book’s overall message?
It establishes a moral high ground by equating a tyrannical employer with an enslaver. The quote implies that homicide, under certain conditions, can be a form of liberation rather than mere violence.
2. What is the effect of Dean Tarrant’s reply, “Agreed. But whose death?”
Tarrant disrupts the simplicity of Jacobs’s assertion. By questioning whose death is preferable—the oppressed person’s own, the oppressor’s, or someone else’s—he forces the reader to consider the ethical calculus of targeted killing, which the rest of the book will explore.
3. Why does Guy McMaster’s pun on “fire one’s employer” matter to the chapter’s tone?
The pun instantly switches registers from solemn abolitionist rhetoric to gallows humor. It tells the reader that the book will be playful, even glib, about murder, while never fully abandoning the serious kernel of the Jacobs quote. This tonal whiplash defines every subsequent chapter.