Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

The novel interconnects past and present, showing that we must know the truth about our past to fully understand the present. The structure of the novel makes this immediately clear, as Silas and Larry are introduced in modern day, then take turns reflecting on events from their pasts that directly correlate to what is happening in the present. This sequence occurs many times throughout the novel, but one key example happens at the end of Chapter 4, when in the present, Silas learns that Larry has been shot. Silas goes to Larry’s house to help investigate the scene of the crime. At the end of the chapter, Silas returns home to find a voicemail from Larry asking him to call back, “even if it’s late” (69). Silas reflects to himself that “it was late, wasn’t it, Larry. Too late” (69). This moment ends the chapter, leading into Chapter 5, in which Larry reflects back on what he believe caused the disruption in his friendship with Silas: the fight Carl forced Silas and Larry to have, during which Larry calls Silas a racial slur (90).

However, in the same chapter, Larry also remembers introducing Silas to Cindy Walker; Larry takes Silas to spy on Cindy, but when Silas sees Cecil harassing Cindy, Silas intervenes.