32 pages • 1 hour read
James M. CainThe Postman Always Rings Twice
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1934A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Hubris and Its Destruction
Frank’s belief in his own ability to evade capture or punishment persists throughout The Postman Always Rings Twice, even up to the point when Frank is about to be executed for his crimes. Throughout the novel, Frank gets into bad situations of his own making, assuring himself that he can always come out on top. However, his schemes rarely work. This fact seems to have little impact on his opinion of himself until he gets into a situation that even he realizes is inescapable—his impending execution.
Throughout the novel, Frank displays the classic Greek tragic flaw of hubris, or excessive pride. In traditional Greek tragedies, hubris specifically refers to a defiance of the gods, who have the power to govern the lives of humans. In Frank’s case, this can be equated to his defiance of the governing law and moral codes of his society. In Greek tragedies, hubris causes nemesis, or inescapable retribution brought about by prideful behavior. Frank’s arrogant belief that he is more powerful than everything and everyone else around him ultimately leads to his nemesis, specifically his execution.
Master of Destiny Versus Victim of Circumstance
Cain alternates between portraying Frank as a man who gets roped into trouble by other people and as a man who is his own worst enemy. This forces the reader to question how reliable Frank’s narrative is. Cain specifically inspires this doubt in the final chapter when Frank muses about whether he subconsciously killed Cora: “Did I really do it, and not know it? God Almighty, I can’t believe that! […] You know what you’re doing, and you do it. I didn’t do it, I know that” (105).
Cain uses Frank’s inability to trust himself at the end of the novel to prompt the reader to reexamine all of Frank’s previous behavior. In his narration, Frank typically depicts himself as a victim of circumstance, doing things he doesn’t really want to do because certain people and circumstances have power over him. For instance, he accuses Cora of being a “hellcat” to suggest that the idea to murder Nick came entirely from her. Cain never reveals how culpable Frank truly is for the murder plot. Instead, he allows the reader to decide whether Frank was coerced into murder by a seductive woman or whether Frank simply toned down his involvement in the murder throughout his narrative.
The Harsh Reality of Life
Frank and Cora both struggle to accept reality, which ultimately leads to their downfall. Due to their inability to cope with unpleasant or unfavorable realities, they are unable to avoid the circumstances that eventually lead to a reality that they cannot escape—a brutal death.
Frank believes that he can be a drifter and constantly get away with whatever he wants, despite his multiple arrests. Whenever he sees something that he wants, he goes after it. He does this after seeing Cora for the first time and shortly after meeting Madge. Even murder doesn’t seem like a farfetched or problematic idea to Frank, so long as committing it gives him what he wants. Frank’s inability to perceive that committing murder will cause terrible consequences for him ultimately allows him to become responsible for two deaths, which leads to his execution.
In Cora’s case, she left home to become a star in Hollywood, only to discover that fame isn’t easy to obtain. Regardless, she still takes advantage of every opportunity to achieve her dream of “being somebody,” whether that means carrying on an affair with Frank, committing murder, or ignoring Frank’s desire to run away when Nick’s murder makes her infamous. She also idealizes her relationship with Frank, believing that they are in “love.” In reality, their lovemaking is violent and brutal, and blood is often shed when they come together. Cora refuses to see the potential dangers of her all-consuming desire for fame, and she eventually dies in a car crash caused by the man who made her infamous for killing her own husband.
Related Titles
By James M. Cain
