Bluebeard was framed! (Blog Entry 7)

First off, I hope I read to page 72 and no further, but I bought the book on my brothers kindle and then came to the realization they for some reason do not include any page numbers. Anyways I counted pages and think I got it right. After reading the first 72 pages my suspicion for who committed the crime originally started with Bluebeard mostly because all evidence originally pointed to him, but then slowly shifted as I read on. Originally Bluebeard is surprised by the news of Rose Red and whether it is a front or not, he does seem genuinely concerned. In Rose Reds room the “No More Happily Ever After” painted with blood on the wall made it seem as if this could be a reaction to Rose going back on their written marriage proposal. Then when he is confronted by Wolf he originally lies, guessing their motive for the visit is to ask about the potential for an early donation. After all of this it is easy to think he has clear motive and he must have been pissed off in some way by Red, and decided to kill her for breaking their promise.

After thinking back on it, it seems as if the evidence might be more of an elaborate frame to falsely point the suspicion to Bluebeard. I believe Bluebeard is an intuitive character and might have an idea of what is going on which made him originally lie to Wolf, as just part of the game. The “No More Happily Ever After” on the wall seems a bit much for Bluebeard to write, he does come off as intelligent and with their marriage proposal it would seem too obvious for him to write. With all this in mind I think Jack is the guilty one, he might have found out about Rose and Bluebeard and killed her in his anger. He does seem to love her which is the only thing holding back my accusation, but he is described as tricky and it might be a front to lead Wolf elsewhere. Also, if he did love her then finding out about her written marriage proposal would be a serious motivation to commit the crime.

I chose the page where Wolf decides to originally take Jack in to custody to question him, and the frame I choose is the top right where Jack tries to punch Wolf after the accusation. In this frame, Jack takes a swing at Wolf and he easily dodges it, even while talking. This frame shows a lot about the two characters as you see Wolf as a very capable detective easily avoiding the strike, and Jack being very impulsive and trying to hit him. Jack was the one to find the room at first, and even though he turned it in to Wolf it is not far off to take him in for questioning just on those grounds. Having Jack explode makes me question him further as he must have some motive to react to a accusation that is not that ridiculous in the first place. If he is so impulsive and eager to explode here, imagine what he would do if he found out the woman he loves signed a marriage agreement with someone else! Not to mention someone who has a history of killing his brides..

4 responses to “Bluebeard was framed! (Blog Entry 7)

  1. I agree with your suspicion Bluebeard was framed. He is too easy of a suspect to be guilty. He also truly does seem to be legitimately concerned as to the fate of Rose Red. I’m not sure if it was Jack though, he seemed frantic to deliver the news in the beginning of the novel. However, as you said he does have motive with the engagement between Rose Red and Bluebeard.

    I think the picture you chose is very interesting. I really enjoy the detail, with the cigarette in midair. I think the fact that as a viewer we are positioned behind Jack causes us (or at least me) to want to side with him, kind of like I have his back. This image does show how passionate he is regardless of his innocence.

  2. sabrinagalloway

    Jared,
    The more I read other peoples’ blog posts, the more I get the idea that Bluebeard was involved in the murder in some way, but perhaps he isn’t actually the killer. I think he may have been planning to kill her after their marriage as he had done to his other wives, but the fact that he had a contract with Rose Red and paid her off so that she would marry him makes it seem like he actually wanted the marriage to happen. It is likely that he was framed though; because of his relationship with Rose Red, it would be easy to see his potential involvement in the case and would be a perfect scapegoat. I hadn’t originally thought Jack was the killer, but due to his level of involvement throughout the story so far, he is not one to rule out yet.
    Sabrina

  3. I had similar conclusions myself as well as identically analyzing your frame. Reading and analyzing this particular frame leads me to believe that Jack is a determined murdered and it appears as though Bigby almost makes him confess his crime. That being said, I still cannot rule out Bluebeard, for he wanted to murder Rose Red on their wedding night, I can’t wait to read more about this mystery!

  4. I also agree that Bluebeard might be framed! It seems like there are so many clues towards pretty much all of the characters, it really could be just about anyone. And Willingham could be trying to trick us from so many different angles! I guess we have to just keep reading to find out.
    I also liked the frame you chose. It showed action in kind of an old-fashioned-cartoon-y kind of way.

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