Mr. Baumer for Revenge or Justice Many people assume that Revenge and Justice is the same, but they always get muddled. (AG) In the short historical fiction, “Bargain” by A.B. Guthrie, a German immigrant and owner of a general store attempts to collect a debt from “Freighter” Slade, the town bully and alcoholic. After Slade refuses to pay his debt, Mr. Baumer takes matter into his own hands. (SS) Slade’s death was an act of Revenge. When Al read the deadly poison, Al sees and then Mr. Baumer says, “For a flash and no longer I saw through the mist in his eyes, saw, you might say, that hilly chin repeated. Then ve go home Al. It’s good to know how to read” (246). This is important because Mr. Baumer knew he couldn’t read so he gave him the whiskey that said deadly poison and he …show more content…
Slade has bullied him a lot and this is the time to get him because he knew he was an alcoholic and he offered whiskey to him. Mr. Baumer’s action is clearly an act of revenge because after their second fight, Mr. Baumer didn’t look like a man who was beaten and he knew he was an alcoholic so he has offered him whiskey and he gave him the deadly poison one but Slade couldn’t read so he didn’t know. Although, Some may say that Slade’s death was an act of justice but really and act of revenge. This isn’t true because he is the town bully who has bullied him a lot. Why else would he give him the job when he has bullied him. He wanted to set it all up with the job and the whiskey because at the second fight, he didn’t look beaten. “But the thing was, that he didn’t look beaten even then, not the way a man who has given up looks beaten” (242). This clearly shows that Slade’s death was an act of revenge because after the second fight, he didn’t look beaten and then a few days later he offered him whiskey if he’d do this job. It wouldn’t be justice because justice is usually fair with it and