The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories Chapter Summary & Analysis - The Darling by Scott Bradfield Summary

The Darling by Scott Bradfield Summary

The Darling tells the story of Dolores Starr, who was abused by her father and killed him. Later, she begins a series of murders of men that she comes across, some of whom she knows well and some of whom are strangers. Told in third person, the story makes Dolores a sympathetic character, who reads a lot and is obsessed with books. Eventually, she marries a man named Michael, who she thinks will share her life and secrets with her, but then she finds out that he has been murdering people and, jealous that he has kept this part of his life secret from her, she kills him too. She is caught and treated by a doctor, who eventually falls in love with and marries her; the story ends with Dolores giving birth to Dr. Weinstein's son, who they name Andrew after her father.

The Darling by Scott Bradfield Analysis

The Darling...
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