A Real Pillowman

Wabash College’s production, The Pillowman, introduces several interesting concepts, and provokes both humor and intrigue. Main character Katurian K. Katurian weaves several tales, which through the actions of the characters become true. The title story, however, is the most relevant to Katurian, as he inadvertently represents a real life version of the character. There are similarities between the two characters, and a few differences, however, that distinguish the two.

Katurian believes that he will be saving his brother from a hellish death, as he smothers him with a pillow, similar to his previous murders. This reflects the Pillowman’s own mantra, as he kills children at a young age to prevent a horrible suicide that causes more grief than a younger death would. Interestingly, the Pillowman asks his victims to kill themselves via a lake or bag, instead of hugging them with his pillow arms. This seems like a more painful fate, but perhaps a more easily explained one (how would a parent explain a child that inexplicably stopped breathing?). With Katurian, however, a smothering is the only way to go, and a somewhat easily explained one, since there would be no easily distinguished motive by the police.