A Brief History of Seven Killings

A Brief History of Seven Killings

by Marlon James

A Brief History of Seven Killings: Part 4, Chapter 18 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
John-John recalls a time in South Beach, Miami, when a handsome young stranger got into his car and asked John-John to drive him “somewhere nice.” The young man ended up giving John-John a blowjob, but John-John could not stop thinking about Rocky. More memories come back to John-John: when he killed a man on a train track, when we had sex with a male friend at summer camp.
Since leaving his homophobic household, John-John has enjoyed a life of relative sexual freedom. However, this freedom means little to him if he can’t be with Rocky, and does not stop him continuing to lead a life of violence.
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John-John has arrived at the house of the Jamaican he is supposed to kill. Griselda gave him keys, and he lets himself in. John-John enters the apartment and fires seven shots in the air. He hears a gasp behind him and turns around to find a white man, who throws mouthwash in his eye. The man chases John-John out of the building and down an alley; John-John keeps shooting at him, but none of the bullets are hitting. Eventually one of the bullets hits, and John-John drags the man’s body back into the alley.
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