The Wasp Factory

by

Iain Banks

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Wasp Factory makes teaching easy.

The Killer Term Analysis

A young tree that Frank has converted into an enormous catapult. He primarily uses it to kill small rodents by firing them across the river to the mainland.
Get the entire The Wasp Factory LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Wasp Factory PDF

The Killer Term Timeline in The Wasp Factory

The timeline below shows where the term The Killer appears in The Wasp Factory. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: In the Bunker
Ritual and Superstition  Theme Icon
Control, Violence, and Power Theme Icon
Frank goes to visit a sapling he has named the Killer . He recalls using it to fire hamsters, mice, and gerbils across the creek. He... (full context)
Chapter 6: The Skull Grounds
Ritual and Superstition  Theme Icon
Control, Violence, and Power Theme Icon
Sexism and Gender Roles Theme Icon
...pet graveyard; instead, he killed dozens of rodents by firing them into the creek with the Killer so he would have an excuse to excavate gravesites. After thirty-seven “flight experiments,” and thirty-seven... (full context)