Denial, Denial, Denial

"Mr. Thompson knew he had the ax in his own hands and felt himself lifting it, but he couldn't remember hitting Mr. Hatch. He couldn't remember it. He couldn't. He remembered only that he had been determined to stop Mr. Hatch from cutting Mr. Helton" (273).

At this point in the story, the trial is over but Mr. Thompson spends a lot of time convincing himself he attacked Mr. Hatch out of self-defense instead of killing him because he initially disliked him. Mr. Thompson's repetition of "couldn't" emphasizes his denial. It is almost as if he is fabricating his own memories. He does not want to accept the truth of his actions so much so that he uses his wife as a reinforcement when he tells his story to his neighbors. Still, no one believes him. In fact, his own wife sees him as a murderer and blames him for ruining their lives (270). Mr. Thompson calls himself a murderer (272) but he cannot own up to his terrible deed. Instead, he chooses to forget or reject the memory, therefore destroying his reputation in the eyes of his neighbors. His guilt torments him, eventually leading to his self-inflicted death.

If Mr. Thompson had pled guilty would the results of the trial have made a difference? Is Mr. Thompson's denial solely to preserve his position in his small society or is it because he really didn't believe that he could kill someone?