Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby

“Going too far, he said, was something everybody did sometimes.”

Colby’s defense presents a universal human truth: the propensity to make mistakes. Yet, his friends’ inability to empathize with this position underscores the degree to which they have dehumanized him. This also raises questions about the extent to which the group’s reaction is proportionate to Colby’s perceived transgressions.

“We asked him what sort of music he would like played at the hanging.”

This quote underscores the surreal and absurd tone of the story. It showcases the friends’ attempt to make the planned execution a ceremonious occasion, adding an element of dark humor. The contrast between the grim outcome and the focus on aesthetic details highlights the group’s lack of empathy.

“We had a perfect moral right to do so because he was our friend, belonged to us in various important senses, and he had after all gone too far.”

The friends’ assertion of their “moral right” to hang Colby reflects their sense of entitlement and ownership over him. This statement lays bare their skewed understanding of friendship, highlighting the disparity between their actions and socially accepted norms of friendship.

“We decided to refer to the event as ‘An Event Involving Mr. Colby Williams.’”

The euphemistic language used to describe the hanging demonstrates the friends’ detachment and dehumanization of Colby. Their use of bureaucratic, impersonal language serves to sanitize the violence of their plan, shielding them from the moral implications of their actions.

“The important thing, as far as he recollected, was that the trapdoor function perfectly.”

This quote further illustrates the friends’ focus on technicalities over the inherent moral dilemma of their actions. Their preoccupation with the perfect execution (both literal and figurative) of the hanging reflects a loss of perspective and a disregard for Colby’s life.

“I also thought four hundred dollars for a gibbet, on top of the expense for the drinks, invitations, musicians and everything, was a bit steep, and why didn’t we just use a tree—a nice-looking oak, or something?”

The narrator’s concern with the gibbet’s cost further amplifies the absurdity and horror of the situation. By placing financial considerations over the value of human life, this quote illustrates the degree of dehumanization and disconnection within the group.

“The drivers, he pointed out, wouldn’t be friends of Colby’s and couldn’t be expected to donate their services, any more than the bartender or the musicians.”

This quote underscores the commodification of human interaction within the story. By conflating friendship with economic transactions, the group further distances themselves from the moral implications of their actions. Their consideration of drivers and musicians as mere services, similar to the way they treat Colby, underscores their lack of empathy.

“Howard said a firing squad would just be an ego trip for Colby, the blindfold and last-cigarette bit, and that Colby was in enough hot water already without trying to ‘upstage’ everyone with unnecessary theatrics.”

This quote reflects Howard’s disregard for Colby’s humanity, as he reduces the situation to an issue of theatricality and ego. His concerns about Colby “upstaging” them further underscores the group’s self-centered perspective, treating Colby’s impending execution as a social event rather than a tragedy.

“We all agreed then that Colby should just jump off something and that a chair was not what he should jump off of, because that would look, we felt, extremely tacky—some old kitchen chair sitting out there under our beautiful tree.”

This quote exemplifies the friends’ prioritization of aesthetic considerations over Colby’s well-being. Their obsession with appearances and what is “tacky” reveals a disconnect from the situation’s gravity, highlighting the extreme objectification of Colby.

“At the mention of ‘wire,’ Hank, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up and said he wondered if it wouldn’t be better if we used wire instead of rope—more efficient and in the end kinder to Colby, he suggested.”

Hank’s interjection proposes a more “efficient” and seemingly “kinder” method for Colby’s execution, highlighting a warped sense of compassion. This underscores the deeply entrenched dehumanization of Colby within the group, where even gestures of “kindness” involve discussions on the method of his execution.

“I hastily said that wire was out of the question, because it would injure the—cut into the branch it was tied to when Colby’s full weight hit it—and that in these days of increased respect for the environment, we didn’t want that, did we?”

This quote further emphasizes the absurdity and moral bankruptcy of the friends’ priorities. The narrator’s concern for the tree over Colby’s life reveals a profound lack of empathy, demonstrating an alarming disconnect from human values. His comment also indicates a desire to sanitize the violence of the execution. Wire and its cutting effects bring to mind gory images that the narrator would rather not think about.

“Everything went off very smoothly on the day of the event (the music Colby finally picked was standard stuff, Elgar, and it was played very well by Howard and his boys).”

This quote underscores the extent of the friends’ desensitization and detachment. The use of casual language (“everything went off very smoothly”) in describing the day of execution is a stark and chilling contrast to the violent event taking place.

“The ten-foot rubber ball had been painted a deep green and blended in well with the bucolic setting.”

This quote highlights the friends’ fixation on aesthetic details over the horrific act they are committing. Their meticulous attention to the color and setting of the ball used for execution is a grotesque display of their moral indifference and dehumanization of Colby.