The Bible

Karl's Bible is symbolic of his desire to turn his life around. Karl killed when he was young out of ignorance. He believed his mother was being hurt so he killed a man. Then, when he discovered that she was cheating on his father, he killed her, too, as punishment for her infidelity.

We learn that while in the institution, Karl has been reading the Bible, and although he doesn't understand everything in it, he is trying to follow it as best he can. Karl even tells Frank a little about what he's learned. Karl says that he doesn't kill anymore because he knows now that it is wrong.

However, despite all Karl's efforts to be the good man that he should be and follow the Bible, he ends up killing Doyle to save Frank and Linda. Audiences can interpret this two ways - either Karl was...