Brett asked:

What was the curse Eli had received? and what were the points of the intermissions? and who was the little girl in these intermissions?

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7 years ago
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This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Hello! I read this book in Canadian literature class and at first I had no idea what all of these strange elements were supposed to mean but this is what we (mostly our brilliant professor, tbh) eventually came up with:

In the classical Western women are subjugated and no attention is paid to their perspectives. However in this revisionist Western (better matching our current social climate) the women in the novel do play somewhat vital (but definitely still strange!) roles. It seems that Eli and Charlie, who are contract killers - thus deciding on the fate of their victims - are in turn being punished by the three Fates/Moirai (the sisters) from Greek mythology (greatly concerned with ethical and moral responsability).

This trio consists of: Clotho (who spins the thread of life), Lachesis (who measures the thread and decides on people's destinies) and Atropos (who cuts the thread at the end of your life).

When you look at it this way the intermissions seems to deal with the interventions of the Fates. Along with the old gypsy witch in the shack! E.g. the intermissions are prophecies and the little girl/gypsy witch represent the Fates. The dog with a leg missing represents Charlie who eventually loses his "shooting" hand due to the poisonous mercury. The dog is poisoned by the little girl and in the shack Eli witnesses the old witch poison Charlie, who is being punished for his patricide, lack of empathy, selfishness and greed. Eli on the other hand show great empathy and moral standards. He wishes to stop the blood shed and become a better man with a better job (such as a shop keeper). For this reason he is being protected by the Sisters/Fates (seems like he's getting a second chance). The treshold (the door of the shack) that he crosses to save his horse (very selfless action) may indicate his transition from old identity into a new identity.

Our prof also noted that this might be why the Sisters brothers are called the Sisters brothers. Voilà, one less reason to lay awake at night.

To me this explanation seems to make sense, because I really clueless at first. I did not understand it at all. Of course the book can be as layered as you want it to be and all interpretations are possible. What were your thoughts on it? (hide spoiler)]

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The Sisters Brothers

by Patrick deWitt

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