The Butcher and the Wren

“The thoughts of the depraved fascinated Wren. But the last thoughts of the dead fascinated her even more.”

This quotation introduces Wren’s interest in the psychology of serial killers, which she ruminates on at different points in the narrative (her thoughts about BTK, her thoughts about Israel Keyes). This implicitly refers to the true crime landscape that includes the novel itself and Urquhart’s podcast. It also illustrates her connection to the dead in her role as forensic pathologist and advocate for the victims.

“The Louisiana sun is pretty unforgiving to the living, but it is particularly cruel to the dead.”

The description of the sun both establishes the setting and juxtaposes the image of the sun with cruelty, which is the inverse of conventional association. The sun is conventionally a symbol of positivity and light, but here Urquhart uses the image in an unexpected way, depicting it as a negative influence. This sets the dark tone of the novel.

“Had he given in to the anger, he may have made a crucial error, and he deeply resented Meghan for almost making him lose his cool, and with it, his freedom.”

Jeremy reflects on a near-miss loss of his control after Meghan insulted him, which demonstrates the importance of control to his character. He needs to be in control of his emotions, but when he loses his control, he slips and makes mistakes. This highlights The Dangers of a Controlling Nature.

“And beyond administrative irritations, these Jane Does bring with them a heavy sadness. She sees them at night when she closes her eyes. She hears them asking her to give them a name, to give them epilogues to their stories.”

Wren feels responsible for the Jane Does and telling their stories, which connects to her intense desire to seek justice for the victims of the Butcher. It also foreshadows the reveal of her backstory, as the Does haunt her in the same way that the memories from her past do.

“It fascinated and repelled him in equal measure, and he felt every cell in his body vibrating with anticipation.”

Jeremy’s excited reaction to watching the death of the doe indicates his lack of empathy and bloodlust. It is also significant that the animal whose death he delighted in was a doe, symbolically connecting it to the Jane Does whom he later tortures and murders.

“He is wondering if New Orleans has produced a serial killer that defies even Israel Keyes’s level of Machiavellian plotting.”

The mention of Israel Keyes, after the brief description of his crimes and methodology, demonstrates Urquhart’s familiarity with different serial killers. This familiarity comes from her role as a podcaster, and Keyes is a killer whom Morbid covered in depth in a series of episodes in 2019. The insertion of real killers in the text gives it a sense of verisimilitude.

“The only thing stopping them from joining the ranks of the criminals they chase is a kind of false morality. A fragile thing that could shatter at any moment, like blown glass.”

Jeremy believes that law enforcement officials teeter on the edge of morality and could fall into evil like him given the opportunity. The question of morality and ethics is one he seeks to answer in his bayou experiment, when he pushes Wren/Emily to see if her drive to survive is stronger than her empathy and responsibility to help Katie survive, too.

“As she puts her feet on the ground, it’s like stepping in water. Her weight shifts, and she wobbles. He’s laughing now.”

Wren’s nightmare foreshadows the reveal of her past with Jeremy and what she went through in bayou. The laughing voice foreshadows Jeremy’s taunting and the sensations in her legs foreshadow the attempted paralysis.

“Every now and then, she nods and tips her pencil slightly forward in agreement with a particular theory. As he observes her, he feels the bubbling of anticipation again.”

The word “anticipation” is the same word that Urquhart uses to describe Jeremy’s feelings as he watches the doe die. Now, Wren is the doe, and Jeremy is excited by the idea of killing her.

“‘Betrayal,’ Martine whispers before looking back up. ‘He’s done something horrible.’”

Martine’s tarot reading foreshadows Wren’s realization that the Bayou Butcher is back. The betrayal she sees in the cards is indicative of the continuing murders. The nonspecific “he” has an ominous undertone.

“Music. He starts to play music.”

Like his father played music when he shot the doe, Jeremy plays music when he begins his hunt in The Bayou. This deepens the connection between the doe and Wren and furthers the theatrical element of his modus operandi.

“Based on his profile, she believes he was able to convince most of his victims to leave with him willingly. He didn’t forcibly abduct them. He is interested in causing chaos from afar, not becoming entrenched in it himself.”

When Wren demonstrates further insight into Jeremy’s psychology and his methods, Urquhart conveys The Dangers of a Controlling Nature. Wren is not yet sure that Jeremy/Cal is the killer, and this description does not match what he did to her (forcible abduction and entrenching himself in the chaos of hunting her).

“He steps out from the shed that houses his audio equipment and takes a second to pour some water on one of his thirsty magnolia bushes, gently passing the delicate white petals between his fingers.”

Jeremy watering his plants answers Wren’s question about whether the killer waters his plants. It adds a human quality to Jeremy, and the caring gesture serves as juxtaposition to the violence he is about to inflict on his captives. The image of his fingers on “delicate white petals” also carry an undertone of violent threat, as Jeremy controls the water that these “thirsty magnolia bushes” get and relishes the tactile feel of their fragility.

“The smell of death is unrelenting when unleashed.”

The smell of death is a symbol for Jeremy’s presence and influence; he is “unrelenting,” like the scent of decay. His kill count grows, and his presence continues to be “unrelenting” as his plan unfurls.

“Emily is ready to abandon her. Jeremy can feel it. Self-preservation will win.”

The goal of Jeremy’s “experiment” in The Bayou is to determine how far he can push Wren/Emily before she gives up on Katie and how much she can take before her will to survive overpowers her empathy. Empathy is a key facet of Wren’s character, both in the past and in the present.

“Again, the bayou has bent to his will. It has given him a spotlight for his show.”

The theatrical element of the horrors in The Bayou provides further insight into Jeremy’s psychology. Like BTK, Wren notes that he has a strong sense of bravado and “pathetic” desire for recognition.

“Emily bested him. She dragged Katie across the property and used her body to absorb the fence’s electric pulses.”

Jeremy’s anger at Wren/Emily’s escape comes from the damage it caused to his superiority complex. He believes himself smarter than everyone around him, and Wren/Emily’s ability to outsmart him challenges that belief and belies his high self-regard. The active voice used in “Emily bested him” highlights the fact that Emily exhibited bodily agency, something of which he wanted to deprive her.

“More hair has escaped Wren’s bun than is still contained by it. Her skin is flushed and painted with a sweat-soil paste.”

The image of Wren’s hair and her messy bun comes up frequently throughout the narrative. As the buns get messier and more hair escapes, Wren unravels more and more, matching Jeremy’s unraveling and increasing impulsivity.

“He’d much rather be a walking cliché here, in the grotesque and stately beauty of the cemetery, than ever return to the venue of the jazz festival.”

The “grotesque” is demonstrative of the complex themes present in the novel. The Bayou is beautiful to Jeremy but horrifying to Wren, while the jazz festival is beautiful to others yet repulsive to Jeremy. The murders exhilarate Jeremy but scare and traumatize Wren, the police, and the community. To see a cemetery as beautiful also connects Jeremy more closely with death.

“This killer’s crimes are like an airborne virus, infecting everyone along the way to its primary target. It’s all collateral damage to him, but to the real people involved, it consumes their every cell.”

Wren’s thoughts on the murders show how deep her empathy is for those connected to the victims. Urquhart uses the medical language of “airborne virus” and “cell” to characterize Wren as a dedicated forensic pathologist.

“He can feel himself getting increasingly obsessive to the point of carelessness, but much like a plane in a nosedive toward the ground, he just can’t stop himself.”

The obsessive part of Jeremy’s psychological profile grows stronger as his kill count grows. He grows more impulsive and veers away from his typical methodology when he abducts Tara, which shows him beginning to unravel more and more. The simile of the “plane in a nosedive” signals that the climax of the novel is close.

“Wrens are truly magnificent little creatures. They signify rebirth and protection, immortality, and strength. Because of the wren’s small stature, most larger birds and predators underestimate its incredible ingenuity and intelligence. But while technically fragile, the wren outwits its underprepared predator to come out on top when threatened.”

The description of wrens explains why Wren chose her name. While Jeremy views her as a doe to hunt, she sees herself as a wren that can outsmart her predator, which is precisely what she did seven years ago in the swamp.

“He feels powerful. He imagines Emily and her husband waking briefly to roll over or look at the clock, oblivious to the fact that someone is right outside of their bedroom door. He likes the feeling of violating their sense of security. He likes knowing that they feel false safety in their vulnerable state.”

Another part of Jeremy’s psychological profile is his desire to violate Wren/Emily’s sense of safety. It’s another attempt at controlling in her in the way he failed to do in his attempt at paralysis.