I Fought The Law, And The Law Won.

It's human nature to want to break the rules. Even the tightest-wound individual still harbors some smothered desire to do something that they're not supposed to do. For whatever reason it may be, we all feel the need to rebel against society - whether it be to quench an uncontrollable thirst for action or to "get back" at society for wronging you in some way. As for Terry Dean in Steve Tolz's A Fraction of The Whole, his past is what fuels his need to be a ruthless, unstoppable criminal.

Once an incredible athlete and the town's crowing glory, Terry's fame is instantly diminished after getting in a competitive conflict over a cricket match and ends up with a stabbed leg. Instead of doing nothing, Terry decides that the only thing that will give him a purpose in life is to find another obsession - in this case, that obsession was mugging, thievery, and all things to do with breaking the town's laws. What starts as a petty, somewhat hesitant attempt to wreak havoc on the town and its people gradually blossoms into a full-fledged criminal lifestyle fueled by Terry's traumatizing past and crazy vengefulness. Before we know it, Terry has thrown himself into a festering abyss of killing and crime, ganging up with fellow outlaws and again becoming the most famous person in his small town, but for a much different reason.

So besides Terry's past, what is it that drives him to break the law? I think that part of it is the mere fact that he's escaped the police and law enforcers so many times that his success has gone to his head. He thinks that he can fool them every time, and he teases them by going on insane killing sprees and fleeing from the scene. An incredibly talented criminal, Terry has realized that the so-called "authorities" of his town aren't actually as big as he knew them to be, and this would be a liberating realization for everyone. The thing that sets Terry apart from everyone else is that he springs upon each opportunity and approaches the situation in a way that gives him excitement - he shoves himself in the face of the law, only to tear himself away at the moment they bite. The ability to be quicker and almost invincible to the law's ever-watching eyes is a powerful thing.

I also believe that Terry's past fame plays a huge part in his desire to get in trouble. He's let the town down by getting his leg stabbed and losing his ability to participate in sports. However, his obsessive competitiveness still burns and he chooses to apply that force to another activity that will earn him fame yet again, even if the fame could get him killed. The fact that your face is known all over Australia is a blessing and a curse, and fame is addicting - once you've achieved it, you keep wanting more.

The fact that he murders only sports figures is obviously a refection of his past. Whenever he hears of a cheating athlete or coach he punishes them by killing them. Sports and crime are very similar - both can start a fire of competition in anyone who takes part in either of them, and when you've got both in you, it's like an explosion.

Although it may seem like a total cliche that Terry's hunger for crime is based on his traumatizing past, I believe that it's so much more than that. I think so many criminals perform ridiculous acts to "punish" society, Terry's motives are so much more complex. In some ways, I think he's doing what he's doing in order to be known again, to make up for his loss of athleticism by doing something that will also make him well known. I think in some ways he's trying to make a point, but in others, he's just doing it because he can. He's been raised on crime since he was a young boy, and it's really become a part of his life. Crime, like a sport, is an aspect of life that can fuel obsessions. In Terry's case, crime is used to fill the holes in his life, and make an impact on his world.

Just for fun, here's The Clash and their cover of Sonny Curtis's "I Fought the Law". Yay!