“The Curse” by Andre Dubus is about Mitchell Hayes, a forty-nine year old bartender who is witness to a rape. The rape occurs right before closing when five bikers rape a young woman while holding Mitchell at bay. After the rape, Mitchell is distraught over his decision of not making a stronger attempt to help the girl. Police, family and friends try to comfort Mitchell by telling him he made the right decision. However, he continues to feel guilt and self-doubt over whether or not he could have done more in order to prevent the rape from occurring. The central idea is that man is responsible for defining his own sense of