Burke and the Meaning of Enemy

The Ax

Burke repeatedly names different people as enemies, revealing how economic competition reshapes his moral and social boundaries.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Corporate Enemies Corporate Enemies from "The Ax". Corporate Enemies A Structural Accusation Burke identifies executives and shareholders as the forces behind layoffs.

Corporate Enemies from "The Ax". Corporate Enemies A Structural Accusation Burke identifies executives and shareholders as the forces behind layoffs.

Corporate Enemies A Structural Accusation Burke identifies executives and shareholders as the forces behind layoffs. He believes their pursuit of returns has displaced workers from profitable companies. No Direct Remedy Although he can describe the system, he cannot see an effective way to change it. The distance between blame and agency leaves him searching for a target within reach.

Applicants Become Enemies Applicants Become Enemies from "The Ax". Applicants Become Enemies A Localized Threat Burke admits the applicants are not the true cause of his predicament but calls them his personal problem.

Applicants Become Enemies from "The Ax". Applicants Become Enemies A Localized Threat Burke admits the applicants are not the true cause of his predicament but calls them his personal problem.

Applicants Become Enemies A Localized Threat Burke admits the applicants are not the true cause of his predicament but calls them his personal problem. Their résumés make them visible, nearby obstacles. Moral Focus Narrows The broad economic conflict is reduced to individual rivals who can be targeted. Burke’s reasoning makes the vulnerable applicant appear more immediately responsible than the corporate structure he condemns.

The Police Become Enemies The Police Become Enemies from "The Ax". The Police Become Enemies A Son’s Case During Billy’s arrest, Burke views the detective as more concerned with closing paperwork than understanding his son.

The Police Become Enemies from "The Ax". The Police Become Enemies A Son’s Case During Billy’s arrest, Burke views the detective as more concerned with closing paperwork than understanding his son.

The Police Become Enemies A Son’s Case During Billy’s arrest, Burke views the detective as more concerned with closing paperwork than understanding his son. He concludes that the police serve their own institutional needs. Distrust Expands Burke applies the same hostile framework to law enforcement that he applies to employers and applicants. Any authority that threatens his family or his freedom becomes an enemy to be resisted.

A Fellow Manager Reclassified

A Fellow Manager Reclassified Fallon as Ally in Conversation Fallon shares Burke’s resentment toward employers and offers professional help. For a brief time, the two men speak as members of the same displaced workforce. The Rival Returns Burke still regards Fallon’s position as a barrier to his future. He kills the man who has acted as an ally, showing that his categories of enemy and friend remain subordinate to his goal.

The Detective’s Human Face The Detective’s Human Face from "The Ax". The Detective’s Human Face A Shared Social Position Burton mentions that his brother and sister-in-law have both been laid off.

The Detective’s Human Face from "The Ax". The Detective’s Human Face A Shared Social Position Burton mentions that his brother and sister-in-law have both been laid off.

The Detective’s Human Face A Shared Social Position Burton mentions that his brother and sister-in-law have both been laid off. The personal detail makes the detective less like an impersonal institution and more like someone familiar with economic strain. A Complication Burke Avoids Burke acknowledges the hardship but continues to conceal his crimes from Burton. The encounter complicates his claim that authorities are simply enemies, without changing the danger Burton poses to him.

Spring 1997

Spring 1997, after Burke sorts the résumés

Late May 1997

Late June 1997

July 3, 1997