Character Analysis ‘A Kiss Before Dying’

Ellen is the sister of Dorothy and Bud go with her a relationship because he didn’t had the money yet so he tried a other daughter of Leo Kingship. Ellen is very involved in the death of her sister. She thinks it is not a suicide and goes looking for the killer. At first she thinks that Gordon Gant, but later sees them from here and Gordon and Ellen are best friends. Ellen continues her research and her friend keep Gordon and Burton Corliss informed. If Bud feels she gets too close he will shoot her. Before Bud killed Ellen, he said that he was the one who killed Dorothy.

Part Marion

Leo Kingship had three daughters, so there was only one over, Marion, so he had to be careful. Meanwhile, Bud continue his plan to get the money of Leo Kingship. This time his third daughter was the one which Bud was hunting for. He wrote down everything he had heard about Dorothy and Ellen told about Marion, all her favorite things, and he learned those. When he knew her favorite things he went a conversation with Marion and he used these things in his conversation. Marion thought they had much in common and she fell in love with him. Later, Bud and Marion plan to get married. Meanwhile, Gordon is still working on his research and found out little by little what Bud plan is. He tries to convince Leo Kingship. They decide to tell the Marion and Bud’s scrap paper after they see with all her favorite things, she believes it and starts crying.

The next day Bud and his mother are invited to take a closer look at the works of Leo Kingship. Because his mother is afraid to fly so went Bud alone. Marion went outside and Bud, Gordon and Leo stay inside behind the building, Bud didn’t knew what was going on. Leo and Dorothy Gordon questions him how he has wrote the message suicide and more questions about the murder. Bud denies everything, but later he admit it. After he has confessed all the things, he jumps into a vat of boiling copper and died.

Mini-Biography

I’m going to tell a biography about Ira Levin, the author of the book that I read “a Kiss before dying”.

Ira Levin was born in New York on 27 august 1929 and died 12 November 2007.

He was a American author of thrillers and drama’s.

Ira Levin knew that he would become a author when he was the age of 15. He went to a elite school and later to the university. He went to these universities “in Des Moines, Lowa en New York City”. While his study in Des Moines on the “Drake University”, he played regular poker with 2 of his poker friends “Martin Erlichman and Eugene Schulman”. He graduated in English and philosophy at the New York University in 1950. Meanwhile his study he finished his first Novel “a Kiss before dying”. It was published in 1953 (3 years after his graduation) After college he wrote some scripts for television. One of those were Leda’s Portrait in 1951 for Lights Out (a radio show).

He was drafted into the military service in 1953, but his ambitions for author were still there.

He made some military drama’s while he was working in the military service.

He was married with Gabrielle Aronsohn in 1960. He gain 3 sons with her. But they divorced in 1968.

His first book is “a Kiss before dying”. A Kiss Before Dying is a classic and had a great influence on the current crime literature. The book is still getting read by the people of this time. His first book was incredibly good and he gain a lot of good reviews. Thanks to these good reviews he gain the “Edgar Ellen Poe award”. This book also has been filmed twice in 1955 once and in 1991.It took 13 years before he published a new book. Meantime he was writing drama scripts. His second book was “Rosemary’s Baby”(1967). This book also has been filmed. (one year after the publish of the book)

This Novel had been seen as Ira Levin’s best known Novel that he made.

His third book was “The Perfect Day”(1970). He gain a Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for that book.

His fourth book was “The Stepford Wives”(1972). This book has been filmed twice.

His fifth book was “The boys from Brazil”(1976). This book has been filmed. There is new development of the this book “The Boys from Brazil” (version 2009).

He publish a new book after 14 years called “Sliver”. This book has also been filmed.

His last book was published in 1997. That book is called “Son of Rosemary”. This book was a sequel of “Rosemary’s Baby”. He gained the inspiration to write that book of the filmed version of “Rosemary’s baby”.

He also wrote drama’s. His list of drama’s : No time for sergeants (1956), Interlock (1958), Critic’s choice (1960), General Seeger (1962), Dr. Cook’s Garden (1968), Veronica’s Room (1974), Deathtrap (1978), Break a leg : Comedy in two acts (1981) & Cantorial (1982).

No time for sergeants was his first release of his drama work. This drama shows a comedy about the United States Air Force. This drama has been turned into a movie in 1958.

His most famous drama was the Deathtrap. This drama had the theme of Criminal Thriller. Deathtrap has been performance in Broadway for 4 years ( 1978 – 1982 ). Total performance in Broadway were 1793 times. This drama has been filmed in 1982.

He wrote one musical in 1965 called “Drat! The Cat!

Ira Levin died to a heart attack in 2007. He reached the age of 78 years. He is still known as a special author with his own writing style and his known books.