Discuss the different lives led by Ellis and Ansel. Was Ansel born deviant, or was his violence the result of the ostracism and abuse he experienced growing up?

Read “The End of Evil.” What tone does Sarah Marshall take when speaking about (and to) Ted Bundy? How does the article’s influence on Kukafka come across in the Notes on an Execution?

Common motives for serial murderers of women include financial gain, anger, and “thrill killing.” Why might Kukafka have chosen to have Ansel murder young girls without assigning any of these motives?