After Chapter of Deliverance

The chapter of Deliverance entitled "After" basically serves to show the audience how the men have changed after they return home.  Before they get home they must talk to the authorities.  The police just want to know what their story is and how Drew drowned.  Ed, Bobby, and Lewis and rehearsed a story so that the authorities would not expect foul play.  They seem to execute their story to perfection.  The police believe them, all except for one that is.  One of the lower ranking officers comes up to Ed and asks what he did with his brother-in-laws body.  He implies that Ed killed him.  Officer Queen explains that his sister's husband went out in the woods a few days ago and has not returned home.  Queen believes that Ed, Bobby, and Lewis were the only people that could have come in contact with his brother-in-law.  The head officer does not buy the story though and the men seem to narrowly escape.  It was a close call though.

When the men arrive home all of their lives change in one way or another.  Drew's family is obviously shocked and saddened.  I'm sure it will be hard for them to move on.  His wife keeps saying that the trip was "useless."

Ed describes Lewis as "He is a human being, and a good one."  He also says "He has changed, too, but not in obvious ways.  He can die now; he knows that dying is better than immortality."  The events that Lewis went through must have really affected him.  It seems like he is a much more subdued guy now and is less willing to take risks.  I'm almost positive that he will never take a trip like that again.

Bobby doesn't seem to change for the good.  He was pretty much happy with his life the way it was before the trip.  After the trip he ends up quitting his job and attempts to start a restaurant.  That fails and he moves to Hawaii.  It is apparent that his life will never be the same.  It will tough for him to live with the fact that he has been raped.

Ed has also changed a lot and for the good.  Ed says that he now sees his wife in a different light.  He went out with the model a few times, but realized that it was wrong and that his wife was the only person he wanted to be with.  Apparently their relationship is much stronger than it was before.  It seems like his "sliding" mentality is gone.  He says he enjoys work more and that Thad and him are getting along better.

It's interesting to reflect back on the novel and ask yourself if the trip was worth it.  There are three dead guys, and three guys with pretty serious injuries.  It was definitely not worth it for Drew.  He did not deserve to die like that.  I don't think the two dead attackers really matter either.  It is pretty much their fault.  The actions they took were extremely wrong.  The trip was also harmful to Bobby.  It seems like it really affected him and he may not ever be able to fully recover.  I think it worked out good for Lewis.  His wild way of living seems to have disappeared.  Maybe he will settle down and spend more time with his family.  The trip was also beneficial for Ed.  It got him out of his rut and changed his relationship with his wife for the better.