Karl knew that Doyle would manage to poison Frank's life, or worse, just as Karl's parents did to him. He tried to reconcile his own simple moral code with everything he had been taught about right and wrong, and must decide whether to stand by and watch, or step in to protect the child. He decided to rescue his best friend, Frank, from his destiny. He attacked Doyle with two chops of his switchblade.
Through a deadly crime, Karl freed his young friend from a life of pain and despair, only to end up back where he began at the "nut house". The choice of right or wrong seemed to make good and evil equal. .
The main point of Sling Blade was to convey the message that sometimes wrong can be right. Symbolically, killing with the switchblade represents for cutting away the troubles that get in the way. Sling Blade was a subjective film. It seduces the audience to emphasize with Frank and Karl and think the way the director wants. .
Elements.
The first element I found that supported the theme was the script. The actors" dialogues shaped the characters" roles. Karl adopted a new dialect. He picked up a backwoods, disturbed, monotone, punctuated by a throaty "um-hmmm". Karl's dialogue showed that he spoke in a simple way. He avoided complicated, fancy language. He spoke like a child, slow and easy, while the others in the movie indicated more education through their speaking. Karl explained the way he was treated as a child, his love for Frank, and his fear of Doyle. His moments of silence revealed his reflection, his caged up behavior, and his childlike manner. Karl's words shaped him as gentle and to the point. Karl told Frank's mamma she's good for Frank. He let people know their worth. At the end Karl stated, "the world was too big". He couldn't deal with the world on his own. He needed the support and love of a family.
The other characters" scripts related to Karl's redemption, too.
