Exploring Moral Responsibility and Retributive Justice in Modern Crime Fiction: Analyzing S.A. Lelchuk's "Save me from Dangerous Men"

Abstract

This paper critically re-evaluates S.A. Lelchuk’s Save Me from Dangerous Men through the lens of retributive justice theory. It focuses on the novel’s portrayal of Nikki Griffin, a morally complex private investigator who delivers punishment beyond the boundaries of formal legal systems. Nikki’s actions often personal, intentional, and violent raise significant ethical concerns about the validity of extra-legal justice, particularly in situations where official institutions fail to protect victims of abuse. Rather than endorsing revenge, the narrative engages with the tension between justice and vigilantism. By drawing on both classical and modern interpretations of retributivism, the paper argues that Nikki’s conduct reflects a form of moral agency and ethical responsibility. Furthermore, it examines how the themes of gender, power, and punitive authority intersect in the text, suggesting that Nikki’s role as a female avenger subverts traditional crime fiction norms and critiques systemic failures in the justice system’s treatment of women. Ultimately, this study positions Lelchuk’s novel within larger philosophical and literary conversations, asserting that Save Me from Dangerous Men offers a compelling and contemporary reimagining of retributive justice.