Deathwatch

Greeneyes cannot read or write, so Lefranc reads his wife’s letters aloud and translates his thoughts into replies. Lefranc's skill makes him indispensable to Greeneyes, and their bond forms in the claustrophobic prison environment. The living arrangement is tense as life sentences loom.

Lefranc relays letters to Greeneyes' wife; she discovers Greeneyes didn't actually write them. This revelation shatters his romantic image and triggers anger. Greeneyes plots to have her killed after release, wanting either cellmate to carry it out.

Upon learning the deception, Greeneyes erupts in rage and resents the life he cannot escape. He explicitly wants his wife dead and instructs his cellmates to kill her after their release. The threat sets a chilling tone for the prison’s power dynamics.

Greeneyes later collapses under the weight of his confinement and unchangeable fate. He laments being trapped in a prison of his thoughts and actions, realizing he cannot pivot his life. The moment hints at his inner dissolution before a mandated prison visit.

Greeneyes is taken away from the cell for a visit with his wife. The visit briefly softens him and shifts his perspective on his own plan. The encounter also signals evolving loyalties among the inmates.

While Greeneyes is away, Maurice and Lefranc compete to prove themselves as the most capable inmate. Each believes that winning Greeneyes’ favor will secure a better place in the rough social hierarchy of the cellblock. Their rivalry foreshadows the tensions to come.

Upon returning, Greeneyes no longer wants his wife dead and instead offers her to a guard. This gesture indicates a shift away from murder toward survival within the prison’s power structure. The guard-friendly arrangement introduces a new chain of influence.

The guard, who has ties to Greeneyes, supplies contraband that originates from Snowball, a powerful inmate. This exchange strengthens Greeneyes’ tenuous grip on safety inside the prison. Lefranc remains suspicious of who truly controls the prison’s favors.

Lefranc begins to see that Greeneyes and Snowball are aligned with the guards, undermining any real sense of loyalty. Despite this, he still craves Greeneyes’ respect and the power that might come with it. The realization deepens his isolation from both men.

Maurice exposes Lefranc’s tattoo, which turns out to be painted on. The moment deflates Lefranc’s confidence and invites a new round of taunting. The illusion of equal standing among the inmates fractures further.

Overwhelmed by jealousy and the fragile power dynamic, Lefranc strangles Maurice to death. He expects Greeneyes to praise him, but Greeneyes is repulsed and alerts the guards. The act marks a brutal turn toward irreversible consequences.

Greeneyes expresses disgust at Lefranc’s violent act and reinforces his own moral distance from Lefranc’s methods. Lefranc is left realizing he will never become the kind of man Greeneyes is. The incident underscores the brutal reality of prison power and the fragility of criminal hierarchy.