While reading the works of Don DeLillo, the reader's interpretation could deflect into many directions. This short story, "Videotape", is about a girl who records the murder of a man. This can be interpreted in different ways. While this short story can seem simple, it can be interpreted as the videotape being a metaphor for a dark memory the girl contains. This girl may have experienced this tragedy, and now it is just a memory that is constantly replayed in her mind. The story can also be construed as the girl having a split personality. She could be very well be the murderer herself, but not realize she is doing it. Dissecting this straightforward story, cutting through the layer of symbolism, you discover this binary interpretation. If you were to investigate this case, or other cases, it is good to be able to not view things one way but be able to have an open mind, and view things in different ways 

In reality there is no actual videotape, however the videotape in this case is the girl's memory. The overall action of her recording this crime, is a metaphor for her seeing this incident, but not being able to forget it. At one point DeLillo says, "You keep looking not because you know something is going to happen-of course you do know something is going to happen and you do look for that reason..." (DeLillo 60). The literal meaning of this would be that the reader would keep watching the video of the murder, because they know what is going to happen. In addition, this is viewed as the girl continuing to watch the guy in the car behind her because she feels something is going to happen. Further down he says " it is a jostled part of your mind " (DeLillo 60).  In other words this negative memory is shoved into her mind, or it is something that she can't forget. The author then continues with saying, "you think this is more real, truer to life than anything around you" (DeLillo 60). Here he is saying that this is more than just a videotape, it is real as if it is a memory that the girl keeps reliving. As the story goes along, it said that the video girl "wandered into it" (DeLillo 61). This proves that this entire videotape is a memory, in regards to her siting and reliving this, but then daydreaming or wandering off. DeLillo says later that if you have seen the tape more than once, you know the moment the man will get hit by the bullet (DeLillo 61). This means that as the girl keeps repeating this memory or nightmare over and over, she remembers exactly when the guy gets hit from the shots. Moreover, the author uses personification when saying, "the camera reacts to the gunshot   a startle reaction that brings pity and terror " (DeLillo 62). The reader knows that an actual camera can't have a real life reaction; overall this is the author explaining the message that the camera is the girl. The girl was the one that reacted in reality to the terrible sound of gunshots. At the end, the story goes on about how this serial killer has never been recorded. He has killed many, but this is the first time it has been captured on tape (DeLillo 62). In addition, the serial killer may I have killed several before, but this is the first time that an actual person witnessed or saw, the video girl, the action. Lastly the author was repetitive with saying "It approaches briefly, then falls back." (DeLillo 60). I interpreted this as him saying how we sit and reflect on memories, some come to mind but then fall back. How one would daydream, and several memories arise but then leave to make way for another memory for you to reflect on. In this case, the memory of the killing comes along, but is constantly replayed in her head. To conclude, the overall concept of her recording is just an extended metaphor throughout the text, which in reality means the girl witnessed the action. She saw this crime, but instead of one watching the videotape over and over, it is actually her reliving this dark memory over and over. 

While reading this short story, you also visualize or interpret this as the girl just having a creative imagination. She is sitting in her car and imagining everything that is happening or even imagining what she would do. She has a split personality; the actual girl is the killer. She is the one committing the crime but seeing it as someone else being the murderer. This would then mean she would be the killer as well as the actual human videotape. At one point the author states that "the world is lurking in the camera, already framed " (DeLillo 60).  I interpreted this as the world or actual actions can be seen by her, but they are already framed, or already done. This means that her being the camera sees what is going on, not realizing that she is the actual cause of the action, meaning she has already done it. Later on, DeLillo says that families make up games to play. He then says that this is another game in which the child makes up the rules as she goes (DeLillo 61). This means that as she is doing the actual action, she thinks she isn't doing, or she is making it up as she goes to prove to herself that she is not the actual killer. Later he says that this game is the girl's and that she is learning it and playing it at the same time. Having a split personality, she is doing the crime or playing the game, as well as learning it or "videotaping the action" at the same time. Furthermore DeLillo says that if she would have panned to another car she would have caught the gunman (DeLillo 61). The videotape not capturing the gunman is symbolic for her not realizing she is the actual person doing the killing. Later on the author states "Random energies that approach a common point" (DeLillo 61). This means the randomizing of this girl's deferring personality approached the common point, which was the innocent man. DeLillo says near the end that "The are famous without names or faces, spirits living apart from their bodies, the victims and witnesses, the underage criminals " (DeLillo 63). Spirits living apart from their bodies symbolizes the soul's departure of the dead victim's body. However it also symbolizes how the girl has two different spirits or personalities. While she is visualizing this action, there is a different spirit she possesses that is doing the action. Further in the quote, the author says the underage criminals, which would explain the young girl as the criminal due to her only being twelve years old. In the end, this may be farfetched, however it is very well rational. There are many cases with people dealing with this problem, and perhaps the video girl, or Highway Killer, is going through the same exact thing. 

All in all, the author may have intended the passage to be informative, telling about a girl recording the murder of a man. However the story is laced with symbolism, which alters the meaning in different ways. The videotape is just in reality the memory of the girl. However it also describes a mentally unstable girl who is seeing these actions as a simple witness, as well as committing the action as the murderer. Viewing this case two different ways can exemplify how investigators must have open minds while working. Whether the case has symbolism, such as this one, or just a myriad of evidence that leads you to more than one interpretation of what happens. 

