Spoiler Alert.
In The Pact, by Jodi Picoult, Chris is accused for the murder of his girlfriend, Emily. Up until the last day of his trial, he and his lawyer had been telling everyone that he and Emily had been planning a double suicide. Since they were so close, until the truth was revealed to the characters and the reader, I had believed him. And then he revealed that he had killed Emily, but it was because she couldn't stand to do it herself, and he couldn't stand to see her in pain. So now, I have to think. If I hadn't heard all of Chris's thoughts, would I have believed from the beginning that it was a double suicide? And now that I know that a double suicide wasn't the plan, do I think he is guilty of murder?
To be honest, as much as I like to think that I would believe him, I'm not sure if I actually would. Though almost all of the evidence points to a double suicide, the rumors at his school probably didn't. Especially after he was taken off to jail. At school, Chris described that everyone stayed away from him, "as if bad luck was contagious." When I first read this, I thought about how terrible that was. But now I'm wondering if I would be the one person to talk to him, knowing that he is either a murderer or suicidal. I honestly don't think I would. After all, when I first heard that he was being accused, I automatically believed it, then after a few pages, I believed Chris. If I didn't know his thoughts, would I still believe Chris?
Technically, Chris did kill Emily. He did pull the trigger. But, in the book, just about everyone who knew them said that Emily and Chris were inseparable. "They were like two halfes in a whole". So when Chris pulled the trigger, Emily's body was killed, but so was a part of Chris. Without Emily, Chris was incomplete, and now he had to find a way to deal with it. Even though Chris did admit that he pulled the trigger, he did it for Emily. Yes, he did know that there would be a little physical pain for Emily, but he also knew that if he didn't, there would be so much more hidden pain. He couldn't bear either way, and either way would be the wrong decision. He just did what he thought was best for Emily. So, no. I do not think he is guilty of murder.
Though I never thought he was guilty of murder, I'm still not honestly sure if I would talk to him, even after the trial. And to be fair, if I were Chris, I'm not sure if I would want to talk to me. All of his school friends would be preparing to go off to college. What would they say to their former class mate who just got out of jail? The only way to really know the full, complete story, you have to be the person, experience what they experienced. Unfortunately for Chris, that means no one who fully understands. And though I feel bad to admit it, that's the honest truth.
I really liked this post. I have yet to feel the pain of loosing someone, and I think that Chris was just distraught about loosing Emily. I think it was a very hard decision for Chris to make, but he wouldn't have killed her if Emily wasn't in so much pain. I agree that it would be hard to think what you would believe. I personally would steer clear of Chris, but that might be hard for some people. He did technically kill Emily, but she wanted him to do it, so would that be full out murder? What did his parents think? Did he have any friends that turned against him?
ReplyDeleteI loved this post. I loved how you connected with the character in sort of a personal level. How you put yourself in the shoes of someone who goes to school with Chris. It's true. If you were not reading his thoughts, you would probably think he was some crazy person that you wouldn't want to have anything to do with. I feel like since by reading the book, you are witnessing everything Chris is dealing with and thinking, you are obviously on his side. Amazing post!! <3 Pia
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