Respond to the following conversation between John Patterson and John Wilson:
"It's about Jessie, you seeing Jessie, I mean. I want you to tell me...Well, you know there are rumours going around that you're a married man, and I have to ask you if they're true."
"No, they're not true. I was married, but my wife died after I left the old country."
"Oh? Well, I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's all right. It's almost three years ago. But you know how stories get twisted."
"Oh sure, I know what it's like in a small place."
This quote is the beginning of John Wilson's true character coming to light. At the beginning of the novel, John was head over heels in love with Polly, and even threatened to kill himself if she did not marry him. He is a compulsive liar and he doesn't realize that what he is doing is wrong. He lied about his wife dying, and then lied AGAIN to Jessie about his wife tricking him into marriage. His actions show that he has lost all interest in his wife and kids, and old life and doesn't care or love them anymore. Eventually I believe that all of the lies John is telling is digging him deeper and deeper into a whole that he will not be able to get out of.
ReplyDelete(Kaitlyn) John continues to lie and bend the truth just to make situations go the way that he wants them to. First, he threatens to shoot himself if Polly does not marry him, then he says that she died so that he can continue seeing Jessie, then he says that he doesn't have any kids, and then to top it all off, he says that Polly tricked him into marrying her. Its awful the way that he treats his family and his wife. This is all going to blow up in his face eventually.
ReplyDeleteI think it is twisted how John could just sit there and lie about his life back home. Obviously Polly is not dead and the both of them are still married. I think John just wants a new life and a chance to start over so he figures if he doesn't tell anyone about his wife and child living in Scotland, then he will be able to move on. I feel like somehow karma will catch up to him and he'll regret lying and cheating. If John really wanted to be out of the marriage with Polly that bad then he should have talked to her and given her a reason.
ReplyDeleteJack in constantly lying and deceiving the people around him to better his own situation. Eventually it will blow up in his face.
ReplyDelete-Braedan
I feel as though John's lying and cheating and general deceitfulness is going to catch up with him, and as Braedan is saying, eventually blow up in his face. His blantant disregard for integrity and truthfulness of any kind is only going to end in a negative way for all parties involved.
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter we see how john has become infatuated with another woman. Instead of John facing his responsibilities and telling Jessie and her family the truth of at least breaking off the marriage with Polly he goes on as if his old life doesn't exist. He has no morals and this will eventually lead to self destruction.
ReplyDeleteI am very disgusted by John's character in this conversation. John was "SO in love" with Polly in the beginning of the novel, and now he denies being with her and acts as if she and their kids don't even exist! If he was truly as in love with her as he said he was, then he would never do such a thing. John has now twice ran away from the truth (him stealing and being married). John is a very bad liar and I feel that his leing will eventually get him into a lot of trouble.
ReplyDeleteIt's disgraceful and immoral when John lies about his wife and children. He should be a man and own up to his life and tell the truth. John constantly lies to benefit himself, but karma will eventfully catch up to his actions. ~Kamryn
ReplyDeleteThis conversation brings to light the true character of John Wilson. He is not a good man, he lies, deceives, and puts others in situations they'd rather not be in. The truth is, Jessie is very young, and he is much too old for her. And the fact that he hides the truth about his family, about having a wife and children makes it so much worse. He wants them to accept him, and not know his past, just so he can get a leg over, and he's embarrassed about being attracted to another woman, as well as being ashamed of the family he already has. The good, righteous thing to do would be to tell the truth and ignore his feelings for Jessie, while continuing to try to get home to his family.
ReplyDelete