During their time on the coast, Marc and Ralph's friendship is put to the test. Did you find yourself taking sides?
Created: 07/22/15
Replies: 12
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Join Date: 12/06/14
Posts: 28
Join Date: 06/15/11
Posts: 222
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 102
Marc is definitely the worst one but I kept changing my mind about the other characters. I believed in Julia's innocence and was surprised to find her secrets. I had no trouble disliking Ralph from the start and I was put off by Stanley and his interest in young girls. Koch artfully led me to believe in the guilt of first one and then another. Aside from being an observer I questioned Vera's place in the scheme of things. There were enough villains to keep things interesting.
Join Date: 06/16/11
Posts: 410
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 281
Join Date: 03/26/14
Posts: 139
Join Date: 07/16/11
Posts: 22
I did find myself taking sides….more philosophical in nature…I suppose we all want to think we were good parents, and I found that I was once again, on the side, of the over-protective parent rather than the parent who lets the child find their own way, trying to foster independence.. In my humble opinion, many American parents are afraid that indulgence or protectiveness of any kind fosters dependence which to many is a dirty word…How often have we heard "This baby is not going to change my lifestyle" or "Johnny will just have to fail to learn a lesson" ..Children yearn for guidance and parental suggestions and advice! A good parent will make it clear to their offspring, that no matter the issue or challenge, they should feel the most comfortable confiding in their parents…How sad that Julia could never completely convey her feelings to either parent…Why? Was she afraid of upsetting the apple cart or did Julia have a complete lack of respect for both mother and father…Probably both…
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 324
Join Date: 08/29/11
Posts: 61
Join Date: 04/18/12
Posts: 73
I agree with rebajane. I felt sorry for Caroline. To the extent there were any likable adult characters, she was the one. Between Marc and Ralph, the narration was coming from Marc's perspective. That has some influence on whose side you take. I found them both repulsive. But I certainly didn't think that Ralph deserved to die over it.
Join Date: 04/10/13
Posts: 78
Barb, I agree with you, Children are definitely looking for and need guidance. I may be at odds with others here, but in this day and age, I would not be quite so trusting of my children around others that I do not know well, especially with some of the character traits of Ralph and Stanley. My children would not be left alone anywhere near them and I'd have left the place early on. In fact, Marc's decision to leave the campground to stay at the summer house was for his own selfish ends. His decision to stay at the campground initially was in the hope of encountering Ralph and Judith.
Join Date: 08/20/13
Posts: 31
As between Marc and Ralph, I did not take sides. Both characters were terribly flawed and deserved each other. Marc, however, was much more dangerous. Ralph was so transparent, so "in your face" with his narcissistic and lecherous behavior. In contrast, Marc smartly hid his similar predilections behind a veil of civility, professionalism and even feigned compassion. Very sinister.
Reply
Please login to post a response.