Should Kitsy have told?

Use this forum to discuss the October Book of the Month "McDowell" by William H. Coles.
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Re: Should Kitsy have told?

Post by chelhack »

I think that it was still her responsibility to tell. No matter if he did save or life or however she felt about him on a personal level before or after he saved her.
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Post by Cristina Chifane »

I have to be honest and confess that the author made me relate to Hiram towards the end of the book, but I don't think it was because of his changing behavior but more because I got used to him and expected more from his story. To put it more simply, I didn't expect Kitsy to report him to the authorities after he saved her life. It was rather unpredictable. If I had been in her shoes, this would have been the last thing I would have thought of.
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Post by SpencerVo »

Whether the decision was good or bad depends on your perspective and how much you like Hiram. I understand it was her duty to inform the government about him, but I was a little baffled by how she sold him out... so fast. Shouldn't you at least consider this for a while, especially after that person just saved your life?
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Post by Tizzy+ »

Kitsy should have just turned a blind eye to the authorities ,since McDowell saved her life
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Post by Beate Levai »

LV2R wrote: 09 Oct 2018, 07:56 Do you think Kitsy should have alerted the authorities about McDowell, even after he saved her life?
Do you think she just always mistrusted McDowell and only thought of one way about him?
Kitsy had decided to report McDowell's whereabouts to the police before having her car crash. When she came around in the hospital, she did not know yet it was McDowell who saved her life. She acted as a decent citizen is required to do. However, I was was a bit dismayed that after having come around it was her first thing to report to the police right from her hospital bed. Had she known who McDowell was in fact, she might have not done so. I think the proverb "Measure twice, cut once" is applicable here. I also think that Kitsy was too docile to think independently. There are a lot of people who simply follow stereotypes like "McDowell is a murderer. Murderers must be reported." Consequently, sooner or later somebody would have given him up to the police.
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Post by holsam_87 »

I don't think she should have said anything. McDowell should have had a second chance.
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Post by bdu15062 »

I was so sad that Kitsy told the authorities after Hiram had just saved her. Though morally I think it was the right choice as he had escaped from prison but she could have offered some warning. After all he did save her life.
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Post by Theresa Moffitt »

I can see why she did it - she found out who he was and it was probably the right thing to do in that instance but I didn’t like the way it turned out for him
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Post by Shrabastee Chakraborty »

Although I practically shouted 'Nooooooo! How could you do this?' at Kitsy, I guess she did the right thing. I suppose some mistrust was always there between them, and that augmented her action. But I cannot really blame her for taking a sensible decision considering the circumstances.
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Post by mariakavo88 »

I want to say she should not have, but at the same time, she did not know he saved her life at the time. Along with that she saw his name and picture as an escaped convict, convicted of murder. That alone could freak anyone out and most would probably do the same.
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Post by Shalu1707 »

Yes, she was skeptical of him from the start but turned friendly only when she realized that he is not a bad person. But in the hospital when she saw the poster and realized that he was infact a murderer, she alerted the authorities to save herself and her friend from him.
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Post by Ursadsong »

I think Kitsy was being selfish. She knew he saved her life and on top of that she told the authorities? Why wouldn't she trust me him!
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Post by Flowers123 »

No, I don't think she did the right thing. My problem with her is the timing. Why call the authorities immediately on someone she knew wasn't a dangerous person. And besides, the man just saved her life. She paid back evil for good. Justice would still have caught up with Hiram, but it should not have come from her at that time.
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Post by Jessacardinal »

I don’t think Kitsy every fully trusted McDowell. Kitsy’s moral compass doesn’t stray. This is a hard question to answer because I didn’t like Hiram throughout most of the book, however, I was beginning to bond with the character he was becoming. Without giving anything away, I actually teared up while reading the outcome.
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Post by ShailaSheshadri »

No. Kitsy should not have told about McDowell to the authorities. Even though McDowell was an escaped prisoner, he showed Kitsy that he is a good person by saving her life. After living with him for a long time and seeing the transformations in him, she should have given him an opportunity to live normally.
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