What did you think about Cody?

[TangledinText]

If you really love someone you have to let them go as I've seen in so many cliche love movies but this one he holds on knowing what the chief will due to her so I might have actually enjoyed the unknown, releasing her, more.

[bookowlie]

I personally did not like the guy. I don't care how much you care about someone, you're no better than the abusive scum if you know about it and get "conflicted" about it (or whateever you'd call it), because of your retarded "sense of honor." Let's just say I'm glad I never lived in that era or was ever Suzanne. Cody was my second least favorite character. Which is weird since it seemed like we were supposed to "fall in love" with him along with Suzanne.

Well said Kio! It's almost like an accessory if you turn someone over to an abuser, knowing full well what will happen next.

[L_Therese]

I didn't care for Cody, and I can't justify knowingly exposing someone to a violent abuser. I think the situation would have been more meaningful to Cody's character development if the author hadn't made the chief's abuse so incredibly brutal. In the 1800s, there were many behaviors and attitudes that would be considered abusive today but were acceptable then (in both mainstream and many First Nations societies). If the author had made the chief's behavior closer to that which would have been culturally acceptable, I think the situation could have shown a deeper, special connection between Cody and Suzanne, instead of merely a basic human instinct to protect a vulnerable, pregnant woman. I mean - what kind of absolute monster wouldn't protect a woman from a public rape? Seriously?

[Heidi M Simone]

I agree with many here. I appreciate the author's ability to create a complex situation - honor vs. love. However....I do not like the fact that Cody wanted to give Suzanne up to someone who will rape, torture, and potentially kill her. That doesn't make sense to me. If he ran away with her in the first place, then all the other stuff wouldn't have happened. Like gali said, though, I do believe he redeemed himself at the end, and it all worked out for the best.

Good writers make you feel. Even though Cody was ridiculous before and I did not like him for it towards the beginning, I think it takes a good writer to create these feelings for readers.

I have mixed feelings about how Cody treated Lame Bird. I think it was right that he didn't marry her since he didn't love her. That would be living a fake life. However, I didn't like that he was stringing her along either. He probably should've separated himself a little bit more, rather than have her do all the "womanly duties" while he did the "manly duties". It looked like they were already married.

Great question, gali!

[gali]

I agree with many here. I appreciate the author's ability to create a complex situation - honor vs. love. However....I do not like the fact that Cody wanted to give Suzanne up to someone who will rape, torture, and potentially kill her. That doesn't make sense to me. If he ran away with her in the first place, then all the other stuff wouldn't have happened. Like gali said, though, I do believe he redeemed himself at the end, and it all worked out for the best.

Good writers make you feel. Even though Cody was ridiculous before and I did not like him for it towards the beginning, I think it takes a good writer to create these feelings for readers.

I have mixed feelings about how Cody treated Lame Bird. I think it was right that he didn't marry her since he didn't love her. That would be living a fake life. However, I didn't like that he was stringing her along either. He probably should've separated himself a little bit more, rather than have her do all the "womanly duties" while he did the "manly duties". It looked like they were already married.

Great question, gali!

Thank you.

[TrishaAnn92]

I actually liked Cody. I kept getting flustered in the beginning when he wanted to give her to the Chief but from the start he was trying to do the right and honorable thing even if feel down it conflicted with what he knew was right.

[Momlovesbooks]

Cody was a well-developed character, but confusing at times. I would really start to like him, then he would do something beyond my understanding. I know, in his era, it would be the honorable thing to give her to the chief, but knowing how evil he was towards his women should have kept Cody from ever considering that option. I do feel he made a good match for Suzanne. She needed his gentle, loving nature to overcome her feelings of unworthiness.

[stoppoppingtheP]

I agree with many here. I appreciate the author's ability to create a complex situation - honor vs. love. However....I do not like the fact that Cody wanted to give Suzanne up to someone who will rape, torture, and potentially kill her. That doesn't make sense to me. If he ran away with her in the first place, then all the other stuff wouldn't have happened. Like gali said, though, I do believe he redeemed himself at the end, and it all worked out for the best.

Good writers make you feel. Even though Cody was ridiculous before and I did not like him for it towards the beginning, I think it takes a good writer to create these feelings for readers.

I have mixed feelings about how Cody treated Lame Bird. I think it was right that he didn't marry her since he didn't love her. That would be living a fake life. However, I didn't like that he was stringing her along either. He probably should've separated himself a little bit more, rather than have her do all the "womanly duties" while he did the "manly duties". It looked like they were already married.

Great question, gali!

İ agree that great writers are able to spin a story in such a way that it makes readers think and feel conflicting ideas.

[Lovely_Loreley]

Good writers make you feel. Even though Cody was ridiculous before and I did not like him for it towards the beginning, I think it takes a good writer to create these feelings for readers.

Excellent point! I would also argue that character flaws tend to be stronger or more solid than their virtues. Many authors that I read have this unfortunate habit of making their "good" characters look like saints and their "bad" characters have little or nothing in terms of a redeeming quality. The simple fact that Cody is well-developed enough for some to hate him, some to like him, and others to feel conflicted about him throughout the novel really shows the amount of thought that went into portraying him as a realistic character.

[V_bansal2912]

I think though Cody knew that the chief was wrong, he was not able to confront him, as he wanted to be accepted by his people all his life. Still, he helped with the slave woman and wanted to help Suzaane.

I just felt he was confused between what he thinks as right and what he feels is right.

[Anki_Real_Reviews]

I still wouldn't want to be stuck with Cody. Even if he loved me, I would always wonder if he would turn me over to someone who would abuse and kill me!

I agree with you 100%. I believe, love is the most honorable feeling. No honor of the world should make us do what Cody did to Suzanne. Trust is the key factor in love; if someone can throw me to a mean fellow for the sake of any honor, then I don't wish to be with that person.

[saturday+deviant]

I was never able to like Cody as a character. It didn't make sense that he would risk the wrath of his tribal leader to help a white woman that he had no connection to, but for Suzanne, whom he felt affection for, he decided he would offer her up. Then when he comes to his senses he dumps her at a brothel, where even under the "protection" of the owner she is within the presence of drunken men at all hours of the day.
I think that Cody's morals where centered on what best helped himself in each situation. Which is why he strung Lame Bird for so long even though he knew that he wouldn't marry her.

[bluemel4]

I felt like the Cody character came off a bit flat. He was so tied up in being a "half-breed" that he did not think much past it.

I am not sure I understand why Cody would even consider giving Suzanne to the chief. The tribe saw him as nothing but a white man in an Indian body. They didn't trust him. He didn't trust them. Why would he want to give them anything?

I think he absolutely led Lame Bird on. He should have told her about how he felt a long time ago instead of letting her take care of him and basically acting like he was his wife without the physical relationship.

I think Cody does turn into a complex character in the second half of the book and starts to make more sense. His guilt and constant struggle to fit in to somewhere make him more realistic.

[Kaitlyn12]

I actually liked Cody. Although he wanted to bring Suzanne to the chief at first, he had changed his mind and realized that she would surely be killed. I feel he thought if he brought the chief a white woman, he would be more accepting of Cody. He quickly realized that he had feelings for Suzanne and didn't want anything to happen to her. He risked his life time and time again to save her and her baby's.

[khudecek]

Thank you, Kaitlyn12. It was refreshing to see your comment.