Keeping Secrets

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

Spoiler Alert!!!

This week, I read The Pact by Jodi Picoult. It really made me think about how much two people who really care for each other will sacrifice for their counterpart. 

In The Pact, Chris and Emily have been best friends since before birth. They even had something the psychiatrist said happened when they had been together so long that their souls combined. If one hurt, the other hurt. So when Emily told Chris that she was going to commit suicide, Chris was devastated. He obviously didn't want her to, but he knew that she would be in worse pain if she didn't. 

Chris and Emily were always together. They made small sacrifices everyday. For example, when Emily ratted out Chris so she wouldn't get in trouble, she went on a ski hill she didn't want to go on for him and ended up breaking her leg, but she didn't care. she had apologized, and that was all that mattered. 

As Emily held the gun to her head, she asked Chris to shoot her. This must've killed him inside, and he will probably never forget that he agreed to kill his best friend, even if she possibly pulled the trigger herself. But he knew that she would die of hurt and pain inside her head, so he sacrificed his conscience to help her.

I think that Chris did what was right for Emily. Even if it didn't seem like that, she would've been hurting so badly and eventually killed herself anyway. Both of them would have been living in agony until she mustered up the courage to kill herself. I know that I couldn't have done what Chris did, and I admire him for that. Strong people sacrifice themselves for those they love, no matter what the cost. Chris ended up giving two lives, his and Emily's. 

What would you have done? Do you think what he did was right?

Making Sacrifices

The Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Spoiler Alert!

I recently read 'The Plain Truth' by Jodi Picoult. It's about a lawyer who was given a job on an Amish farm- defending an 18 year old girl. Katie, the girl, is accused of murdering her child right after it is born. Ellie, the lawyer, has to live on the Amish farm until after the trial. At first, she is mad and annoyed by the lack of electricity and other people, but gradually she makes friends with the family.

Many sacrifices had to be made in order to let Katie get out of having to go to jail. First, her father, and the Amish community, have to agree to let a lawyer into their town and let her use her phone and computer. Her father is obviously mad, but he probably gave in because even though he was furious with his daughter, he loved her. This is the first sacrifice.

The second came from Katie, her mom, and her brother, Jacob, who had been disowned by his father for studying. Katie was sent by her mother to see Jacob in college for 6 years after he was disowned and temporarily banned from the community. When he came to see his sister and be questioned, all three of them had to reveal their secret to their father/ husband, who was horrified, disappointed, and mad. This takes courage.

One last sacrifice made was by Sarah, the mother, and Ellie. As Ellie was leaving, Sarah gave her the shears that had been used to cut Katie's umbilical chord and had gone missing. This revealed to Ellie that Sarah had killed her granddaughter for her daughter's sake. Ellie chose not to tell anyone and keep Sarah's secret safe. I think that this shows a lot about who Ellie is.

The whole family made sacrifices for Katie, and it payed off in the end. They all obviously love her, and I admire that. For example, I couldn't have done what Sarah did in the end. So I admire their strengths. It all worked out in the end.