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Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

Created: 04/12/14

Replies: 9

Posted Apr. 12, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

Did you find Ismay's motivations for stealing Tamerlane to be forgivable? How do you think she should pay for her crime? Why do you think Lambiase lets her off?


Posted Apr. 17, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bettyt

Join Date: 05/12/11

Posts: 228

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

I think Ismay paid already. After all, she knew that her husband was Maya's father yet she did not try to take over raising Maya. She could easily have done that just by saying that a woman should be raising the little girl. I'm sure she was always afraid she might get caught. I don't think punishing her further would have accomplished anything. After all, even in the condition the book was in, AJ still got enough for it to cover Maya's college costs. He did not have to choose between her college or his medical treatment. I love how Lambiase handled it all, for both Ismay and AJ.


Posted Apr. 17, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lindah

Join Date: 04/17/14

Posts: 90

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

I agree Ismay paid for her crime through her active involvement in Maya's life. Daniel had no interest in raising an unwanted child. A.J.'s adoption of Maya created the transformational magic that gave this marvelous book a fairytale, happy end quality. Ismay atoned for this almost accidental crime.


Posted Apr. 17, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Gin

Join Date: 10/21/12

Posts: 32

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

It's interesting to me that I thought Ismay's "crime" was looking the other way when she knew that her husband was responsible for getting a young woman pregnant and was refusing to acknowledge his responsibility to help in any way. Somehow, the fact that she stole the book seems minor. I think it is understandable that she felt helpless to do anything. I think she paid her penance everytime she saw Maya and she did try to take care of her from a distance.


Posted Apr. 17, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terriej

Join Date: 07/28/11

Posts: 422

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

Yes, it was forgivable. She suffered everyday internally for what she did.


Posted Apr. 18, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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Nae

Join Date: 07/17/12

Posts: 29

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

Well, if she had not taken the book then there would not have the funds available for the needed medical care so I think it just sort of balanced itself out. In the grand scheme of things, no she should not have stolen it, but it ended up being a good thing.


Posted Apr. 18, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
maggiep

Join Date: 03/28/14

Posts: 17

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

Ismay's biggest crime was to remain silent. She didn't really steal Tamerlane as much as just take it with her after cleaning up A.J. after one of his binges. Her intent was not to take the book, she just didn't put it back and grabbed it to keep it safe. They next day, when the island was all in an uproar looking for the pamphlet, she kept silent, just like she did when Maya was first found at the bookstore. She knew the child was her husband's but said nothing. Ismay's greatest crime was one of seeming indifference.


Posted Apr. 28, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rosemaryk

Join Date: 08/29/11

Posts: 61

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

I think Ismay's crime was totally forgiveable. As others have pointed out, she kept quiet about things that would have hurt others. Then she did step in and made a difference--she did not help create a miracle, which I appreciated--in AJ's life.

I loved the character of Ismay.


Posted Apr. 28, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
LeahLovesBooks

Join Date: 04/08/14

Posts: 69

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

How many of us have been Ismay at some point in our own lives?


Posted Jun. 22, 2014 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
llsmill

Join Date: 02/13/13

Posts: 38

RE: Was Ismay's crime forgiveable? How do you think she should pay for it?

I felt her crime was a forgivable crime. She was pregnant at the time and under the duress of wanting children, being married to a philanderer and having had many miscarriages and finally being pregnant. She kept quiet about things that she had done to keep other's alive and the way AJ drank and passed out he had no idea what happened to him. Also, she did not go to Maya's mother but Maya's mother kept coming to her home making scenes and accusations which Ismay kept quiet about. I think Ismay's knowledge about what she did and keeping quiet about it was punishment enough.


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