What do you think is more important to Penn -- protecting those he loves, or seeing that justice is done? Do you agree with his choices?

What do you think is more important to Penn -- protecting those he loves, or seeing that justice is done? Do you agree with his choices?

As a lawyer, Penn feels that justice is important to the community and greater society. As a father, son, brother, and fiance, Penn feels that his family comes first. I think that NATCHEZ BURNING (and THE BONE TREE) show Penn's constant struggle with protecting his family versus seeing that justice is done. I can't agree or disagree with his choices. It's easy to sit on the sidelines and guess at what I will or will not do in any given situation, but it is impossible to truly know what any person will do until their back is against the wall. Is my family important? Yes, but I hope that if a family member commits a crime that I'm strong enough to see that they receive the necessary punishment as determined by our judicial system. I also know that justice isn't blind and that our current legal system and society presume guilt not innocence with an arrest (if you're arrested you must have done something wrong), so I'd also hope that I'd be able to get the best defense possible to ensure that said family member receives a fair trial.

I am not sure Penn knows the answer to that question and I surely don't. I would not want to be in his shoes. I did not agree with all of his choices but understood them and do not feel like judging him is important. As we all know and have seen their are a lot people who make bad choices for good reasons and I can accept that.

I believe Penn thought he was acting for justice, but that ultimately his choices were governed by family love. That's rather typical, I think.

I think Penn has to walk a fine line between protecting loved ones and seeing that justice is done. We all deal with this at one time or another in our lives. I was working for an organization at one time and some of their actions did not match my values. I finally got a point where I made the choice to seek other employment. This was not an easy decision. Penn was surely going back and forth on his decisions throughout the book.

This is the question that Penn struggled with from the beginning and I think he went back and forth with it as the scenario changed.

Penn seems to want to bring people to justice but not at the cost of his family. He wants to do the right thing, but he is too conflicted to always do so.

I believe Penn as most of us struggle with balancing the desire to protect loved ones and ensuring justice occurs. Seeking justice is easier when it doesn't touch too close to home.

I thought this was one of the main points in the book. The conflict between protecting family and wanting to do what is right and just. I, also, would want to see that justice prevailed, but when it comes to family, they are the most important thing in your life, so how do you make that decision? I'm not sure I would make the right one.

I just finished this book. It's more important to Penn to protect his family and fiance. And I agree.

I think that is the point of the book, and for Penn that is the very difficult choice. He is very conflicted but in the end I think he chooses family and protecting them. He has his own form of justice and I agree with him.

I think Penn has a strong belief in justice. This is the first time he has had to look inside himself and see what would be more important, justice or family. Until his father refuses to answer his questions, he was so sure he was innocent. Now he must look at the reality that something is going on with his father. Penn must now do whatever he can to keep his father out of jail

I think Penn struggles with this throughout the book. In the beginning he is mainly concerned with justice being done but then towards the end it seems as though he changes and believes that protecting his family is the most important thing. Even when Caitlin challenges him on this he defends his actions to try to get his father safely back. Because of this I think Penn becomes a very believable character as who among us can say that when faced with similar choices we would not change our minds?

Penn constantly struggles with this issue, and it's hard to predict how he will decide in each particular case. He aims to balance the two - or at least to achieve justice at no cost to his family - but is not always successful. His decisions are generally thoughtful, though, so it is hard to question his ultimate conclusions. .

Penn really believes that he is all about justice, but when it comes right down to it, he will do anything to protect his family. And I think I would do the same.

At the moment - protecting his family is paramount to Penn. Justice is second only due to the intimate circumstances.

I can't disagree or agree with Penn's choices, luckily I'm not in his predicament (thank goodness). I do believe he is doing what he feels is best under the circumstances. I believe he second guesses his choices but proceeds knowing it's his best options for all concerned.

Penn's dilemma is that both are equally important to him, and that is his major conflict. He is wearing two hats--the hat of one who seeks justice and the hat of one who is a loyal family member. Because of his strong character and convictions, I feel that he will make the best decisions based on the facts as he knows them. It is difficult to evaluate the choices one makes without having faced the same circumstances.

It is a struggle that I would not care to decide and hope I never have to do so. Perhaps we'll find out in the second book. Viviant says this better than I can.

I think Penn wants to protect his family more than getting justice. He put himself and his loved ones in harms way to do this because he was too trusting (again the Southern way).

I think both are important but ultimately his family comes first

Like others I think this was the major conflict. As he learned more he'd went back and forth. I think his lev for his mother and daughter really colors his decisions.