Thoughts on Eugene

[Hana]

Was he a good or terrible person? Does his generosity justify his actions toward his wife and children? Do you think his end was justified?

[Elen]

He was both a horrible and fantastic person at the same time. Which made the novel so compelling. He honestly meant well. I would even say loved his family. Yet the end result was destructive.

[Geek]

he was a man who wanted to do good things but used horrific methods, at times, to get them. he was too fixated on superficiality but his back story explained that he was raised by priests equally as fixated on appearances so we understand why he behaves as he does.

it is abundantly clear that he loved his children a great deal and believed he was doing what was best for them but i don't know if he loved his wife. i also wonder if he loved himself very much. he doesn't seem to love his extended family. i actually think he is the most interesting character of the book and wish we knew more about his actual thoughts at times but it is perhaps because of this uncertainty that i find him so interesting.

[Pooja]

I would say that Eugene is a kind person who cares a lot about about his family. However, he was swept off his feet with a religion he believed that would possibly give him his escape into something that is has more order and structure, which I think he wants in life.

The 'idol' worship that his father and his community followed probably did not give him much freedom on what he wanted out of life and what he was seeking for. By converting to Catholicism, he was given what he wanted and what he believed was superior and better than what he followed previously. And, I believe that he feared losing what he has now through religion, which led him to behave the way he does in the book - a strict fundamentalist, scorning upon other religions and especially the way his sister practices Catholicism, which he does not agree with and divides them both. Further, he has also achieved a certain level of economic status in society, & would like to believe that Eugene reasons that it is because of his conversion and faith in Jesus that led him to have a sound economic status. He doesn't share it with his family, i.e. - his father, who is weak due to his age and his Sister, as he may believe that it may affect his future prosperity. It would seem that he did not his future or his family to be tainted with something he chooses not to believe in or agree with vehemently.

Overall, what I see and believe is that Eugene is motivated by fear to do what he does and no matter how much generosity that he shows his family, his family may never forgive him for the suffocation that they felt under his strict control of family life, religious life and even their social life. I would like to say that the ending is justified from the wife's point of view, as it can be clearly seen from the second half of the novel, where it is seen that Eugene has physically assaulted her. However, from the point of view from the children, especially Kambili, it doesn't seem to justified. Kambili, even though she knew what was happening, felt that she was being robbed of her future with her father as she might felt protected under the physical, verbal and mental abuse she and family faced. Eugene's actions affected his family and his death seems justified to end the cycle of violence.

Further, after their 'release' from the strict control of their father, Kambili is seen to have matured and grown, which was previously stunted through a strict control. For me, personally, I would say that the ending is justified and it can be seen that the family is slowly healing from what was done and moving on to the future, including Jaja and Beatrice.

This is what I believe and I hope I made some sense from what I have written.

[Daiya]

although Eugene was seen as a positive figure through out his community, i feel that his actions were phased because of the fact he was extremely religious ( which also had a psychological affect on his family )