This story shows the relationships of three people which is Esther, Laurence and Father Paul. Esther fell in love with Laurence which is disturbed by Father Paul. Father Paul opposes Esther and Laurence's marriage because of racism. Esther is shocked by the conversation between Father Paul and Laurence discriminating her because of her skin color and commits murder, killing Laurence.
In my opinion, I understand why Esther killed Laurence. Esther had a sense of betrayal to the two people who she had most loved. To Esther, Father Paul was her white father, her life-long friend, who loved and cared for her happiness but turned out to be a racist. Also, Laurence was Esther's only and real support to her life away from home but also made her disappointed by complying to Father Paul. By hearing and getting to know about their real thoughts, Esther would have wanted revenge feeling hatred against Laurence and Father Paul. Nevertheless, in my point of view she still loved and wanted to marry Laurence. Hence, she decided to kill Laurence so that nobody else could love or marry him ever and at the same time cause pain to Father Paul of the loss of his nephew.
Although I understand why Esther killed Laurence, I cannot accept her murder. I believe that there was a better way than killing Laurence. I admit that racist is a bad thing and a thought that must be changed. Thus, Father Paul's prejudice on skin color is a poor opinion but in my view, his thoughts could have been changed by Esther. Though Father Paul disagreed to Laurence and Esther's wedding because Esther was an Indian, he truly was fond of her and loved her. So in my perspectives, if she had proved and explained to him that Indian's are not noncivilized as he thinks and are same as white as in they are all people, he might have changed his thoughts. It might take a lot of time, but as a result she might have married Laurence. Nevertheless, instead she killed Laurence which would have only intensified Father Paul's prejudice on races and losing her love at the same time.
In conclusion, I understand her intentions in murdering Laurence but I believe that in cannot be justified.
Hi! This is Hayeon Jin!! I appreciate your point that Esther could have tried her best to change Father Paul's negative thoughts about pagan Indians. It was too hasty to kill her lover, Laurence.
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