Ok so I read a little bit ahead so just be warned there may be some extra details that I'm about to spoil.
So Virgil seems to think, or at least consider the possibility, that Thomas was an abusive husband and Alice ran away to get away from him. The evidence so far pointing to this is:
-She allegedly told someone she was afraid of him the night she disappeared (although this came from Gideon so more on this later)
-He was super angry and thought she had stolen his notes because they made her research seem likes kid's stuff (so there was some weird jealousy anger issues in their relationship)
-Thomas was mentally unstable before the incident and was on numerous medications and his psychotic break afterward shows he was not in a good place mentally (although the medications were anti depressants which don't usually give the user a tendency towards violence as far as i know)
Heres the evidence saying he didn't abuse her:
-All of Jenna's flashbacks of her parents relationship involve them bickering but her father is more loving in these flashbacks and is never described as violent in any way toward her mother
-He evidently still loves and admires her, as shown when he thinks Jenna is her mother when she visits
-The Alice-told flashback of how they met was super cute and I know that that doesn't mean he didn't end up being abusive but I really want him to be a good person or else I'm never trusting a man ever again in my life
Something thats only been kind of hinted at on the other hand, is that Alice cheated on Thomas. Heres why I think its true
-When Jenna is having that dream/memory of playing hide &seek and then her dad and mom kissing she says at the end that she remembers her mom being in it so the man must be her dad except sometimes when she pictures it, it isn't (thats super sus, i dont think an author would just stick that in there for no reason)
-Remember that Gideon guy that was formerly working at the sanctuary? well evidently he and alice were pretty buddy-buddy because his wife was dead and he was the only one alice told her fears and issues with her husband too. at least thats what he said. but even if he made that up, still points to the fact that there could be something between them. also thomas made some passive aggressive comment when Gideon asked where she was like "isn't she with you" or "i assumed she was with you" like wow jealous much and Gideon is like no im so worried but you could tell in his head he was thinking "@ me next time I would make a better husband for alice anyway you crazy little skinny dude" anyway thats what I would be thinking
-One of Alice's flashbacks was of her mother protesting that it isn't biologically normal for any animal in the world to be monogamous while her dad was like but what about swans and what about us you are the best i love you even though you don't think being with me is natural (sounds like her mom is one of those animals am i right ladies??)
What do you guys think? Was Thomas abusive and thats why Alice ran off? Did she cheat on him because of their marriage issues or did their marriage issues come from cheating? Or did she cheat at all?
I kind of thought that their relationship seemed ~weird~ from the beginning. The only thing they had in common was elephants, kind of. They didn't seem to agree on much, and Alice hated him when they first met, until she realized they agreed about the science of elephants and stuff. I think the author probably wants us to not like Alice as much idk. Like in all the flashbacks she doesn't seem very nice or motherly. And Jenna's memory where she's sitting in someone's warm lap she says its the softest place in the world. But its not her mothers lap. Maybe it's the caretaker lady that died? Idk. I just think that Alice isn't a very good character.
ReplyDeleteI think Alice totally cheated. The evidence you have for her cheating is more solid. I think Thomas did have a problem, but adultery wasn't it. A post is coming abt him.
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