2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Dan Gillman comes on to Sophia pretty strong, even after she kept telling him no. Was he out of line or was she sending him mixed signals? Was there anything meaningful about her later having to save him when the floor caved in that smokehouse?

Dan was out of line, and I don't think that Sophia sent him any explicit signals. He is lucky she didn't let him drown. She never would have done that, but Dan behaved like a jerk,

Yes, Dan was out of line. I don't think Sophia was sending him mixed signals. He reminded me of a drunk that won't go away and thinks that if he keeps talking, he'll get his way.

Dan was definitely being exceedingly pushy. Sophia clearly indicated that she wasn't interested and I am actually not happy that she agreed to go out with him in the end. This sends the wrong message that women are fickle and will eventually agree if you try hard enough, i.e., stalk them.

Dan was a jerk and Sophia did nothing to encourage all that unwanted harassment. She said “no” about ten times. Her giving in was the wrong thing to do but I like that Brockmann had her do it as its what women during that era used to do. It’s why men at that time didn’t always accept “no” as an answer.

It gave me a clue as to why Izzy doesn’t like him. Sophia having to save his butt was ironic. Here he was touting how perfect he was and she had bail him out.

I have mixed feelings about Dan. He was pushy at first, but in the end, he asked one more time, and she accepted his dinner date. I wonder why Sophia did accept his offer. I hope it means that she is going to give up on Decker, but I want her to pick Dave. He really loves her.

It reminded me of the Lawyer in Disclosure. Michael Douglas' character asked her about her marriage. Paraphrasing: She said her husband wouldn't take no for an answer. He kept coming back to ask her out until she gave in. Today I would sue him for his actions. That was Dan. He wouldn't give up.

This was written in 2006 (I believe) when we knew less about this tactic and the pressure it put on women to give in. That’s how it felt this second time around, like unwanted persistence that the only way to make it stop was to relent.

Just a sign of those times. Don’t miss them.

I didn't feel like Dan was putting that kind of pressure on Sophia. Dan is a SEAL and they are bred to be persistent creatures. I think Sophia decided that since her secret is out that it was time to move on so she accepted the dinner invitation from Dan.

She said “no” at least five times.

I hear what you are saying, but I didn't get the "out of line" vibe from him. He was persistent, true. He wanted Sophia to take a chance with a dinner, nothing more. Although I do get why some of you are put off by him.

For me, Dan was out of line.
Sophia said no several times and he should have respected her boundaries.
The message being sent here is not a good one, i.e., that a woman can be forced into changing her mind and doing something that she does not want to do by a man who won't give up. Dan's constant requests despite her refusals is harassment.

That’s the message I heard. I’m not articulating it well but I felt harassed on Sophia’s behalf and it made me resent Dan.