2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

In the end, Cordie expresses sympathy for her mother. Why? Would you be so generous?

I might be able to pity her, but I think sympathy would be beyond my capacity.

Simone was young and immature. She really wasn't ready for a husband and baby. But she never really matured and that is a pity. A mature Samone would have owned up to what happened instead of being so vindictive. I would not have been so generous.

I don't forgive her at all. Even though Simone was young and immature, that doesn't forgive her for not owning the pain she caused her daughter.

You can always honor your mother for giving birth to you. That doesn't necessarily extend to sympathy or forgiveness, at least not in the case of Simone.

In my opinion, being young and immature had nothing to do with Simone's attitude. She is and was always a selfish, cold-hearted b*tch with an overstated sense of entitlement and arrogance. She's always concerned with one person...herself. We could get into nurture vs. nature, but in this case, I believe she was born with the genes to become what she is. As far as Cordie being sympathetic towards her - Cordie is a mature, well-adjusted human being who's found real love and knows the value of it. She understands what her mother missed out on (by her own choice for the most part) and feels sympathetic towards her. Simone believes happiness comes from material things that glitter. Cordie knows it comes from within.