- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 month ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Is it a flaw in Gamache that he has a desire to help people, and that he’s too compassionate? What other flaws does he have and how do these flaws affect him?
-
I think we can all agree we need more Gamaches in the world right now. Within the parameters of Still Life, I don’t think Gamache is too compassionate. He attempts to help Agent Nichol, to be a mentor and teacher. But when she steps over the line one too many times he takes the steps necessary to protect the investigation. When he refuses to arrest Matthew Croft he is trying to help the father, who he sees as making a noble sacrifice but ultimately is also impeding the investigation. This particular decision I think points out one of Gamache’s potential flaws. He has an obstinate almost righteous quality, one that puts him at odds with authority. His refusal to arrest Matthew Croft gets him suspended by Brebeuf. Whereas Agent Nichol’s insubordination is because she is self-serving, Gamache’s insubordination is driven by his deep need to adhere to his principals, values, and morals. He puts this sense of duty above even the Surete’s authority. The Arnot case is only hinted at in Still Life, but Gamache’s independent thinking costs him. We could argue as to whether this is a flaw, but it does cost him professionally (and later on, in more serious, personal ways.)
-
I don’t think it’s ever really a flaw to want to help people, or have too much compassion. It’s what you do with those impulses, and whether you use them judiciously or not that matters. As Tara says, Gamache had compassion and wanted to help Nichol, but he also limited his impulse to what served the greater good. Had there been more time and opportunity, he might have continued to try to help her develop, but he made a prompt and proper decision that at this point, it was not in the best interest of the case to do so.
In the case of Matthew Croft, I don’t think he was wrong to stick to his guns. If he hadn’t done so, and gone along with the order to arrest him, he would have knowingly gone against what he thought was right, and would have had to live with the consequences of possibly ruining an innocent man’s life. He knew it was against the letter of his training, but he weighed the consequences and was at peace with what it would mean for him, letting his conscience be his guide. I don’t see that as a flaw so much as a trait that will often lead to conflict, for better or for worse. He’s the one who will suffer for his choices, and will have to live with the results and set his own limits. I admire his compassion and desire to help, and I think that it’s brave of him to be strong enough to follow his convictions in these decisions, but also use his intelligence to know when enough is enough. -
Like Susan and Tara I don’t see Gamache’s compassion as a flaw. I guess compassion in the real world could be considered a flaw if it is self-harming in some way, or is taken too far. I’ve read about people with Savior complexs who genuinely want to help people but because of their limited knowledge or beliefs, they end up putting others (and sometimes themselves) in harms way. There’s a delusion that factors into their compassion. But Gamache does not have this. Compassion is part of charity, in the sense of having empathy for others, wanting to help others. So I don’t really categorize it as a flaw (unless, as I mention above, it somehow harms people). It’s not that I think Gamache is without his flaws, but I don’t think they’re really revealed in this book.
-
Well, Jean-Guy certainly considers Gamache’s desire to help Nichol and other young agents a flaw and that despite the fact that is how Jean-Guy came to be part of the Surete homicide team although we don’t know as many details here. I think it is fair to say, it could be. There are situations in which either unwillingness or inability to follow orders and function within a team is downright dangerous. here is a risk involved. I think we see that Gamache is actually quite purposeful and deliberative and, as Tara notes, he removes Agent Nichol when she refuses to accept his direction. So, not a flaw by my definition.
If there is a shortcoming in the Gamache we meet in “Still LIfe,”, I think it is in underestimating the political climate and intrigue in the Surete leadership and in trusting Brebeuf. I am not sure what I think he should do differently though.
-
No, I don’t think that it is a flaw in Gamache. I think it is a strength and in his case a sign of his individuality and authenticity. And all of that is good but it can get you in trouble sometimes: so, as said above, it depends on how you exercise it. There is some arrogance in Gamache and I don’t think his compassion mitigate that, but he is human like the rest of us. In this world it takes courage to dance to the beat of your own drum so to speak…. and I think Gamace should be applauded for that!
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.