[Haley Reading groups Fall 2020]
The story is moving towards the end, getting more interesting also. By chapter twenty-three of American Spy, Wilkinson reveals how Marie and Thomas got intimate at the hotel room, thereby, Marie conceiving her twin sons. Meanwhile, Marie has come to Ghana to inform Thomas about Ross and Slater’s plot to kill him (Thomas). Shockingly, Thomas would rather die than give up on his political views.
“I’m not afraid of death, only if not having done enough of having failed out of laziness. I’m prepared to fight until the end against that,” he says (248).
Thomas’s reaction towards the plot of his own death is surprising.
What are your thoughts about Thomas’s reaction when Marie told him about Slater’s plot to kill him?
25 comments:
When Thomas is first informed that Ross and Slater are out to kill him, he seems very nonchalant about it. He reacts in a way that is careless, relaxed, and a manner that may seem unusual to many, considering the dangerous situation at hand. To me, this proves Thomas is both extremely firm in his beliefs and is in fear of no other man nor death in itself.
Thomas's reaction to the news about Slater's plot to kill him was very interesting. Marie seemed upset that Thomas did not care about what she had to say about Slater's plan to kill him. You would expect him to be concerned about his life, but instead he is more concerned about maintaining is political views.
I was surprised by Thomas's reaction because I think my feelings would be the complete opposite. However I do like how Thomas justifies his reasoning. Thomas is truly taking the idea to stand up for what one believes in to heart. In his eyes, it is more important to him to stand for his political views rather than hold on to a fear of dying. To Thomas, death is going to come one day or another. It will either be peaceful or violent. Thomas believes his political views are what will keep the nation in a good position, but if Slater comes in he'll get his way and become very wealthy. Thomas thinks this will harm the nation. Therefore, Thomas wants his political views to stay intact even if that means losing his life. Overall, I am surprised, but I understand why. It's surprising because Thomas is willing to die over political views and leave his loved ones. However, I understand that he is doing it to keep the nation in what he believes is the best shape possible.
I found Thomas' reaction to Marie's warning pretty compelling. We can really tell from his response that he cares about his work and political views since he is willing to die instead of giving up. That is something that we can apply in our own lives, honestly. No matter what Marie say to try to convince him, even mentioning his own kids, he still is dead set on standing up for himself.
My thoughts about Thomas’s reaction when Marie told him about Slater’s plot to kill him was that he is brave. Thomas would rather die than to give up what he firmly believes in. He is standing up for what he believes in and won’t let anyone, not even Slater, take that away from him. He states that he is not afraid of death and that to me is very interesting. For someone to not be afraid of death, then they have to be very strong and brave.
Thomas was very unsurprisingly calm about the whole ordeal. Throughout their first meeting it was extremely obvious that Thomas knew what he was doing in the political sphere and showed little concern for his well being but was most concerned with that of his country. Thomas acknowledged Marie and her concerns but was very clear in that his number one priority would be the safety and well being of his country and ensuring it won’t come to be American controlled.
I think that Thomas' reaction was definitely not one I would expect from anyone who finds out they are about to get killed. I think what made Thomas' reaction more frustrating to me was when Marie mentioned "You have children" and he let her walk away without saying anything first. It shows just how dedicated Thomas was to his work and political views. It just wasn't the reaction I'd expect from anyone so it was really frustrating because I probably would have reacted much differently.
-Tiffany E.
My jaw literally dropped. Throughout the book, you have been getting to understand the sense of Thomas' character and feel that you understand his approach to overly zealous views. However, to stand with your views in the face of death was so shocking to me. Even the mention of his future kids wasn't enough to get him to stand down. It was such an interesting scene for me.
When Thomas was informed about Slater's plan to kill him, his reaction was very interesting and out of the ordinary. He acted as if he did not care about the plan set in place to kill him. It was also very interesting that he was willing to die and leave his family for his political views.
While Thomas' reaction was not the same I would have had, to me it fits his character. To me, it shows how committed he is to his mission. He would rather die than give up on spreading his message. Throughout the time we've known him, he's been passionate about his politics, so it makes sense, in a way, that he would be so committed he wouldn't let his possible death get in the way of him spreading it.
I actually loved Thomas's reaction to Marie revealing Slater's plot to kill him. I believe that to be a true leader of your country, you have to stand firm in what you believe in, and Thomas definitely is not changing his political views for his own personal benefit. I admire his willingness to die for his country because he believes that his policies and beliefs are the best fit for his citizens; that is something that many politicians would not even think about doing.
Although it is unfortunate that he would be taken away from his children, perhaps he believes his job as the president is to protect his country at all costs, even if that means leaving your loved ones behind.
-Kiya R.
Thomas's reaction to Slater's plan to kill him showed a lot of his character and who he was as a person. He would rather stand his ground and not change his political views and is willing to die. He is a good leader and he knows what is best, which is not something you find in a lot of political leaders today
I found it weird how calm he was when told about his plotted death. I would have expected him to be more worried and concerned about his life, but he cared more about his political views. I think that this upset Marie, as it would I. I mean--he is the father of her twins.
Kylie Jackson
Thomas' reaction was not expected which made it more interesting. Most people would not have reacted in the nonchalant way that he did. To me, this shows that he values and is willing to take a stand for.
I thought Thomas' reaction to Marie's warning was pretty Astounding. It really showed through his attitude and response that he cares about his job and life since he’d rather die than fail and give up. I honestly think this is a concept that we could follow after ourselves. Thomas is very head strong and i think it’s good because he doesn’t let anyone bring him down.
Ashanti Young 11/14/20
I thought that Thomas' reaction was shocking! While his reaction made Marie very upset, in a way it was kind of inspiring, Thomas would rather die than give up his own beliefs this shows what kind of person he is.
My thoughts as far as Thomas' reaction consisted of confusion and shock. The fact that Thomas was so nonchalant and unconcerned with what Marie was telling him at first had baffled me. Being told someone is set on trying to kill you should be something that disturbs the average person, not that Thomas is average, but nonetheless I reacted far more than he did.
Kendall Fry
My thoughts as far as Thomas' reaction consisted of confusion and shock. The fact that Thomas was so nonchalant and unconcerned with what Marie was telling him at first had baffled me. Being told someone is set on trying to kill you should be something that disturbs the average person, not that Thomas is average, but nonetheless I reacted far more than he did.
Kendall Fry
So far what stood out to me the most was when Marie informed Thomas that there was a plan to kill him. This was a very interesting and stood out to me because of his reaction as well as the fact that she told him. This was some news that I expected him to react to differently than he did.
I thought that Thomas' reaction to Marie's warning was very brave and honorable but I definitely wouldn't have the same reaction if I had known that a plot had been made to kill me. His willingness to die for what he believes in is honorable and I'm not that surprised to see that he would rather die than drop out and let democracy into his country.
My thoughts as far as Thomas' reaction consisted of confusion and shock. The fact that Thomas was so nonchalant and unconcerned with what Marie was telling him at first had baffled me. Being told someone is set on trying to kill you should be something that disturbs the average person, not that Thomas is average, but nonetheless I reacted far more than he did.
Kendall Fry 11/16/20
Although I was surprised initially, I found his view on it both understandable and admirable. Very few people would put their lives on the line for things they believe in, and it shows how strongly he believes in himself and his stance. I respect that he was blunt about his view even when faced with death, in a way.
The fact that Thomas would rather keep a good image for his politics side rather than actually care about his own lie is so striking and Marie is aware of that. Slater and Ross are on a mission to wipe him out and he does not want to acknowledge it. It is insane! If I were to be in his position I would panic. -Kailey Blanton
I was actually really pleased about the fact that Thomas was nonchalant about the plan of his own death. He stood by his beliefs even though he knew that they would be his demise. Most people would react in some sort of anxiety, or pleads to be spared or immediately leave. Having core beliefs makes a person and their identity so to stand by that even in death was very commendable.
C.P
When it is revealed to Thomas that he might be killed, he doesn't seem pressed or worried in the slightest. Marie writes it off to being tired, sort of throwing in the towel. I think she's right, seeing how exhausted he is in the chapters show he may have had this idea in mind for quite some time. He even mentioned that he had a bit of an idea of that outcome, and he seems to accept it as is.
Grace Briggs, 12/21/20
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