S
starlady88
Guest
The other day, my husband and I decided we were going to watch a movie. I chose “The Zookeeper’s Wife” because we had wanted to see it when it was in the theater but didn’t, and I had read the book many years ago and liked it.
[SPOILER - not major plot point, but analysis of character’s choice]
We finished the movie and both liked it, although I think I more than him. There was a moment in the movie where one of the characters goes to a Nazi officer (who had previously been trying to make a move on her) and, desperate for information about where her husband had been taken, offers her body in return for that information. He attacks her, but ultimately does not “take” her when he sees that she does not want him.
My husband was frustrated with the woman, asking why she would go so far as to do something so terrible. I tried to say that in times of desperation, people sometimes feel that they have to do things they normally wouldn’t do, break laws, even. His point of view was that even in the worst of times, someone with strong faith in God would not do things like that. My husband has been through some very difficult times and did not waver, so I could see where he was coming from. My husband has incredible faith and trust in God. I tend to look at people with empathy and compassion, so my reaction to her actions was not so severe.
When we were discussing it, my husband launched into a lengthy discourse about people like Joshua and the Virgin Mary, who didn’t give up even in desperate times. When he finished talking, I tried to say that even St. Peter denied the Lord in his desperation. However, my husband did not understand me and thought instead that I was trying to give excuses for the character’s behavior. I did not, at any time, say that she made the right decision or say it was ok.
I think my husband was right - strong faith in God can get someone through even the hardest of times. But not every person has rock solid faith, for any number of reasons, and I felt that desperation can mitigate some culpability. For example, if a family in a war-torn place (much like WWII Warsaw) had nothing to eat, perhaps the parents may feel they have no choice but to steal. It’s still a sin, no one is denying that, but I would think some culpability could be lessened due to extreme circumstances.
Am I correct in my thinking?
And if not, how am I, as a Catholic, supposed to look at a situation like this?
(I still didn’t want my husband’s takeaway from the movie to be that the woman who helped save 300 Jews was a terrible person. It has been a loooong time since I read the book version of The Zookeeper’s Wife, and I later read that in fact the movie version of the relationship between these two particular characters was exaggerated…you know, movie drama. So in real life, those things likely did not actually happen, at least not to such an extent.)
[SPOILER - not major plot point, but analysis of character’s choice]
We finished the movie and both liked it, although I think I more than him. There was a moment in the movie where one of the characters goes to a Nazi officer (who had previously been trying to make a move on her) and, desperate for information about where her husband had been taken, offers her body in return for that information. He attacks her, but ultimately does not “take” her when he sees that she does not want him.
My husband was frustrated with the woman, asking why she would go so far as to do something so terrible. I tried to say that in times of desperation, people sometimes feel that they have to do things they normally wouldn’t do, break laws, even. His point of view was that even in the worst of times, someone with strong faith in God would not do things like that. My husband has been through some very difficult times and did not waver, so I could see where he was coming from. My husband has incredible faith and trust in God. I tend to look at people with empathy and compassion, so my reaction to her actions was not so severe.
When we were discussing it, my husband launched into a lengthy discourse about people like Joshua and the Virgin Mary, who didn’t give up even in desperate times. When he finished talking, I tried to say that even St. Peter denied the Lord in his desperation. However, my husband did not understand me and thought instead that I was trying to give excuses for the character’s behavior. I did not, at any time, say that she made the right decision or say it was ok.
I think my husband was right - strong faith in God can get someone through even the hardest of times. But not every person has rock solid faith, for any number of reasons, and I felt that desperation can mitigate some culpability. For example, if a family in a war-torn place (much like WWII Warsaw) had nothing to eat, perhaps the parents may feel they have no choice but to steal. It’s still a sin, no one is denying that, but I would think some culpability could be lessened due to extreme circumstances.
Am I correct in my thinking?
And if not, how am I, as a Catholic, supposed to look at a situation like this?
(I still didn’t want my husband’s takeaway from the movie to be that the woman who helped save 300 Jews was a terrible person. It has been a loooong time since I read the book version of The Zookeeper’s Wife, and I later read that in fact the movie version of the relationship between these two particular characters was exaggerated…you know, movie drama. So in real life, those things likely did not actually happen, at least not to such an extent.)