why is it starting here and not them meeting??
that still doesn't answer the question at all? People have more reasons for making decisions than the fact they can...they could also have made any other decision, yet they made this one, my question is why they made that decision specifically as opposed to all other options. What was appealing about that decision for their narrative goals?
My morals are fucked up to shits cause of my overabundance of empathy, so the ending made me cry. I didn't want Alex to die but fuck man you could've at least not forced him to die miserable as shit. I agree with the doctor tbh, I don't think it'd be impossible to rehabilitate him. Honestly, that's how I feel about pretty much all bad people but with him especially.
I mean cool I guess, I'm not here to argue but if you're open to discussion....
There's no point trying to save someone who cannot be saved and will just end up harming innocent people. Sympathy and empathy is important but there should be a line drawn. There are many people who come out of terrible conditions, it's definitely society who failed them. If they end up twisted, rehabilitation is important but till what point? Do you keep sympathising as them lashing out hurts other innocent people? Do those people not deserve more of our sympathy? They're not side characters placed conveniently for the main character to go berserk but irl no one's a main character so who do you sumpathize with?
The murderer's backstory doesn't attempt to appeal to the reader's sympathy, just provides background. He's not a delusional fool, he plans out his murders meticulously and avoids getting caught. Yes his philosophy comes from a delusional place but he knows what he is doing very well and uses his words to sway people and make them feel for him. Like the reporter commented, he's a novelist and it shows. The doctor's excessive empathy ends up killing him. The reporter is a twisted guy and super morally ambiguous but he always takes care not to be on the wrong side of things. He survives cuz he plays by the rules. When he delivers the finishing blow he says it like it is: however you try to justify your actions, the truth is you chose to do it cuz you wanted to kill people. This story definitely runs in parallels in this regard: two twisted guys and the choices they make. I think the ending made a lot of sense because of that.
This got too long but oh well.
I don't want to have a discussion because I know it will just stress me out really badly. All I will say so you understand my worldview better is that my core moral beliefs are that everyone no matter what, absolutely no exceptions, deserves to be rehabilitated, and if they can't be, well too bad but at least we tried and didn't end up becoming the bad guy ourselves by "punishing" them in the way we see fit as if we're god. (I don't believe in god but you know what I mean, choosing punishment urself and even choosing murder is like 'playing god' as they say)
I'd heard about knotting before but I'd misinterpreted its meaning clearly...I think I like it now