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I'm not saying that I personally pity him, but one could make the argument that Alex deserves some sympathy. He definitely loves his children, and if he could have gotten enough help with his alcoholism he might not have destroyed his relationships so thoroughly. I was willing Natty to save him when he fell into the river because I always tend to try to give people second chances, but I also understand why she couldn't respond in time and why it didn't grieve her very much after his death.

What do you think? Was Alex a total monster or did he deserve some pity?

I felt a lot of empathy for Alex and I can confidently say he is not a total monster. People can get lost but with second chances, they could do better. If Natty saved him that day, maybe he could have changed his ways but I would also not judge her response. It was a messed up situation...

The alcohol brought the worst out of him, but even when he was sober he wasn't a very good man. We read he tried to hit on Irma despite the fact that she was married, he liked starting fights, he never took good care of the farm and he was totalitarian in the way he wanted people to do what he said. I met some alcoholic men but never any that beat a child like he did. Despite this, I don't think he deserved to die and I wish he could have accepted help for his alcoholism.

Not for one second. He chose the bottle. It's a part of him. That's what happens when you crave escape: the bottle changes you. It becomes a part of you. Every decision you make now has the alcohol incorporated into it.

Let's be clear. Addictions can be overcome. But you really, really need to want it. If Alex truly wanted to, he could have changed his act. But the fact that he relies on booze for tragedies makes him a deadweight - to him, and the family around him. He's no use to anyone at that state. Choice, people. It's all about choice.

He was a slave to alcohol- in that sense I feel sorry for him. However, like Sefiros2211 said, it's all about choice.

In some way he can be pitied but on the other hand, life is full of choices and we all have the ability to make the proper choices for a better life.

Yes and no. Why? It's that statement of truth thing: "hurt people, hurt other people".

Not at all

I absolutely felt empathy for this character! Don't get me wrong, the way he abused Natalie and treated Joe was absolutely horrible. As I learned more about the character and his history, the more I grew to understand how he ended up the way he did. When he finally got his chance with Irma, he did so with the knowledge that he would always be the second choice. On top of that, he lost a child. I imagine this to be the worst pain someone could go through. Unfortunately, all of that grief can be too much for some, and poor Alex turned to the bottle. The alcohol pretty much destroyed what good he did have in him.

He can be forgiven for his alcoholism, but not for the violent treatment of his wife and step-children. Clearly, he loved his own, white, children, but he treated both step-children with disdain and anger. It's clear that this is a combination of the jealousy he felt for the children's father, but also a product of racial hatred as evidenced by the derogatory names he called them both. Yes, he became violent when drunk, but the emotional and verbal abuse where not triggered by drink. Alcohol is also no excuse for violence. It acts to dis-inhibit; it does not create a violent reaction that isn't already felt. Not every alcoholic beats their wife or children.

I have mixed feelings about Alex's death. I feel that Natalie should've saved him, but, at the same time, I am also happy that she unintentionally let him drown. He was a manipulative abuser, and it was truly his fault that he died because he tried to rush a frightened Libby over the bridge. If he hadn't tried to rush in his impatience, there is a good chance he wouldn't have fallen into the river.

I think people always have the potential to change, with God's help. No one's a lost cause if they're breathing. I can't speak about Alex specifically, I haven't read this book, but that's my real-life take on it.

I believe that if death is the only way to save innocent and good people from being hurt in any aspect: I guess one person's life was justifiable, especially if he does not believe in God.

I can't really say that I felt sorry for him. I agree if he had some help overcoming the dependence on alcohol, he could have been a better person. I don't have any tolerance for abusers of children though.

Alex does deserve some pity, but he also needs to realize that being a bully will not bring back his deceased son.