Is Garry a good person?

[ROSEY-ANN]

For me, being good is a day-to-day decision. You have to decide every day that what you will do today will be good not only to yourself but also to other people. Our reaction to a certain event may differ to the next person because of different factors and how we process it. Garry in all the worldlines has subtle differences thus his reaction to Michelle is also different. We cannot say that because one Garry is bad, all the rest is bad.

I agree, the decisions we make impact persons. We all deal with information in different ways. It is likely our decisions today can impact someone's life forever as Garry's decisions did. It is important to consider our decisions. Garry made a decision that negatively impacted so many persons even though unintended.

[EternalD]

We all fantasize about horrid things at some point but what actually separates the good and the bad is that the good only end at fantasizing. So if Garry only fantasizes but doesn't commit unruly behavior, he is a good person.

We all fantasize about horrid things at some point but what actually separates the good and the bad is that the good only end at fantasizing. So if Garry only fantasizes but doesn't commit unruly behavior, he is a good person.

I couldn't agree more. I'm not entirely sure he's a good person, though. The fact that he feels remorse makes me believe that he is a good person at heart.

[Judy_Jemutai7]

On whether Garry from the Black Line isn't a good person because he fantasized about killing Michelle, we have to reflect on our own thoughts in real life. It is no lie that at least once, we have thought the worst intentions against persons who have wronged us. At times, it is hard to let go and let karma or God avenge you and you think of doing the worst to them but the thought of killing someone alone, does not kill the person. It is upon the thinker to cancel their thoughts and not act on it. As long as you do not act on such thoughts, you aren't necessarily a bad person.

[zainherb]

The Gary of the black line was the one who fantasized about killing Michelle. But there were other Garys who didn't.

So, when you ask if Gary is a bad person, which Gary are you referring to?

This is my issue with this multiple worlds theory.

[lavkathleen]

The line between "killing" and "punishing" is kind of blurry here, considering the gravity of the situation aka how ruined his life got after everything. I saw someone say that blackline!Gary was the author's way of showing the dark side of people and I agreed. So they could essentially be the same person, but that doesn't mean that Gary is a bad person in general.

[lavkathleen]

We all fantasize about horrid things at some point but what actually separates the good and the bad is that the good only end at fantasizing. So if Garry only fantasizes but doesn't commit unruly behavior, he is a good person.

I feel like to putting it that way is... kind of dangerous. We have to consider intentions and reasons for the fantasies, too. At this point, to say that blackline!Gary simply fantasized is to ignore the underlying struggles that he was experiencing. He needed help to heal from the trauma and learn where to direct his anger, sadness, and frustrations. It's not okay to tell people that it's okay to fantasize about these kinds of things, especially not without good reason.

[lavkathleen]

I think it is offputting, I'm speaking as a reader. In life though, I believe a lot of variables take part in this. Killing is never a characteristic of the good, and righteous people never consider killing. It requires a high level of hatred and rage. But humans are weak and emotional and I think that's what the author went with when he described the fantasies about killing.

I think you just accidentally said that there is no good person. With the rest, though, I agree. With different possible outcomes comes with different sides of the person, and so of course the author had to show this too. We all had these kinds of thoughts but I think we're just bothered right now because we read what could possibly happen, word for word. This is a very neat way of explaining, by the way, it's easier to understand it like this.

[lavkathleen]

I think he's mainly good; we all have some bad parts in ourselves. I agree that it isn't normal to fantasize about killing even those who hurt us, but I don't think this makes Garry a bad person. I believe that people are more complicated than just being good or bad.

Exactly! This is not to give him excuses, but to point out that we aren't made up of only the good things. Humans are complex, layered beings that make thoughts and actions that come from several factors. Gary isn't inherently evil; he was mentally troubled. Besides, we're only mad because what he did suddenly had consequences in real life and we had to figure out and accept that.

[lavkathleen]

I think there will be a difference in people's personalities in different worldlines, no matter how subtle. Their traits are largely influenced by their circumstances, and Gary from the Black line was a straight up selfish piece of crap. Even fantasizing about killing someone repeatedly does not sound like harmless intrusive thoughts to me, but an insistent dark hatred. However, the other Gary-s were different, or so I would like to believe. Whether they had that potential in them or not, if it doesn't come out significantly, judging them 'bad' would be unfair. Just my opinion.

You and OP both have points— each Gary in those worldlines is their own person, though I think somewhere in their core they're kind of thr same person. You're also right when you said that blackline!Gary was a "selfish piece of crap," although I think he has good reason for it. Anger, sadness, etc are valid emotions but he needs to learn how to direct them in a healthy way so he doesn't end up hurting anyone. Like the others have said, blackline!Gary represents the dark side of people, but it doesn't make him nor the others inherently evil people.

[Adaeze Joan]

I can't say whether he was good or bad. A person is either good or bad based on how he reacts to different situations, and in this case, a part of him in the other universe couldn't let go of the fact that Mitchell turned him down.

[Chiwelite O]

I have fantasized about certain outrageous things, things I would still never do regardless. I think Gary fantasizing about killing Michelle does not make him a bad person.

[revathy sw]

I think Gary is an ordinary person like any of us. In the worldlines where he got his happy ending — that is, where he never had his accident and he got together with Michelle — he is a good, kind-hearted person. In the worldline where he gets injured, he is obviously traumatized and this will presumably change the way he behaves and thinks. And in terms of the Black Line Gary's actions towards Michelle, he wasn't actually aiming to kill her. We all have bad thoughts — maybe not to the extent of Gary's, but, it is still somewhat understandable; I believe, what truly matters at the end is whether we act on our bad thoughts or not. And Gary never acted on his thoughts in real life. While it is creepy and disturbing, he thought he was only fantasizing when he killed her in his dream. Maybe the reason why he feels so strongly against her is that her rejection is tied up in his mind with the trauma of his accident.
Nevertheless, I never really warmed up to this character in any worldline. This was not because he was morally unquestionable or anything; I just did not feel any kind of affinity to him, except in the Blue Line.

[Maggie MacLaren]

I would say the main Gary is good. If we have to buy into the multiverse theory to get into this book then, at least in my mind, that means there are endless possibilities for my personality. Meaning there could very easily be an "evil" me in another line. So just because one of the Garys' was obviously a bit psychotic with his constant murderous thoughts I don't think that means ALL the Garys we're inherently evil.

[lavkathleen]

No person is either a good person or a bad person. They become good or bad depending on how they react in tricky situation. Gary, fantasizing about killing Mrs. M does not mean he wanted to actually kill her.

I don't think Gary's a bad person either. I don't think he wanted to actually kill Michelle. But fantasizing about murder can be interpreted in a couple of ways, and I think that's what is dividing the readers.

[lavkathleen]

I agree. Human nature allows having a range of thoughts, emotions, and actions. Positive actions are virtuous. Negative actions often result in some form of punishment. Gary appeared to have been a good person that made a very bad decision.

That reminds me of the way some people describe others who've made grave things like this... "They're not a bad person; just a person who made a bad decision/choice." Of course, there are limits to that, but I think it's a nice way of looking at things.