Should John have been honest about his amnesia?

Use this forum to discuss the November 2021 Book of the month, "The Freedom Building" by Martin Kendall
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Rodel Barnachea
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Should John have been honest about his amnesia?

Post by Rodel Barnachea »

After John awoke in a hospital and realized he's suffering from amnesia, he kept it to himself and did not tell anyone about his memory condition. Do you think that if John had been more honest and did not attempt to hide his amnesia, he wouldn't have had to experience what he underwent throughout the rest of the novel?
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Post by Hyacinth Bella »

I agree that he should have told someone, but then again, how does a person with amnesia know they're suffering from amnesia? How do they identify that they're suffering from it and how do they diagnose themselves with it? That confuses me still because a normal person suffering from amnesia would ask questions and therefore doctors would be able to help them. That's my takeaway.
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Post by Kirsi Cultrera »

Well, of course he should have been honest. It would have saved him from lots of trouble. But then, on the other hand, as it is a very important element in this whole story, this book would look a whole lot different if he had been honest. In that sense, I am happy that he was not honest! Because this is an exciting, enjoyable read!
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Post by Salah bourouba »

I think that that was necessary for the development of the story, and even it wasn't, his condition is a private matter, I think nobody has the right to question him about it as long as it doesn't interfere with his work and relationships with other people, and especially if he's aware of that and the consequences of it, that means he will take responsibility for what happens to him because of it.
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Post by John Owen »

Such a serious mental problem as Amnesia shouldn't be something to hide. It is perhaps because he had good reasons to keep things out of the light.
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Post by Ivvie Ivanova »

I think communication would have prevented many hardships and a lot of inner turmoil. I've noticed patients with amnesia usually keep to themselves in novels and movies. I don't know about real life. John should have been more open but I also understand how hard it can be to open up. It made his character more real, in my eyes.
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Post by Nathaniel Owolabi »

Well, generally people are not always open to sharing such issues. It is a personal one. I think he was in the right by not sharing this, however, I agree that sharing it would have helped shape his experiences differently. Nevertheless, we don't know if that's for the better or for the worse. His decision seems valid to me.
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Post by britcott30 »

Yes, definitely. But of course, the plot and twists of the novel will be changed too. It would be more attractive and engaging when John kept the amnesia to himself, so we as readers can be irritated by his decision from the beginning.
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Post by brooke oakes »

I think most people would be open and honest about if they can’t remember things. Everyone handles stuff like this differently though. He may have just been creating more problems for himself by not letting others know. The story may have went a different way if he did.
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Post by Kingsley Emodi »

Aside from the fact that such condition isn't one a person will very comfortably share with others, the story would have taken a whole different boring turn if he had been honest about his condition. For the sake of an interesting plot, I'd rather he keeps it a secret, just like he did.
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Post by Susan Gibbs »

I think that if this was real life, John should have admitted his amnesia, so that others could help him. He would experience less stress that way. But if he had admitted it, the story would not have been possible.
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Post by Fola Moni »

Honesty is always the best policy, in my opinion. Having said that, it is always a personal decision to divulge one's health status to others. Also, the entire plot would have been boring if he had revealed his condition. The complexity and twists of the story made his decision very worthwhile, at least to us the readers.
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Post by Chimdiya A »

Never has lies helped anyone, usually has a negative effect. And to think John lied about something as big and serious as amnesia? Honesty would have prevented a lot at the same time helped him in recovering.
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Post by Ekezie1998 »

I do believe that things would have turned out differently if he had been honest about his memory loss and condition. He definitely would have been shown more empathy and understanding, and I do believe that as humans we tend to connect better with others when they are most open with us.
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Post by Katherine Powell-Polkey »

Personally, I always think honesty is the best policy except in rare occasions. It definitely would have helped him avoid some struggles. It also could have caused other issues.
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