Was Larry's accident a "lie"?
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Re: Was Larry's accident a "lie"?
The only variable here is the 'must' which is still just an assumption. It would seem likely that he would have found the document. The author does a superb job of creating that doubt by not affirming that Larry knew anything about the insurance. That leaves the reader guessing - did he or didn't he??Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑15 Apr 2019, 22:58When I read about the accident, I agreed with you, but after finding out about the insurance policy which he "must" have found (basing on the amount of time he spent going through the documents) and his refusal to tell Louise about it and letting her think he was cheating on her! It started to stink of a conspiracy to commit suicide, it stank to high hell. Considering all of this, wouldn't you agree?kdstrack wrote: ↑15 Apr 2019, 22:44Larry was caught by a cable that snapped. The waves are described as "erratic." I don't see how Larry could have known that the cable was going to snap and which way the cable was going to fling when it broke so that he would receive the impact of the broken cable??? There are too many unknowns for him to have planned it. I still think it was just an accident.Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑15 Apr 2019, 21:45
100% true, but what he could control was how close he was to the cable and also not diving out of the way, or even attempting to.
Larry also knew his wife! He knew that once she had made up her mind about something, anything he said or did was not going to change a thing. He could talk until he was blue in the face, and she would never believe that he was not cheating on her. She had lost trust in him. Would this motivate him to commit suicide so she could collect on a CHEATER? Was he going to reward her accusing him of being with another woman?
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As you said he knows her. So he knows that she was just rational in her assumption of him cheating. It probably wasn't the first time she assumed this and confronted him. I'm basing his "accident" on the feeling that he should have given her more instead of a failing business.kdstrack wrote: ↑15 Apr 2019, 23:13The only variable here is the 'must' which is still just an assumption. It would seem likely that he would have found the document. The author does a superb job of creating that doubt by not affirming that Larry knew anything about the insurance. That leaves the reader guessing - did he or didn't he??Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑15 Apr 2019, 22:58When I read about the accident, I agreed with you, but after finding out about the insurance policy which he "must" have found (basing on the amount of time he spent going through the documents) and his refusal to tell Louise about it and letting her think he was cheating on her! It started to stink of a conspiracy to commit suicide, it stank to high hell. Considering all of this, wouldn't you agree?kdstrack wrote: ↑15 Apr 2019, 22:44
Larry was caught by a cable that snapped. The waves are described as "erratic." I don't see how Larry could have known that the cable was going to snap and which way the cable was going to fling when it broke so that he would receive the impact of the broken cable??? There are too many unknowns for him to have planned it. I still think it was just an accident.
Larry also knew his wife! He knew that once she had made up her mind about something, anything he said or did was not going to change a thing. He could talk until he was blue in the face, and she would never believe that he was not cheating on her. She had lost trust in him. Would this motivate him to commit suicide so she could collect on a CHEATER? Was he going to reward her accusing him of being with another woman?
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Wait, wasn't it Larry who was with Suzette looking through the documents and causing Louise to think him cheating. I am suggesting that maybe he came upon that document during his moments with Suzette, realized the importance of a life insurance policy and decided to return it so Suzette would dis over it. If after he discovered and then had his accident, it would come into question the convenience of it. But if Suzette discovered it and Louise confirmed that they both knew nothing about it (that's why he did not deny the infidelity claim by Louise) then his accident would be seen as just that, an unfortunate accident.kdstrack wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 11:32 If you go back and reread location 3782, you will see that it was actually Suzette that discovered the insurance policy - after Larry and Louise were out to sea. Later, Louise confirms that neither of them knew about the policy her father had put in place (loc. 4296). Louise was just jealous of Suzette. She laments (lpc. 3790), "she'd been so wrong about Larry." It was an accident!
I am not saying that he caused the ship to rock, the whether to be chaotic, or even the cable to snap. I am suggesting that given his experience, he might have realized how dire the situation was and risked his safety intentionally for the policy and Louise.
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Finaaaallyjaninewesterweel wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 12:20 Hmm...interesting viewpoint. I never for one moment considered that it might have been premeditated or staged. And according to Louise, no-one knew about the policy until they started digging. Although...that now makes me think of all the mysterious meetings he had with the lady lawyer! Oh dear, you've opened a can of worms here!
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Very interesting, Ferdinand! This is another master stroke by the author. We don't have exact information about their marriage. We can only surmise that there could had been previous incidents of infidelity. (Or did Louise have something in her past that made her doubt men? Had either of them been married before?) The story mentions that they had been married "for many years," but does not specify what is meant by many. We know that Larry took over the business from Louise's father, but no info is given as to how long ago her father died. I agree, if Larry was now in charge of the business, why didn't he know about the policy? I've also wondered why he was hiding his work with Suzette from Louise? Were these things about the business that he should have known about sooner?Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 11:48Wait, wasn't it Larry who was with Suzette looking through the documents and causing Louise to think him cheating. I am suggesting that maybe he came upon that document during his moments with Suzette, realized the importance of a life insurance policy and decided to return it so Suzette would dis over it. If after he discovered and then had his accident, it would come into question the convenience of it. But if Suzette discovered it and Louise confirmed that they both knew nothing about it (that's why he did not deny the infidelity claim by Louise) then his accident would be seen as just that, an unfortunate accident.kdstrack wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 11:32 If you go back and reread location 3782, you will see that it was actually Suzette that discovered the insurance policy - after Larry and Louise were out to sea. Later, Louise confirms that neither of them knew about the policy her father had put in place (loc. 4296). Louise was just jealous of Suzette. She laments (lpc. 3790), "she'd been so wrong about Larry." It was an accident!
I am not saying that he caused the ship to rock, the whether to be chaotic, or even the cable to snap. I am suggesting that given his experience, he might have realized how dire the situation was and risked his safety intentionally for the policy and Louise.
One last enigma: Why, when he lay dying on the ship, did he beg Louise to press the bank for a loan to pay the crew? He knew he was dying. His request reveals that he didn't think he would survive. Why not use this opportunity to tell Louise that he loved her? (if he knew the policy was there to save the business)
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I have to agree. The money from the claim would've covered all their expenses. Although, his spending so much time with the lady lawyer would make one wonder, wouldn't it?!!TuyetMai wrote: ↑02 Apr 2019, 23:25 I think it was an accident. The money from salvaging the Express was supposed to save their business, so there was no need for Larry to stage his accident. The money from his life insurance was indeed helpful by allowing Louise to pay their crew sooner, but I don't think their business was depending on it.
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Good enigma and the best I can do is guilt for prolonging the accident and fear that the claim might be void should he mention it (and it somehow got out) which would make his sacrifice worthless.kdstrack wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 17:19Very interesting, Ferdinand! This is another master stroke by the author. We don't have exact information about their marriage. We can only surmise that there could had been previous incidents of infidelity. (Or did Louise have something in her past that made her doubt men? Had either of them been married before?) The story mentions that they had been married "for many years," but does not specify what is meant by many. We know that Larry took over the business from Louise's father, but no info is given as to how long ago her father died. I agree, if Larry was now in charge of the business, why didn't he know about the policy? I've also wondered why he was hiding his work with Suzette from Louise? Were these things about the business that he should have known about sooner?Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 11:48Wait, wasn't it Larry who was with Suzette looking through the documents and causing Louise to think him cheating. I am suggesting that maybe he came upon that document during his moments with Suzette, realized the importance of a life insurance policy and decided to return it so Suzette would dis over it. If after he discovered and then had his accident, it would come into question the convenience of it. But if Suzette discovered it and Louise confirmed that they both knew nothing about it (that's why he did not deny the infidelity claim by Louise) then his accident would be seen as just that, an unfortunate accident.kdstrack wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 11:32 If you go back and reread location 3782, you will see that it was actually Suzette that discovered the insurance policy - after Larry and Louise were out to sea. Later, Louise confirms that neither of them knew about the policy her father had put in place (loc. 4296). Louise was just jealous of Suzette. She laments (lpc. 3790), "she'd been so wrong about Larry." It was an accident!
I am not saying that he caused the ship to rock, the whether to be chaotic, or even the cable to snap. I am suggesting that given his experience, he might have realized how dire the situation was and risked his safety intentionally for the policy and Louise.
One last enigma: Why, when he lay dying on the ship, did he beg Louise to press the bank for a loan to pay the crew? He knew he was dying. His request reveals that he didn't think he would survive. Why not use this opportunity to tell Louise that he loved her? (if he knew the policy was there to save the business)
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The questions overwhelm the answers in the story.DC Brown wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 21:38I have to agree. The money from the claim would've covered all their expenses. Although, his spending so much time with the lady lawyer would make one wonder, wouldn't it?!!TuyetMai wrote: ↑02 Apr 2019, 23:25 I think it was an accident. The money from salvaging the Express was supposed to save their business, so there was no need for Larry to stage his accident. The money from his life insurance was indeed helpful by allowing Louise to pay their crew sooner, but I don't think their business was depending on it.
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Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 13:00Finaaaallyjaninewesterweel wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 12:20 Hmm...interesting viewpoint. I never for one moment considered that it might have been premeditated or staged. And according to Louise, no-one knew about the policy until they started digging. Although...that now makes me think of all the mysterious meetings he had with the lady lawyer! Oh dear, you've opened a can of worms here!
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I think you have a good point. I've always wonder why Louise feels certain that her husband is cheating. If she happened to see them together why didn't she confront them right then and there? And why the heck are they meeting for business in a casino of all places?DC Brown wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 21:38I have to agree. The money from the claim would've covered all their expenses. Although, his spending so much time with the lady lawyer would make one wonder, wouldn't it?!!TuyetMai wrote: ↑02 Apr 2019, 23:25 I think it was an accident. The money from salvaging the Express was supposed to save their business, so there was no need for Larry to stage his accident. The money from his life insurance was indeed helpful by allowing Louise to pay their crew sooner, but I don't think their business was depending on it.
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Now you've joined the rebellion.TuyetMai wrote: ↑17 Apr 2019, 10:30I think you have a good point. I've always wonder why Louise feels certain that her husband is cheating. If she happened to see them together why didn't she confront them right then and there? And why the heck are they meeting for business in a casino of all places?DC Brown wrote: ↑16 Apr 2019, 21:38I have to agree. The money from the claim would've covered all their expenses. Although, his spending so much time with the lady lawyer would make one wonder, wouldn't it?!!TuyetMai wrote: ↑02 Apr 2019, 23:25 I think it was an accident. The money from salvaging the Express was supposed to save their business, so there was no need for Larry to stage his accident. The money from his life insurance was indeed helpful by allowing Louise to pay their crew sooner, but I don't think their business was depending on it.
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Planned what? He saw a ship drifting precariously, a cable about to snap and stood still. He probably already knew about the insurance policy and when this chance presented itself, he could not pass it up.flaming_quills wrote: ↑17 Apr 2019, 01:17 It was probably an accident. There's no way he could have planned that.