Was Roxy's behavior justified?

Phunmee_02 · Post by **Phunmee_02** » 18 Aug 2022, 07:26

I think saying Roxy was turning into a woman didn't justify her actions. Steve stayed in the city and joined the force because of her and if she truly loved him as he did, she wouldn't have cheated on him, but everyone still has a chance to redeem themselves, so it only boils down to what Steve's heart is feeling after he saw what she did.

Riya Sarkar · Post by **Riya Sarkar** » 18 Aug 2022, 09:00

The answer is not straight forward. When Steve decided to join, he was a different person. He was openly communicating with Roxy about everything. After he joined, due to his personal reasons he started to withdraw from Roxy in many different ways, he stopped communicating with his partner. This went on to the point where Roxy started getting scared that Steve might get physically violet with her. Moreover, when Steve found out that Roxy was feeling this way, instead of trying to be more open about addressing these issues, he just continued as it is; always waiting for the right moment which never arrives. In such a case, it's not Roxy's fault that she felt scared and ignored and wanted to quit the relationship. Although the I would agree the way she responded to these emotions was not correct.

Chandrika Agarwal · Post by **Chandrika Agarwal** » 18 Aug 2022, 10:05

No, her actions were not justified. Steve gave up his dreams for her and she never even tried to understand what he was going through. Had she asked him about the injuries, he may have opened to her and that may have released his pain. However, i also believe that Steve's duty had changed him and he himself wasnt able to deal with that. War can affect people in unimaginable ways. They both were young and had made mistakes. So I think Steve was right to forgive her but he shouldn't have welcomed her back in his life.

Ana C Barrantes · Post by **Ana C Barrantes** » 18 Aug 2022, 14:15

I don't think her actions are justified, but at the same time you cannot force someone to stay if they want to leave. As a spouse, I think she disrespected her vows.

Rachelle Jepsky · Post by **Rachelle Jepsky** » 18 Aug 2022, 18:34

There were a lot of times Steve would say "I want to talk to Roxy about this" but then we are never told if he actually does or not. The best example is when he is attacked in the locker room and multiple times afterwards he says "I'm gonna tell Roxy my plan" or something similar, but then later he mentions how he hasn't told her his plans or about the locker room at all.
My inference from this is that neither Roxy nor Steve are telling each other how they feel, about what's going on between them and what each is feeling individually. It takes two to tango. The breakdown in their relationship was on both of them.
Though Roxy does actually lose her faith in Steve, only really understanding when she gets hit at the protest and arrested, and fully understanding when she sends him the news clippings. Her losing her faith in Steve does not put the blame solely on her for things going bad between them. Heather and Bill even tell him towards the end "You have changed, maybe not on the inside but on the outside". They tell him he's been acting like an asshole, which justifies why Roxy would have started pulling away from him. She may have asked for space from him, but she didn't tell him what was going on in her heart about his being a cop after he had been in it for a few weeks. She would use the excuse that she needed to study, which is valid, but not the whole truth. Neither Steve nor Roxy did the right thing by not openly saying how they really felt through out the whole time Steve was a cop.

If I was Steve, and sought Roxy's approval to go ahead with becoming a cop to help change the system from the inside, I would keep her informed about it the whole time, and not operate in secrecy about trying to make a change. At least give her some more details about what I'm trying to do, so she wouldn't lose faith in me.

Margaret Johnston 1 · Post by **Margaret Johnston 1** » 19 Aug 2022, 00:59

Steve did join the police force to stay in Providence with Roxy, and yes after a while she blamed him, when they were doing protests, because he was one of the cops, and yet he bailed her out of the cell. He forgave her , I think for his own peace of mind.

Post by **MAUREEN WAMBUI NJUKI** » 19 Aug 2022, 02:38

In my opinion, Roxy may have been justified in her actions. She was going through a natural stage of self discovery and she was entitled to change her perspective on things. Also, to her defense, there were things that Steve had not told her about what he was doing in the police department. She had no idea that Steve was investigating some of the corrupt people both in the police department and the leadership of Brown University who wanted to displace the Portuguese immigrants at Fox Point. She didn't even know that Steve had become targeted by his seniors and even received a beating in the locker room. While Steve may have had his very valid reasons for keeping some information from Roxy, he made it difficult for Roxy to support him.

Eva Nyaburi · Post by **Eva Nyaburi** » 19 Aug 2022, 09:01

No, I think Roxy was extremely selfish and wanted things to always be in her favor. She acted immaturely and was always looking for a reason to leave Steve who had supported her for quite a long time.

Perfect Ojonugwa · Post by **Perfect Ojonugwa** » 19 Aug 2022, 23:09

You cannot provide for your spouse then leave them if things go difficult. Her behavior demonstrates how unhelpful she is.

Nicole Savage · Post by **Nicole Savage** » 20 Aug 2022, 01:04

Seconding this.

There are reasons to leave a spouse, but leaving because things outside of their control going wrong just shows a lack of commitment to the relationship.

Oluchii · Post by **Oluchii** » 20 Aug 2022, 02:41

I understood Roxy but her behavior was unacceptable. She was supposed to stand by him till the end

Phil Akor · Post by **Phil Akor** » 20 Aug 2022, 10:14

First of all, I did not think her character was well developed, so I couldn't tell what must have led her to cheat on Steve.

Radhika Nair · Post by **Radhika Nair** » 20 Aug 2022, 16:05

That's a bit unfair. Roxy did not decide to leave Steve on a whim, nor did she feel good about their growing distance. But at least she had the courage to face the situation and be honest about it, which is more than can be said for Steve, who wanted to hold on no matter what. And joining the police force was Steve's decision, regardless of his reasons. Roxy does not owe him anything for his own decision, which, though taken partly with her in mind, was not something she approved of or encouraged.

Aisyah Nasir 1 · Post by **Aisyah Nasir 1** » 21 Aug 2022, 08:37

Roxy is considered a progressive and educated woman. I think she should have understood the career environment, as she was against the organisation for a reason. She knew what made Steve opt for it, and the fact that she was afraid that he would become one like them, shows that she did not trust him. Even so, she could communicate with him, and tried to understand what he was going through. She knew how bad the system was and how terrible it must have been for Steve to be in the system.

Rita Nuncia · Post by **Rita Nuncia** » 21 Aug 2022, 17:29

In the beginning of the book, Roxy’s behaviour made me like her. She was so supportive and acted like Steve was her ride or die. I was not expecting her to bailed on him. I later got to see that some people have fragile mental health which makes them prone to withdraw when they feel it’s gotten too much for them. However, I do not support her leaving the way and when she did. If I was Steve, I would find it hard to forgive her. Staying as acquaintances is okay but I won’t allow her into my heart again.