But this is set in a post apocalyptic scene. Any ill person is just a burden so I think the father tried to save the child in order to give him more chances of survival. That villa is all they have. So either the kid died because of the illnes or because they would probably be cast out. From the father pov there was not other option, I think (in regards of why he didn't ask for help).
Kids life should prevail above anyone else's since that's the core of survival/passing genes. Punishing that seems ironic and especially the punishment was too far off. People have gone mad and that's also the point of the story. As soon as society cease to exist as we know it, people act mad.
I also think the ML and the MC represent 2 sides! Tha ks for pointing it out. It helped me to process the chapter better because I was shaken lol
I think the contention is the death penalty
i think first of all it needs to be established that the townspeople are not good people
The reason why I said I don’t think he would’ve been casted out even in a post apocalyptic setting is simply that it goes against what the community SAID they stood for (to an extent). Like it is supposed to be a sort of safe haven regardless of who you are as long as you can carry out your duty. Looking back now too, I think just about everyone is unusually dedicated to their duty too.
You’re definitely correct though, there’s a really high chance he would’ve been casted out especially if the sickness was bad enough that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his role.
I have also seen a lot of comments talking about how it doesn’t really make sense how they would rather the child die but that’s not the case. Not once was there a proper discussion of the child, everything is focused on the act of stealing and this is done on purpose. If you start taking into account other things to try and justify the action it’s no longer deontology. It would go against the very idea of the community.
See this is why I brought up this argument. Because depending on the view you take, they will either be seen as good or bad and I believe with the current set up, they think of themselves as the good ones. And that’s the whole point.
Think of it like chaotic good for the townspeople, neutrality with a bit of lawful evil for Guwon and for the uke he’s under lawful good.
So the townspeople ultimately make the decision, Guwon respects and carries out the action regardless of how good or bad the decision is and the uke would think how you or the average person does.
I believe this is all on purpose
i had a long ass reply but it all disappeared im mad asfffff but essentially what i think is that the people are taking advantage of guwon's stupid ass. i don't think he knows what good and bad really is, so they gave him this big title of being a leader is and make him do all the dirty work. i don't think he knows what he's doing. i'm going to take a more manhua-esque story route so there's probably some real leader of the town (i'm sticking to this theory for the rest of the comment lol i just think there's a real leader out there which is why everyone is scared of each other e.g. the dad opening the door to the teacher, the lady telling the teacher not to tell anyone where she was). that being said, is the medicine really going to the "hounds" like they said? probably not.
in an apocalyptic world in a town of like 50 people, shouldn't saving as many lives as possible a priority? especially children who are quite literally the next generation of people. if the child really did have the zombie disease, given how cruel they were to the dad for just stealing, they would've probably just killed his son right away if he asked for help
i think im going a little off topic so let me just stop lol my main points is i don't think guwon is bad or good, he has no clue what he's doing. people have probably instilled in his head that killing the one who steals is the only way the town can be saved. i think my ideas rely a lot on my theory of what's happening in the story and less of ethics like you suggested but i enjoyed reading your points too!
This whole chapter really reminds me of the ethical battle that keeps coming up and I think it was chosen specifically: is a husband right for choosing to steal medicine he can’t afford to save his dying wife or is it wrong since the medicine he stole was going to be used to save tens of hundreds of other people? I don’t think this necessarily makes the seme a red flag but rather that he and the uke are supposed to represent 2 sides to a pretty complex situation.
On one hand, if you continue to pardon theft then it will increase (tbh him being killed was extreme). On the other, if he didn’t his son would probably have been really sick. Before I continue though, the first thing that came to mind was why didn’t he just ask for help? Why did he choose to hide that his son was sick? I don’t think his son would’ve have been casted out just because he was chronically ill when they got old ppl around, sooo I feel like it’s something he knew that would’ve caused a lot of issues like him being infected.
Eitherway, to judge whether or not the action was ethical, we can look at it from a few ethical theories: deontology and teleology (there are more but I ain’t discussing allat). In deontology, it basically says it’s one duty to carry out a task or action as long as they are able to. They shall not lie and they don’t exactly act in a person’s best interest but instead for the very fact that if you can save someone you have to and if your role is to be an executor you must carry out that task. So Guwon would have been the one in the right following deontology since the father committed an act of stealing.
Next in teleology, it monitors a situation’s ethics by the amount of ‘happiness’ (the benefits) that are produced by it. If there are more negatives than positive, the act is said to be unethical regardless of what it is. Once again Guwon would be in the right because 1. Steal medicine everyone mad. 2. Only 2 people would have benefitted.
Buttttt this issue stems a bit outside that since it’s not like he was some rando. He must of had some form of friends or acquaintances so why was it so easy for him to be out to death regardless of the rules in place? That’s the point and why I think this whole village is reallyyyy following deontology principles to a T. Dunno if there’s just that apathetic but they clearly believe that only by sticking to these rules will their lives be peaceful and they don’t allow even a stray hair out of place.
Anyway that’s just me yapping because I saw how many were upset with what happened (rightfully so). I had to learn these theories so decided I would share. Do tell your thoughts!