Reply To: Still Life: What do you think about the title “Still Life”?
As a title, “Still Life” seems like a play on words, a double entendre. As Armand and Tara note, Three Pines is anything but still! It is a hot bed of emotions, many of them less than admirable. Its residents are noble, caring and respectful of one another and petty, mean-spirited and, at least in one person, capable of murder. When I think of a still life as an art form, I picture something composed and arranged and controlled. That does not describe Three Pines. And it does not describe the lives of the Surete officers either.
Some of the characters make explicit choices based on principle. Matthew Croft refuses to defend himself from his son’s accusations in an effort to protect Philippe. Armand refuses an order to arrest Matthew, recognizing Matthews innocence of a murder charge and the damage even eventual exoneration would do, in the face of disciplinary action. Challenged by Armand to act on his assessment of Matthew Croft’s guilt instead of backing off because Armand disagrees, Jean-Guy accepts responsibility. I am sure there are more examples!
I can’t think of specific examples of personal choices BUT I am not certain I would have been willing to follow Jean-Guy’s example. As Tara notes, the temptation to accept another’s point of view and to go along is pretty hard to resist.
