Forgiveness is not an option for Larry

Forgiveness is not an option for Larry

Usually, people know who their true friends are during their difficult times, including tribulations. In most cases, individuals fail to realize that some of the people they ignore during happiness turn to be the only ones that would be there in times of need. In his latest novel “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter,” Tom Franklin perfectly illustrates this notion through the portrayal of relations between Silas Jones and Larry Ott. Through the interactions between Silas and Larry, Franklin attempts to demonstrate the value of honesty in friendships at a moment when race relations call for social interactions. While time is the most valuable possession that human beings have on earth, it is evident that “some sins are too late to atone for”, as we appreciate in Silas and Larry’s case in which forgiveness is not an option for Larry.

While Larry may have attempted to reach out to Silas in their adulthood, forgiving the latter character leaves Larry with a lasting feeling of betrayal given that Silas opted to act selfishly since the time the protagonist began to experience challenges. According to Franklin, “Maybe Larry was wrong about the word friend”, because the so-called “friend” turned away when Larry needed him most. Eventually, Larry “became a sponge for the wrongs that other people committed” (Franklin 43). Larry grew up with a negative perception of his life as a black sheep, an aspect that would have been averted if Silas had decided to speak the truth from the beginning rather than being selfish and choosing to mask some of the critical events of the fateful night while the protagonist bore the blame and aftermath scars. Considering this, Silas indeed forsook Larry, but since Larry was eventually cleared of the hook, his best option was to forgive his “friend” and move on.

Notably, although Silas wished to look after Larry while he was in a coma, it was not from a genuine heart but rather was an act of guilt and provided a chance to apologize for the past faults grounded on the unconcerned heart. An analysis of his actions depicts a man who is driven by guilt rather than compassion, and as such, he should be condemned forever to remain with the feeling. Franklin, in the periodical vividly asserted, “You can bury the past, but it is always bound to come back, one way or another” (Franklin 61). Forgiveness is such an instance that can only occur if Silas can restore Larry’s lost years. However, the latter is impossible. Therefore, forgiveness was not a choice for Larry.

Silas, despite being an adult, and working in a noble position as a cop, never left his deceitful ways and was most compelled by guilt to speak of the truth when in a dire situation. In the ward, after Larry had recovered from the comma that he was in, Silas broke down and confessed of the true events that had occurred during Cindy’s disappearance. While one may be compelled to think of his actions as noble, especially as Larry was the main suspect of the disappearance of Tina Rutherford’s daughter, the primary reason why Silas confessed was that he did not desire to see his former friend go through another ordeal, an aspect that he had placed him in at the onset of the accusation.

According to Franklin, “when Silas when to visit Larry in the hospital, he wondered how broken Larry was by the unfolding events of his life, how damaged he had become” (Franklin 78). Basing on this argument, it is evident that Silas was compelled by guilt to expound more on his actions to Larry. Additionally, the sight of seeing his friend confined in a hospital provoked him to wonder about himself, and question, “What was missing out of him as Silas” (Franklin 79). In the given context, it is evident that it took the dire situation of Silas seeing Larry in a coma, supposedly admitted in an ICU, for him to be overwhelmed by the guilt and develop a desire to open to Larry. This showcases the true nature of Larry, one that evidently does not warrant an apology from Larry’s perspective.

If he was a true friend to Larry, he would have told the protagonist the truth even if they had severed ties as a result of Larry’s father’s influence. It is sad to note that while they shared the bond of brotherhood, Silas emerged to be a deceitful character, who relied on “the ways of the land, to cover up the wrongs he had committed” (Franklin 78). Conclusively, it is evident that Silas’s betrayal nature left Larry in a fix, one that only Silas could undo, but the damage that was done was too grave to handle.

In all sincerity, “Time lost can never be recovered”. While a noble thing would be for Larry to forgive Silas, there are many skeletons in the police officer’s closet, most of which may come back to haunt their relationship as time progresses. Looking forward to the future, the best thing would be for Larry to salvage the time left with a new and clean slate. As such, he can start afresh and perhaps even consider raising a family. With some good luck, there is the hope of aging with dignity and respect earned from his family, rather than living with guilt brought about by Silas’ selfish and deceitful actions.

It is apparent that it is impossible to recover time lost. Notably, Larry had lost considerable time fighting wrongdoings that he never committed. Besides, if Silas had told the truth about the situations that had befallen Larry, perhaps he could have not lost the entire time. As such, it would be very had to erase the emotions from Larry’s mind concerning Silas and the entire community. Notably, the disappearance of Tina Rutherford is one of the concerns that introduces an array of challenges in Larry’s life despite having lost the father and confronting to accept his mother’s current situation that proofs to be dementia. While facing life challenges, Larry could have thought that Silas might have comforted him. However, the situation is totally different and that Silas is actually the primary cause of the critical challenges that Larry is currently facing.

Notably, for Silas to pretend that he was comforting Larry while in a comma, it was indeed some kind of mockery to Larry as were it not for Silas, Larry could not have faced all the challenges leading him to be in a comma. Although Silas might be sincere while confessing the truth to Larry about Cindy’s disappearance after Larry recovers from comma, this experience might be like piercing a needle in a healing wound. Actually, letting Larry know the truth makes it even harder for Larry to think of forgiveness after all that suffering. In light of this, forgiveness was not an option for Larry.

While being challenged by other family concerns including the loss of his father and his mother’s mental condition, Larry’s principal challenge occurs because of the disappearance of both Cindy and Tina Rutherford. Apparently, Silas have the truth about the disappearance but failed to provide it when it was much needed to make Larry acceptable in the society and proof his innocence. Therefore, Silas was not a friend to Larry and his contribution towards Larry’s situation can never be mended through forgiveness. Larry has lost the taste of life considerably from all aspects including health, wealth or lifestyle and social growth. As such, he continues to grapple challenges in solitary and forgiveness is not a possible option for him.

In conclusion, the above analysis provides a situation in which a person’s closest friend turns out to be the closest enemy. While Larry, as a victim, could have choices on what to do to Silas, this analysis demonstrates that forgiveness was not an option. Notably, the entire event that puts Larry in an awkward situation could not have been there if Silas had provided the right information right from the beginning. Based on this fact, Larry observes Silas as a traitor who can easily mess up with ones’ life for personal gains. As such, Larry feels that forgiving cannot be in the list of plausible actions.