Thursday, September 24, 2009

Question of the Week (9/25/09)

Was Peekay's revenge on Jaapie Botha justified? If no, why?

47 comments:

George Papa said...

I think that there were rights and wrongs in how Peekay dealt with the Judge, I definetly think that he should have gotten revenge but I think that there was a line Peekay may have crossed. In Peekay and the Judge's fight, Peekay makes him drop to the ground and, "Across the jagged blue lines of the swastika the mamba-driven blade cut "PK.""(512) carved his initials into his shoulder. This is were I think he crossed the line because he already left the Judge in bad condition, Peekay himself doesn't like to use dirty methods in boxing such as move Hoppie taught him early on in the book which required he'd headbutt the opponent in the head or face with the top part of their head which would disorient them. You do see Peekay change later on because in book two, he does use that method, knowing it is a dirty move.
Other wise I think that Peekay did what he thought had to be done because he wouldn't be able to live with all of the time Botha bothered him through his early school years and killing Grandpa Chook was the was tipped him over the edge.

Sarah McAndrew said...

I think what Peekay did to the judge was DEFINETLY justified. The judge peed on Peekay, made him eat poop, killed his chicken, beat him up on a daily basis, and humiliated him in front of the whole school making his childhood a living hell. Besides, the bruises Peekay gave to Jaapie will go away. The memory's Peekay has will never leave. George, sorry but I have to disagree with your opinion of the initials part. I think that was the best thing of all! It's like engraving the beat down Peekay gave the judge into his mind forever. Just like what the judge did to Peekay only better because it gives Peekay closure and its just like yep, thats what you get for being a bully. What goes around comes around, sucks to be a jackass doesn't it Jaapie!

Jeff said...

Dealing with the judge was definitely justified but only to an extent. I dont think that PK needed to go thorugh with everything that he did to the Judge. I know that the Judge did terrible things to PK and that he really needed to get revenge. But all the things that the Judge did to PK do not add up to what happened at the end of the book. There is a difference in peeing on someone, and treating him badly and having someone else beat up you and possibly kill you. We don't what eventually happened to the Judge, and it could have easily resulted in his death. I know that the Judge killed PK's first friend in Grandpa Chook, but he was just a chicken. I know that animals can be great pets, but the death of a pet doesn't equal (in my mind) the death of a person. The thing that put PK's actions over the top, was the description of how PK took "the razor sharp blade and cut through the epidermis above the raggid swastika, cutting a square about 4 inches across the three down. Then it crossed the square from corner to corner making a X." (pg. 512). PK could have just left the Judge on the floor instead of cutting into him with a knife and writing his initials.

Emily Lohr said...

Firstly I'd like to say that Peekay's revenge was absolutely the right thing to do. Secondly, I do not agree with Jeff. Peekay was using his boxing skills that he's worked at his whole life on the Judge. The Judge deserved every second of it. He put Peekay through hell at the first boarding school and he killed his best friend at the time. Regardless of the fact that Grandpa Chook was a chicken, he was Peekay's best friend and to have your best friend killed would be absolutely horrible. Right after Peekay's done beating the judge up Courtenay writes, "There was nothing more to say. The slate was wiped clean. The hate was gone. Poor bastard" (513). This shows that Peekay finally felt like he'd become even with Jaapie Botha and it was a nice little ending to their very one-sided fight. The only thing he might've taken too far was engraving his initials on Jaapie's swastika. That was gruesome, but we have to remember that Peekay's about 18 or 19 at this time and he's not going to get revenge by peeing on his enemy.

Chris W said...

Yes, because it was in a sense self defense. Jappie Botha was out of his mind or something. Although the way it was worded, it seemed like Peekay was kinda out of his head too...the whole intense white light thing and whatever. So yeah, plus he gave Peekay a ton of crap, and killed his only friend (at the time). So at least Peekay didn't kill him...I guess...and Jaapie was crazy anyways with the whole Nazi stuff. Peekay gave him hell and quite frankly anyone who believed the stuff Jaapie believed deserves that. Also, in Peekays defense, Jaapies arm will heal...or maybe not...but at least he'll be alive...that's more than Granpa Chook could say if he were alive...and not a chicken....Symbolically I think carving the Union Jack and his initials into his arm was a good thing for Peekay, because he was always needing to beat the bigger man, a true test, sort of fulfilling a goal that Hoppie gave to him. I think in his condition and in that situation Peekay could easily have stabbed him fifty times, ripped his heart out, then eat it (or maybe not), et cetera...or just killed him without the details...but the point isn't to kill fascist guys, it's to sell the book and not have people frown upon the book being in a school...so....point is it could have been a lot more gruesome...

By the way, wasn't it Geel Piet, not Hoppie, who taught Peekay the Liverpool Kiss?

Erin Donohue said...

I think that Peekay's revenge on Jappie Botha is very reasonable. A lot of people are saying that possibly Peekay could have gone about things differently in this situation, but one must consider what kind of mark Jappie Botha left on Peekay at a young age when he was only 5. Jappie Botha is able to use cruelty and bullying to shape some of Peekay's strongest memories and new experiences, such as when Granpa Chook was stoned to death, or when he was exposed to the significance of the swastika in relation to him being English. Peekay could not channel his hate towards anyone at that time, yet as he reaches the age of 18, he has met individuals who have given him nothing but positive learning experiences, (whether it is through boxing or school work) and he is able to cope with his early losses because these things distract him from his childhood (though in the back of his mind, the memories still remain).

Peekay did not take advantage of Jappie Botha at the end of the book; rather he put Jappie back in his place as Emily L explained with her quote from the text. Regardless of being drunk, Jappie was the diamond driller partnered with Peekay, and Peekay worked hard day in and day out as the top grizzly to keep things smooth and running. Peekay could not control Jappie's temper (he was drunk!), but he could control the outcome of their confrontation. In all the years leading up to the mines, he was finally able to channel his hatred to the one person that it belonged to. Just as Jappie Botha left his mark on Peekay at boarding school, Peekay left his by carving the Union Jack and his initials and exposing it to infection (from Jappie's "poison") so that the Jappie could suffer in ways that measure up to Peekay's own.

I think that Peekay is able to lift all that he was carrying off his shoulders at this point, because symbolically the carving says 'I am English (and finally proud), I'm leaving my mark, and so you will never forget me like I have never forgotten you, so these are my initials.' These two things that he carved also show us that Peekay has discovered who he is (and what he chooses to be proud of or believe in). Ultimately, this is Peekay's revenge that will hopefully open up a new chapter in his life, though we can only guess what becomes of it.

Sam said...

Peekay's revenge was no doubt justified. During the early years of Peekay's life he was persecuted, attacked, and reigned on by the Judge and his coonies. If there is anyone evil and selfish enough to pee on a five year old child, who doesn't even know what a shower is, then he deserves some seriously painful payback. I think the revenge that Peekay inflicted was according, seeing as he trained most of his life as a boxer, keeping in mind that someone like the Judge would appear again in his life, and he would have to take care of them. And in fact, the Judge did reappear. I can see how some people might say all the stuff that Peekay did was not unfair, like how he sliced his initials into Jaapie, but if you think about how much of his life Peekay was risking while he cleaned out the grizzly's every night for the Judge there is almost no comparison. Peekay was risking his life every night for a man that he despised, a man that he would kill in a heart-beat. Regardless of this, Botha comes for Peekay at the end of the book wanting to kill him, and not only does Peekay defend himself, but he gets his ultimate revenge that he's been waiting all his life for.

In response to what George said, I disagree that Peekay went too far when he cut his initials into the Judge's arm. If you think about all the times in the book when Peekay references to the Judge, you can easily see how horribly the Judge affected Peekay's life. The Judge engraved so many harsh memories into Peekay, that I feel it was only necessary for Peekay to engrave his initials right back into the Judge.

Alice.Rottersman said...

I think Peekay's revenge was not justified at all. First of all, revenge in general is plain stupid. It accomplishes nothing except making Peekay feel better at the expense of another. It will not erase what the Judge did and it certainly will not bring back Granpa Chook.

Second, by the time of the fight, the Judge had tormented Peekay over a decade ago, when they were both children. Yes, the things he did to Peekay were terrible, but can one really persecute someone for what they did when they were twelve? Also, Jaapie was not the only one doing the tormenting. For most of it the school turned a blind eye, the teachers contributed, and so did the other students. So, Peekay only feeling the need to exact his revenge on just Jaapie makes it seem like it has nothing to do with actual events; he just wants to point the blame finger. Peekay fitting all the blame onto the Judge really shows the Judge has become more than a person to him. He is now more like a symbol to represent his early childhood rather than an actual, living thing. This mirrors how Peekay represented all the pain the English had caused the Afrikaners. What Peekay did to the Jaapie was no better than what Jaapie did to Peekay.

This leads us to my third point. We, the readers, have been stuck in Peekay's "shoes" for around 500 pages, so it is easy to forget that the Judge has "shoes", too. We know very little about the adult Judge. We can only piece together a little about what he is like, chances are he's not that different from any other guy. So, let's picture we're him, a miner trying to make a living, who's just lost the best grizzly man they ever had. One day we are just doing our job, when, oh my goodness, we have a terrible headache and have gone violently crazy due to dynamite fumes! What a horrible way to end a day, but wait! To make matters worse, on our rampage, we get beaten up and permanently scarred. Tomorrow, when we awaken, it'll hurt and who knows if we'll even remember what happened, it's not like we chose to go mad.
So, I hope Peekay feels much better now that he's injured someone else. Jerk. Didn't anyone ever tell him that two wrongs don't make a right, violence is not the answer, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and all those other cliches that I'm sure apply!? I expected more from Peekay, I thought he was above what he did, especially because he only mentions this burning hatred at the end of the book and it doesn't seem to affect him throughout the entire middle. It's not like he was unable to function without doing this, clearly he was fine before.

In response to Chris W, I don't think it could be classified as self defense. Peekay could have escaped with Fritz and have been done with it. Everyone evacuated, so he was not protecting anyone, not even himself. In fact, he was putting himself in more danger by fighting him.

Before my rant grows any longer,I suppose I'll cut it off here...

Michaela Helble said...

As a few other people have mentioned, I think Peekay's revenge was justified to an extent. It's obvious that Peekay had been scarred by his experiences with the Judge. If not for the Judge, Peekay might never have felt the need to camoflauge himself. However, he did need his camoflauge, and that set in motion Peekay becoming whatever anyone else wanted him to be, not what HE wanted to be. Also, although Peekay doesn't appear to have a burning hatred of the Judge throughout the book, he frequently dwells on the fact of Grandpa Chook's death. This death is definetly the Judge's fault, so I can easily see why Peekay, if given the opportunity, would try to get even with the Judge. I do think that Peekay deserved justification for getting hurt, having his entire life altered(through camoflauge)and the death of a friend.
However, as I said before, this is a limited justification. Peekay was taking advantage of his skill as a boxer and Jaapie's temporary insanity to get revenge. As Alice says, Jaapie could have been like any other ordinary man, just trying to eke out a living as a miner. Peekay never gave him a chance to prove he'd changed (that is, if he did.) Also, I think that a few punches from Peekay would have been ok, but carving PK into Jaapie's skin was over the top. I agree with Sam when he said that the Judge carved harsh memories into Peekay, but I don't agree that it was necessary for Peekay to carve something into Jaapie in return. Violence is never a good thing to do, and it will just generate more violence. Peekay and the Judge are examples of this. It's even possible that the Judge will try to get back at Peekay for carving his initials into his arm. It will just end up being a never ending circle of violence, which is why I think Peekay shouldn't have done that in the first place.

Katie Callahan said...

I think that Peekay's revenge was justified. Judge had inflicted so much pain and misery on Peekay which continued to affect Peekay's life far past his depart from the Afrikaner school. Peekay was convinced that he was a bad person because of his lineage and that Hitler was going to march him to the sea.

I think that Peekay needed to beat up Judge to move on with his life. I think it was something he had to do for himself, to prove that he could and that he was strong enough to bring the same pain upon Judge as Judge brought upon him so many years ago.

Katie Callahan said...

In response to George's post about Peekay's choice to carve his initials into the Judge's arm, I disagree. I think that Peekay was justified in what he did. I think that Judge needed to learn his lesson. Even at the mines, others stayed out of his way because he was horrible. No one should treat others this way and Peekay gave him a reminder. I think that Judge will think twice before acting violently in the future.

Sonya said...

Yes and no. Yes, Peekay definitely had a right to get some sort of revenge on the Judge. The Judge caused him so much pain, both physical and emotional, that stayed with him long after he left the boarding school, that Peekay is definitely justified in getting revenge. However, to that extent? I think that what Peekay did to the Judge was a little bit over the top. The thing that has set Peekay apart from many other people in this book is the fact that he tries to treat people equally. He is portrayed almost as someone who would never, aside from boxing, try to hurt another person. He is not like the prison guards, who hurt the prisoners for no reason, and he never, like some of the boys at the schools he goes to, tries to pick on other kids. Yes, the judge did harm him, but the violence against the judge, to the extent he takes it to seems to be below him. As if he is stooping to the level of all the other people in the book he tries so hard to be better than. A few punches maybe, to show the judge who he is and to say, "you shouldn't have messed with me, don't try it again." But carving his initials and a union jack into the Judge's arm seemed to go a bit too far.

While I agree with Alice that I "expected more from Peekay," and "thought he was above what he did," she goes onto say that this is "especially because he only mentions this burning hatred at the end of the book and it doesn't seem to affect him throughout the entire middle," which I don't agree with. Yes, he doesn't mention a burning hatred for the Judge until the end, but I think that is because he isn't faced with the Judge until the very end. The Judge is always in his mind, but until he comes face to face with the Judge, he doesn't realize how angry he is at him. Although this doesn't justify Peekay's extreme violence, I don't think that it is a reason to make him above what he did either, as Alice says.

Daniel Alberta said...

I thin Peekay had a good reason to have revenge on the Judge because of all the things the Judge did to him when they were in boarding school. It was definetly justified as many other people have said. It's just payback for all of the things that the judge did to Peekay.

Ella Kaplan said...

I think that PK's revenge was justified. When he finally left the boarding school that had caused him so much pain, PK met Hoppie, a person who became very important in PK's life. Even though PK had only known him for a couple of days, Hoppie taught him many things including that "small can beat big". Before actually seeing this, PK never imagined that it was possible (because of his experience with the judge). When Hoppie proved his point to PK by beating Jackhammer Smit, PK suddenly had hope that he could box out anyone, including the judge. One of the reasons that PK became a great boxer was because he wanted to defeat big, and I believe that he strived for this because he wanted to beat the one person who seemed the “biggest” to PK; the judge. When PK realized that it was the judge who was working with him in the mines, he automatically decided that he would do what he was trained to do, have small beat big. And that’s what he did.

As for the carving (of the initials, ect), I think that the author was trying to make the point of how the judge’s actions towards PK really impacted PK and that he will always live with what he went through with the judge. By carving the message, I think that it was a way to let the judge know that PK has been living with the horror that he brought to PK, and will continue living with for the rest of his life. Was it a little extreme? Maybe, but a part from that I think it was really important to symbolize to the judge how his actions have really effected PK.

I disagree with Alice that revenge is stupid and all it does is make PK feel better. I think that revenge is more than that. It is a message to the judge saying “hey, I am hurt, horrified and angry and what you did to me and it was wrong”. Even though it doesn’t change things, it should give the judge a sense of regret for doing the things he did to PK.

Unknown said...

I agree with Sonya's disagreement about Alice's comment regarding Peekay's burning hatred. Sonya said, "The Judge is always in [Peekay's] mind, but until he comes face to face with the Judge, he doesn't realize how angry he is at him." For the last part of this book, unlike the beginning, Peekay doesn't give the reader a clear window into his head and his heart. In the first book, as a five year old, we vividly experienced his emotions and thoughts. However, as he gets older, we have to remember that he tells us only what he wants us to know. I think the burning hatred that he demonstrated in the last chapter was there in his heart all along, but he hid it - from the reader, the other characters, and himself.

Now, to answer the question, I believe that it was necessary. Peekay needed to let out his feelings. Over the entire course of this book, he's been containing all his frustration with his logic and calculated actions. It was time to let go, and release the chaos that had been building up inside of him. I don't think less of him.

Unknown said...

Yes, his revenge on Botha was justified. He took beatings from Judge daily back at the boarding school. He took day after day of harsh treatment. The judge deserves everything that Peekay does to him, and more. The beating Peekay delivers to Botha is payback for all of the times he beat peekay. The carving of his arm is more of a symbolic gesture. The judge beat peekay and said that he had to for the Nazi's. SO, Peekay did his beating for himself and carved that on the Judges arm.

Michael said...

I think what Peekay did was wrong, but fair. He left Botha with a constant reminder of what he (Botha) had done, and how it had come back to bite him. Peekay had suffered for nearly a year under the thumb of this maniacal child, even though he seems fairly normal by the end of the book he was scarred horribly at a time of major psychological development. He needed an emotional release, and needed to get even, thus the permanent cuts, so he exacted the revenge he saw fit. Now, both men have scars that will stay with them forever.

Unknown said...

I agree with Sonya's disagreement about Alice's comment regarding Peekay's burning hatred. Sonya said, "The Judge is always in [Peekay's] mind, but until he comes face to face with the Judge, he doesn't realize how angry he is at him." I completely agree. When he was a child, the readers got a deep, personal, vivid window directly into Peekay's head and heart. We have to remember that as he has grown up, Peekay tells the readers only what he wants us to know. He does not always let us into his deepest heart. I think that the burning hatred he demonstrated in the last chapter has been there all along. His whole life, Peekay has been hiding it - from the readers, from other characters, and from himself.

Now, to answer the question, I believe it was necessary for Peekay to do what he did. He needed to let everything out. I think that this entire book, he has controlled his disappointment and frustrations through calculated logic, not allowing himself to admit what he's truly feeling to anyone, least of all himself. Finally, he is letting it out. I do not think less of him.

Unknown said...

Peekay's revenge is justified. He took beating after beating from Botha at his first boarding school. So, when he finally gets his chance to fight back, he does, and does it well. He beats up the Judge for all the beatings he took. THe judge beat him for the Nazi's, and Peekay does it for himself, that is why he carves his initials over the Judges tattoo. He deserves his revenge and the Judge deserves the beating.

Unknown said...

Peekay's revenge is justified. He took beating after beating from Botha at his first boarding school. So, when he finally gets his chance to fight back, he does, and does it well. He beats up the Judge for all the beatings he took. THe judge beat him for the Nazi's, and Peekay does it for himself, that is why he carves his initials over the Judges tattoo. He deserves his revenge and the Judge deserves the beating.

Unknown said...

sooo, the last 2 are not supposed to be there...

Hayley said...

I think that Peekay's revenge was justified. He is physiologically damaged because of the abuse he received from the Judge earlier on. Clearly, the judge hasn't really improved because he still attacks Peekay, and calls him Pisskop. It's not like Peekay killed him or anything. Also, it's a creative and symbolic thing that he carved his name and the Union Jack into his arm, responding to the Nazi-fueled hate he received from the same person. Not all children are as cruel as the Judge was, so he's probably the same, or similar as an adult. Someone like that should be taught a lesson by the person they hurt. Two wrongs don't make a right, but it was more than once that the Judge hurt Peeky.

Kelsey said...

I think that Peekay's revenge on Judge was definately justified. As several people have said, with so much anger that Peekay had built up over the years, it is very reasonable for him to feel the need to "show Judge who's boss", but carving his initials and infecting his arm may have been going a bit too far. I think that most of us were hoping he would get back at the Judge for what he did to him while they were in boarding school, but not in such a violent way.

The way that Peekay was treated at the first boarding school by the Judge and the rest of the boys went on to torment Peekay for many of the following years of his life. The Judge had not only terrorized Peekay at the young age of five, but he also killed his first real friend, Granpa Chook. After over ten years without seeing Judge, I think that Peekay's pain and agony from his childhood rush back to him when he sees Judge again. It is definately understandable to get "revenge" on someone who took away your childhood, essentially, which is exactly what Judge did to Peekay.

However, carving his initials into Judge's arm may have been going a little overboard. I think that rubbing the vomit (and whatever else) into the fresh cuts of the Judge's arm was not the right thing to do. As Sonya said, a few punches and black eye would certainly have been sufficient! Cortenay writes, "There was nothing more to say. The slate was wiped clean. The hate was gone. Poor bastard" (513). This shows that Peekay had no regret for what he did, and was able to put his former hatred behind him by doing so.

Kelsey said...

I disagree with Alice's comment that Peekay's revenge was not justified because it happened over a decade ago. Yes, it had been many years since the Judge had caused any harm to Peekay at all, but I think that one of the most hurtful things he did was when he killed Granpa Chook. At that time, Granpa Chook was Peekay's best friend, even though he was just a chicken. It has to be a terrifying experience for a child to lose his best friend, whether it be a chicken or a person! Also, Granpa Chook's death was mentioned several times throughout the book as the beginning of the unfortunate list of death's occuring in Peekay's life. He was his first friend, and the first friend he lost, all due to the Judge, and that is not something a little boy can forget about, no matter how many years go by.

Robin Smith said...

I believe that Peekay was justified in his actions against the Judge. The judge made his life miserable for a year that he spent at his first boarding school. The things that the Judge made him do were far worse that what Peekay did to the Judge. Also the Judge was attacking Peekay, and if Peekay had not defended himself the Botha would probably have killed him for no reason. I think that in a way Peekay has been training for this moment since he was six years old. Although he has said that his goal was to be welter weight champion of the world, I think that his true goal was to prove to everyone that big can beat small, and the reason that he wanted to prove that was because of the beatings he received from the Judge when he was very young.

I agree with Sarah, the bruises that Peekay gave the Judge during the fight will go away in time. However the initials PK and the Union Jack will serve as a constant reminder to the judge that everything catches up to you at one point or another.

Jennie said...

I'm torn on this one. I'm glad Peekay got his "revenge," but I hate reading such grewsome scenes. So maybe this means that Peekay didn't have to be so harsh--but then again, the Judge was ridiculously harsh on Peekay as a 6-yr.-old. Even though when Peekay carved a union jack and "PK" on the Judge's arm it was disgusting and made me want to puke, it was very satisfying. The Judge will forever be reminded of his attempts to be a bully--and how they were shoved in his face as an unsuccessful man.
I think one reason to justify Peekay's actions at the end of the book, is the fact that if not for Peekay's skills as a boxer, the Judge really would have killed Peekay. On the other hand, because of his skills, Peekay probably could have fended him off, keeping himself safe and not hurting the Judge. But really, I think the Judge wouldn't have deserved that sort of treatment.

Jennie said...

In response to what Sarah said, I do not think that Peekay's actions were "DEFINITELY" justified. Inflicting that much pain (when partially unnecessary) can never truly be justified when Peekay could have stopped what he was doing sooner. I am, however, really glad that Peekay satisfied his need to get back at the Judge (as above stated in my comment).

Megan Pattison said...

I agree that Peekay's revenge on Jaapie Botha was justified. I realize why some people think he may have crossed a line during this final fight, but i don't think he did. I think this fight against the Judge was really a fight against everyone who had every made Peekay feel small. The Judge was the first person to make Peekay feel insignificant and worthless, and this instilled a very big insecurity in Peekay. This insecurity wasn't wiped away until. "The white heat started to fade, like a gas lamp suddenly dimmed.... The hate was gone" (513).

I agree with Emily that engraving his initials was a bit too gruesome. But like she said, I don't think anything else would have had the same final punch that Peekay, and us as readers, needed to have happen.

Burton said...

Peekay did the right thing by getting his revenge on the Judge, because as a reader you feel better knowing that Peekay, this little boy we have been following for the whole book, came out with the last laugh. With that said i do not agree with the end of the fight where Peekay wrote the letters P.K on the judges arm. That was just over doing it, and not needed for us to see Peekay have relief.

In response to Brendon I agree that that his revenge was right but i don't think he wrote P.K on his arm to do it for himself. I think it was so that the Judge would forever remember P.K and hopefully think twice before hurting anyone else like he did Peekay.

Lauren Hoh said...

Peekay had the right to do that to the Judge. I don't really think its totally the right thing to use violence, but in Peekay's case the Judge was so horrible to him that I would have done what he did if I could. I think Peekay just wanted to show the judge that now he was the one that was better now and he wanted to show the Judge that he was strong now. He also wanted to tell himself that he wasn't just Peekay anymore he changed and became somebody.

Lauren Hoh said...

I agree with Ella that the initials Peekay carved in to the Judges arm were a way of showing the reader of the book how much the Judge impacted Peekay and how he felt about himself. Also it showed how he was now proud of himself being English and he wanted the Judge to look at his arm and be reminded of Peekay and what he did to him.

Bryce said...

I think that his revenge was justified. I think that it was because how the Judge treated Peekay effected Peekay for the rest of his life, and Peekay now has his mark on the Judge and it will be there for the rest of the Judges life. I think that what he did was smart, Peekay was able to get his revenge, but not hurting the Judge too badly. It's not like Peekay killed the Judge or anything, if he had that would have been a little drastic. Instead he made his mark and sure Peekay beat him up, but the bruises will heal. The Judge will be able to live his life just like Peekay was while also always remembering how he treated Peekay. Peekay really taught the Judge his lesson. He taught the Judge that there are consequences for your actions, that you cannot treat people that way. If Peekay did not show the Judge this, he probably would have never changed and would have treated more people like the way he treated Peekay. Therefore, I disagree with what Alice said that Peekays revenge was not justified. It was because Peekay could well have saved the Judge from hurting another person. Sure, revenge is not good in general, but I believe that sometimes you really need to treat someone a lesson and that is what Peekay did. It may have not been the nicest way, but it's not like he can sit down and tell the Judge that he can't treat people the way that he does. I think that Peekay did the best thing that he could have to get back at the Judge. He used his head first and then used his heart.

Kiana said...

I think Peekay's revenge on the Judge was justified. As many others have said, the Judge treated Peekay horribly at his first boarding school. The Judge called Peekay harsh names, beat him up, and killed Granpa Chook. These events left a mark on Peekay and for the rest of the book his life was affected by this. The Judge was the only person Peekay had really lost to in the book. Once he started boxing he was accustomed to winning, and even mentions he doesn't think he could lose to Gideon even if he wanted to. But for Peekay to have closure and really move on in his life I think had to beat the Judge.

Kiana said...

I agree with Bryce. Peekay taught the Judge a lesson he needed. He also definitely fought with his head then his heart like he had been taught to do from the beginning of his boxing. I think Peekay did hurt the Judge pretty badly but it was very different from the way the Judge hurt Peekay. The Judge beat up Peekay and left some bruises but he also left internal damage that couldn't be removed until Peekay got his revenge on the Judge.

lynda said...

I sort of feel that PK should have just gotten over it. I mean, he was just a kid when he was picked on, and the Judge was just an angry person taking it out on a defenseless person. But in the book atleast 10 years had passed before the two met again, and i would have thought that PK would just forgive him or something instead of holding onto the past

Anonymous said...

I believe that Peekay was very justfied in his dealings with the judge.
Peekay was brutally tortured by this person and if someone had treated me that way and I had the power to revenge him then I would. I also find it quite bad A$$ that he, "Across the jagged blue lines of the swastika the mamba-driven blade cut "PK." I can see this scene happening in a real movie. the only problem is that it makes Peekay look unciviliased I agree with George that he crossed a line but only because Peekay knew how to box and he could have put the judge in his place without totally destroying him

Mallory said...

Yes, I think it was completely justified. Peekay not only got his revenge by beating up the man who bullied him when he was a young boy but also because he got to show that man how much stronger he is now. I liked that the author didn't have Peekay kill Jaapie because that showed that Peekay really was the better man.

val14 said...

I believe that Peekay's actions were justified, mostly because this was his life's goal.

In response to Lynda: Peekay was deeply hurt by the Judge- physically and mentally, and that is when someone takes it too far. Personally, I wouldn't want to live life with the idea that somebody destroyed my childhood and they got away with it. Maybe it was so that Peekay took it a little too far, but the Judge got what he deserved. And even after 10 years, the Judge meant the same harm as he did 10 years earlier.

Nathaniel brown said...

What line is there to cross? Peekay was in a lawless mining town, no one cares. The violence was between peekay and the Judge. Obviously such violence would not be tolerated in the United States today. I think morally Peekay is partially justified because we can assume that the Judge continued his violent oppressive ways after boarding school, and probably would have no problem cutting up Peekay, even if he wasn't temporarily crazy. Still, I think that morality is relative, and there was very little wrong with what Peekay did.

mason vogt said...

I believe that Peekay's revenge on Jaapie Botha was completely justified. First of all the Judge was PK's biggest fear, and overcoming such a fear is a huge accomplishment for PK. I also think that what PK did to the Judge was not life alterateing, it can be healed, whereas PK had to live with fear for a long period of his life. Whether or not the Judge is still a bad person the beating must have reminded him of what he did, and he should feel some remorse. If Jaapie Botha is still a bad person, than he needed that beating to put him in his place.

Alex Krass said...

Peekays revenge on Botha was deffinetly justified. Botha had perminatly hurt PK with killing Grandpa Chook, telling him about Hitler, tourturing him, and much more. Why should PK not get his revenge on someone that was so cruel. PK's acts during the fight were also partially self deffense. Botha clearly wanted to hurt him and PK was doing his best to stay out of harm. Clearly he injured Botha a great deal but I think that everything Pk did was esaily justified.

christopher.harwick said...

Personal I Believe that Peekays revenge was valid, but not needed. He has to have some sort of feeling, but does he need to kill? No he could have stopped at winning the fight yet he continues to jump on the judge. The fact he stabs Jappie Botha in the arm and continues to cause harm is uncalled for. Peekay should have been the bigger man and done little if anything to him. Instead he killed the judge for what? revenge? I thought PK would have been a thought better. I am sure doc would agree with me.

Good Tidings said...

Peekay's revenge on the Judge seemed very uncharacteristic of his character. Peekay has never been violent or hateful of any person. It seemed essential to the meaning of the story that no matter how much hate was dished out, Peekay never returned the hatred. I suppose that this finally humanizes Peekay, but I don't think it was justified. I think that Peekay's revenge was enough having finally beaten the Judge and having taken a load off his chest; pulling out the pocket knife and scratching his initials into Botha's flesh seems brutal and uncharacteristic of Peekay. Peekay should have beaten Botha when attacked, but restrained himself afterward and walked away. By bringing himself down to the Judge's level of brutality, Peekay is not really humanized but instead is brought abruptly from having been a near perfect 'angel', to having what I believe is a very base and primitive level of justice.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
Rather than teaching Botha a much needed lesson by walking away from the situation when the fight was over, Peekay fuels Botha's more primitive hateful side.

I agree with Alice that Botha has a life too, and personal feelings. He is portrayed as an epitome of evil, but I believe we are still meant to pity Botha, who has led a poor life. By showing the same level of evil, Peekay shatters our image of him as an ideal person who harbors little hate.

Good Tidings said...

The end of the book is very emotional and seems very much worth discussing in class. Is there a time when we can do this?

lynda said...

I agree with Alice. Attacking the judge so brutally is something i would have never expected from PK. PK should have learned that he wasn't supposed to fight from his lessons from Giel Peet, and should have boxed Botha instead even though he was insane at the time this said i think PK went totally against his character and yeahhhhhhhh

Daniel G said...

I guess you could argue that violence isn't the answer, but it was not physically possible for peekay to settle this dispute with a discussion. With the judge attacking him, he could have fled like a coward or fought back and won all he had lost when he was harassed by the judge so many times before. He would have been silly not to fight, especially now that he had a leg up in fighting talent. Also, it was the only way to settle a score that would otherwise stick with him for his whole life. The only thing that I think was over the top was carving his initials into the judge, although it was pretty cool.

Daniel G said...

Also, looking at other comments, there seems to be confusion as to whether peekay killed or badly injured the judge. Could somoeone clear this up.