Marriage Riddle

[heart of peace]

Ok, some of you may know this but for those that don't it's fun. I attached the picture (I drew it, isn't it just fabulous?? lol)

Anyway, here's the story. One day Husband gets up and announces to Wife that he's leaving on a business trip. She pleads to go with him, but he refuses to take her. Wife is eager to go because she has been trying to end an affair with Lover, but as soon as Husband leaves, she crosses the river and spends the night with Lover. The next morning she wakes up in a panic, starts to cross the bridge, but sees Assassin waiting for her at the other side. The only other way to cross the river is by ferry. Wife approaches the Boatman, who demands the fare, but she has no money. Wife hurries back and asks Lover for the fare, but he refuses to help her. Despairing, Wife then dashes across the bridge and meets the Assassin, who stabs her to death.

Ok, now in order of most responsible to least responsible, rate the 5 characters in response to this question: Who is responsible for the wife's death? Each character represents something else. If you want the answer, I will post it on my page, so don't look on my profile until you are ready to know the meanings. (Please post your responses....it will generally spark conversation...thanks)

EX:
Wife
Assassin
Lover
Husband
Boatman

In that example the wife is the most responsible and the boatman is the least responsible for her death.

 

[Redguard]

I blame the WIFE!
Then I blame the LOVER!
Then I blame.... the ASSASSIN!
Then I blame the husband.
Then I blame the Boatman.

 

[Redguard]

But most importantly... I blame it... ON THE RAIN.

YouTube - Milli Vanilli - Blame It On The Rain

 

[alfrodull]

I've seen this game a lot, but I've never actually seen the scenario ully explained. Who hired the assassin? Was it the husband, who found out about the affair? Was it the lover who resented her ending it? Is he working for someone completely unrelated to the rest of the story? I mean, that makes a big difference...

Or is part of the idea that we're supposed to make our own assumption about who hired the assassin?

 

[heart of peace]

alfrodull, I like your thought processes! I suppose it is left very much open to interpretation.

 

[immersedingrace]

EX:
Wife - 2
Assassin -1
Lover - 3
Husband - 5
Boatman - 4

 

[Hentenza]

All of them because each of them could have prevented the murder.

 

[sdmsanjose]

Who is responsible for the wife's death?

1 Assassin (responsible for death)
2 Wife (responsible for serious violation of marriage, has lack of character)
3 Lover (a selfish scum bag)



Husband and boatman have no responsibility in the death of Wife

 

[JBJoe]

Assassin
Husband (assuming he hired the assassin)
Wife
Lover (assuming he didn't hire the assassin)
Boatman (assuming he didn't hire the assassin)

 

[alfrodull]

As I implied in my last post, I already know the results and could therefore be influenced....But here's my logic.

1. The assassin. If nobody had agreed to kill her, she would have lived.
2. Whoever hired the assassin. My first inclination was that it was the husband, but even if it was the lover or a mysterious other party I would rank them the same.
3. The lover, if he did not hire the assassin. I mean, surely the woman explained the situation to him? How terrible a person do you have to be to make someone close to you risk their lives?
4. The wife. She doesn't do anything to knowingly put herself in danger, but it's her fault she's out having an affair in the first place. Also, it's her own stupidity for not having money on her or thinking of someplace else to hide.
5. The boatman. He's kind of a jerk for not listening to her desperate appeals, but hey, he probably gets a lot of that.
6. The husband, if he did not hire the assassin. He may be neglectful, but that's not an excuse for her to cheat. He's probably clueless about the affair and his wife's imminent demise.

 

[snoochface]

Assassin first, for causing the death.
The wife, for being in the position to get killed.
Then lover, for aiding and abetting wife.
Then boatman, for being a jerk.
Husband has no blame that I can see.

 

[snoochface]

Just looked at the results, and they couldn't be less true for me

 

[heart of peace]

Then boatman, for being a jerk.

This made me lol!!

Who is responsible for the wife's death?
Husband and boatman have no responsibility in the death of Wife

sdmasanjose, would you say you tend to be a more literal kind of person?

 

[alfrodull]

My list is pretty much the exact reverse of how I would rank my priorities, actually. Although "magic" is kind of ambiguous. Is the boatman supposed to be an allusion to Charon? Wow, wouldn't that open up some interesting interpretations...

And this is why you should discourage your children from taking literature courses.

 

[sdmsanjose]

Originally Posted by sdmsanjose http://www.christianforums.com/t7374688-post51975897/#post51975897
Who is responsible for the wife's death?
Husband and boatman have no responsibility in the death of Wife
sdmasanjose, would you say you tend to be a more literal kind of person?

The way I got my answers was to take the information you gave and not assume anything.

The husband was leaving on a business trip and refused to take his wife. What responsibility for the wife’s death can we get from that? Without assuming something that you did not provide I see no responsibility.

The boatman is in business to make money. She did not have the money to pay. How is the boatman responsible for the death?

In my job I am taught not to assume anything. When you assume something it almost always involves a bias or prejudice and in my line of work that can get you sued and fired big time for bias and prejudice!