Would you save Ellie?

[GribbleGrunger]

CrazyGamer2017 said:

GribbleGrunger said:

Why do you feel it's necessary to justify what Joel did? There was NO choice. This wasn't a story about saving humanity, it was a story about the road to redemption and Fatherhood. Joel just did what any Father would do and that's it. There's nothing beyond that other than the question of whether the lie was the right thing to do. 

Well out of curiosity, should you have the choice: Humanity or Ellie, which would you go for?  Me Ellie again and again and again... U don't murder someone to save someone else, period and I explained this in detail in my previous posts.

As for the other issue here: The lie. If Joel had told the truth to Ellie, she could have gone into a guilt trip that could have ended up badly. By lying to Ellie, Joel saved her from the moral dilemma, a dilemma that no child should have to be stuck with. Joel took upon his shoulders the weight of his choice of saving her with the consequences to humanity this choice entailed. That is extremely noble of him and an act of love. Not only did he save her from death that the Fireflies would have forced upon Ellie but he also saved her from the moral consequences of that choice. He allowed her to both live and while living, not feel guilt for her being alive and healthy. Joel being the one that must live with the guilt that comes with such knowledge. That's what love is in my book.

As a Father, I'd obvious save Ellie. But it wouldn't be a choice, it would just be instinctive. I've seen many people bringing 'choice' into the equation (which it is AFTER Joel kills the doctor and rescues Ellie) but that exists as part of another context, not 'saving the world'. It surprises me how little people actually pay attention to characters. I suppose we can blame Hollywood and it's obsession with large explosions and quick cuts for that, as well as the pseudo 'grown up' themes of saving the world, preventing famine or achieving world peace. You know ... the sort of thing lots of students say to impress grown ups. You see, if you think back through the character development, you'll find why Ellie would have made the choice, and it wouldn't have been 'to save humanity', it would have been because she was 'waiting for her turn'. 'That's not on her' though, as Joel points out towards the end of the narrative. Ellie was fatalistic and wanted to die for her friend. Whilst the sacrifice would have saved humanity, the real reason for her giving her life up would have been guilt.