Decisions Essay, Research Paper

It s amazing that every decision people make, no matter how unimportant it may seem, can change the outcome of their day or even, on a larger scale, their lives. From asking someone out on a date to buying a watch; decisions can start a chain reaction of events that can take one on a journey to the unknown. In Carrie s Story in the Dumbtown Inquirer, there are many people who made decisions that led to the death of Carrie Johnston. Amongst these people, the decisions made by the lover, the cab driver, and Carrie herself were the most significant and therefore, made these individuals principally accountable for her demise.

Carrie Johnston s lover can be held responsible for her death as it was this man s selfish and unthoughtful decisions that led to Carrie s fatal walk through City Park. The lover did not offer to drive Johnston home to safety even though he was aware that the vagrant had approached her in an aggressive manner moments earlier. This shows that he is very self-centered because he was only thinking about what might happen to him and not about what might happen to Carrie if she were to walk home alone. Although, the lover had said that he was in the relationship for fun and was not about to risk an encounter with [David] Walker , he should have still given her a ride home out of plain human decency. Not only did the lover not offer Carrie a ride home but he also did not give her any other alternatives to walking home alone. He could have simply walked her through the park, or, at the least, given her money for a safe cab ride home. This negligence and selfishness, demonstrated by the lover, played an enormous role in her eventual doom.

The cab driver is also responsible for her death but in a very different way than that of the lover. The decisions made by the cab driver were strictly made with respect to being a businessman. For example, he refused to deliver Johnston to her home because she had left home without her wallet and could not pay the fare to get home. Even though he heard her entire story, he still rejected her saying he couldn t offer free rides which was clearly a decision made by a businessman. It is understood how unbending the cab driver was on his decision as he, too did not entertain any other alternatives which demonstrates a lack of human decency. It would have been as simple as allowing Carrie Johnston to pay the fare when she was dropped off and it would have saved her life. Working for a taxi cab service includes obeying rules and regulations that the employees are given but in some cases the legal thing to do isn t always the right thing to do and in this instance it cost a woman s life.

In the end, Carrie Johnston herself is just as much, if not more, responsible for her death than anyone else involved because her decisions were directly linked with her death. Her initial choice to commit adultery was the one decision that this whole mixed up tale revolves around. If she had attempted to salvage her unhappy marriage to Mr. Walker, none of the ensuing events would have occurred. Her best friend attempted to show her this point when she said: you made your bed and now you have to lie in it . This emphasizes that whatever happens, she is forced to deal with it herself since she made that decision. Also, if she really cared for her own safety, she would have persevered and searched for other methods of getting home. Instead she chose to risk her life by walking through City Park at night while a potentially dangerous man is on the prowl. Carrie Johnston made several important decisions that night and they were all proven to be unsound as they all led to her passing.