Most of us tend to blame others for the hardships of life. Not so for the characters in The Assistant. They tend to point the judgmental finger at themselves, sharing some of the blame for all of their misfortunes and disappointments. None of them have lived their dreams, few are in a position to take the necessary risks, and they all feel guilty for their lot in life. You might commend their willingness to take ownership of their faults and failings, but this has a dark side. Sometimes they feel guilty when they're guiltless, and this leads them to let others off the hook when they perhaps shouldn't.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Why does Frank Alpine continually fall into his bad habits of lying and theft?
- Who do you think is most responsible for the financial struggles of the Bober family? Why?
- Whose feelings of guilt, if any, do you find excessive?
- How does Frank try to justify his stealing from the Bobers' store?
Chew on This
Upon discovering that Frank was still stealing, Morris was right to fire him.
Morris should have given Frank one more chance before letting him go.