Talk:The Nithing/@comment-2001:1C02:1703:AD00:FC1D:6E0E:A702:E2E5-20190505150001

I found this a difficult one to pick. Eventually I decided to spare Jonna, because Geralt is a witcher more than a knight or guard. The focus of his job is to relieve the boy of the curse and he does give Lothar a choice to relieve his boy of the curse.

From a moral standpoint, I detest both Lothar and Jonna. Jonna is the most obvious 'evil', for cursing a child for the crimes of his father. I do think the cultural context matters; she is not just a "jealous bitch". She took care of Lothar for ten years, and then suddenly he leaves out of the blue and starts a new family near the village. In no way does that excuse Jonna's actions, but I do think people underestimate the consequences of this for her. Jonna is a mockery in the village, loses financiel stability, has as far as known no children and because she has been 'had', her chances of remarrying after all this are..low. Her entire future is on the line, including the chance of a partner, children and having someone watch over her if she grows older. Meanwhile Lothar has a first-born son, which is the 'heir' of his future and fortune in this time and place. Once again; this does not excuse Jonna's actions at all, but I do think the context matters.

The reason I detest Lothar is because he treated Jonna, but even more how he treats his own family and Geralt. He claims innocence; never having harmed anyone when Geralt questions him. When he hears it's Jonna however, he immediately says how that makes sense and how vile she is. If it made sense, then why does he not tell Geralt that she might be a suspect in the first place? Or confront Jonna himself? Lothar plays a bit too stupid for me. He rather puts his son's life on the line than be honest. And then he asks Geralt to carve Jonna's name in the skull, rather than do it himself.

In short, Lothar is a coward that puts his family in danger and Jonna is a child-murderer. They can both be unhappy with each other and think about their actions in a get-along-t-shirt.