Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Or, rather, the Ghost in the room.
Price of Angels provides a new - and not complimentary - view of outlaw club life. Specifically, we see Ghost in an even uglier light, when he, at first, refuses to come to Holly's defense. In fact, he's A-OK with handing her over to her abusive family if that's the thing that will keep the club safe. Forget being an asshole, that's downright monstrous. Lots of readers hated him after this book, and I don't blame them - but this is also one of my favorite things about writing fiction: the chance to tell a story with different, and often conflicting viewpoints.
Ghost Teague is not a nice guy. He's the president of a powerful outlaw organization that doesn't hesitate to draw blood when necessary, well-versed in the arts of intimidation and law-skirting. But there's a code of honor within the club, right? And a certain kind of chivalry that pertains to a member's family, their wives and children. So Ghost should have been ready and eager to assist Holly, right?
Wrong.
From our perspective as readers, we've met Holly, learned her backstory, and come to care for her, just as Michael has. We feel protective of her, and we rightly hate Ghost for his callousness.
But Ghost's perspective is very different. He has his own wife and children to look after, and they're his top priority - beyond that, his allegiance and responsibility is to the club as an organization...and to each individual member second. Because if the club goes down; if someone managed to infiltrate it, charges were filed and arrests made, the club would cease to exist. And without the club, what are they all but a bunch of angry guys in leather? From his perspective, Holly is a newcomer; an outsider who's charmed Michael, whom he thought uncharmable. He has no way of knowing, at first, if she's telling the truth about who she is: is she a genuine victim? Or is she a plant? As terrible as it sounds, he has no personal investment in her or her situation; he's not willing to risk his club or his family on her behalf.
Creatively, I had a choice to make. Do I write what felt like an authentic reaction from an MC president? Or do I write Ghost as an idealized father figure? In this case, I went with authentic - I do that in most cases. Ultimately, I think it makes Ghost a more interesting figure; he's not just the good-guy-outlaw. He's a complicated, violent, ruthless man, capable of love, but capable of great coldness, too.
And I also like the chance it provides for the other members to witness that coldness. It's a startling reminder for them all that they are, ultimately, wheels in a cog. It isn't that Ghost doesn't love them, but he loves the club most, and it puts them all on their toes. A sense of uneasiness that's going to follow everyone as the series moves forward.
The Read-Along is still going strong! I'll be posting some final thoughts on Angels today and over the weekend. Today is the last chance to grab it for 99 cents! We'll also talk about the in-between novella Half My Blood this weekend, and then move onto The Skeleton King on Monday.
Happy Friday!
You’re right. I did dislike Ghost after his refusal to help Holly. I thought he was selfish and only put his family’s safety above everyone else which I believed, maybe incorrectly, as a contradiction to the MC code.
ReplyDeleteHe’s equally unlikable when Tango gets kidnapped. His berating of Aidan, who just wanted to rescue his friend, is another contradiction of Ghost when he tells Aidan he has a club to worry about and Aidan just needs to grow up.
But having said all that, I still like him.