Do you think Luis Felipe could have been saved? Was there anything that could have been done after the time we meet him in the book that might have improved his chances or was he a lost cause by that point?
This was so heartbreaking! I had hope for his recovery and truly wanted him to become a standout. I didnt want to believe he was a lost cause.
I hate to think that anyone is beyond saving. However, the saving has to come from within and I believe Luis Felipe was too far down the self-destructive path to recover. Yes, he may have been neglected as a child but as an adult he had opportunities, both in terms of hands reaching out to help him and definitely, the financial means, to make different decisions. Ultimately, he chose his path. It wasnât anyone elseâs responsibility to save him - although, several felt guilty.
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Yes he could have - if he wanted to be saved. Maybe if Eden had entered his life earlier, she could have helped. He had set up his lifestyle to get âevenâ with his father. After his father died he could not change without help. Not the help of a clinic - but from real relationships and friends which he didnât have.
Thomas tried to save him by requiring rehab as a condition of receiving money after his father died. But no one really tried to pursue a relationship with him in order to help him. Everyone seemed to want to use him for their own ends.
This was pretty sad, wasnât it. People did try to save him - I think he said heâd been to rehab multiple times in his teens - but itâs hard to save someone who has such a self-destructive bent.
Interesting question! I think if Eden had married him he could have been saved. I think he appreciated the challenge she represented. She basically had her "feet on the groundâ and told him the truth about his addictions. I think he would have risen to the challenge of being a better person.
I agree with others as I hate to think anyone is beyond saving, but Luis Felipe was intent on self-destruction. At 70, and as a former teacher, Iâve seen people so destroyed by their past that no matter what anyone does, even Eden, the choice has been made by the person themselves. Itâs sad and we have a huge mental health crisis in this world, especially in the USA, and I donât know why we canât get the government to realize that.
I believe he could only save himself with the support of those around him. Addiction is a terrible disease and not easy to live with. It takes ongoing work to experience life without the insulation of drugs or alcohol. For many itâs learning how to deal with emotions. That said, he would need to decide he is sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I really felt he was a lost cause. His problem began at birth.
I think that he was a lost cause by the time we met him in the novel. I feel like he himself was not a lost cause, but that intevention would have had to start far before we met him. I feel like forcing him to go to rehab would not have helped because you have to want to go to rehab on your own merit for it to work. He did not feel like he had a reason to get better. If you donât have a reason to get well, you wonât. I think having a relationship with his dad would have helped. The fact that his dad died without him ever having a relationship with him set him into a spiral that led to his death.
I do not think he coujld be saved. He was so broken and loved his persona as a âplayboyâ that could buy anything. It was very sad.
I thought about this while reading the book. I think he had opportunities, but was so bitter that he ignored them. However, I also realize that addiction is difficult to overcome without support and while he was surrounded by people, they were not necessarily there to help him.
I think he could have been saved if he had wanted to be saved; addicts overcome their addictions every day. However, Luis used his addictions to punish his father and to escape his self-hatred. He was not willing to give up those payoffs.