You’re quite right,” said MacMaster. “You’re putting your…
““You’re quite right,” said MacMaster. “You’re putting your finger on the thing that matters. If you think it over, you know, that’s always the interesting part of any murder. What the person was like who was murdered. Everybody’s always so busy inquiring into the mind of the murderer. You’ve been thinking, probably, that Mrs. Argyle was the sort of woman who shouldn’t have been murdered.” “I should imagine that everyone felt that.” “Ethically,” said MacMaster, “you’re quite right. But you know”—he rubbed his nose—“isn’t it the Chinese who held that beneficence is to be accounted a sin rather than a virtue? They’ve got something there, you know. Beneficence does things to people. Ties ’em up in knots. We all know what human nature’s like. Do a chap a good turn and you feel kindly towards him. You like him. But the chap who’s had the good turn done to him, does he feel so kindly to””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage highlights how people focus on the victim's character rather than the murderer’s motives, and questions moral judgments about kindness and wrongdoing.
In simple terms: We often judge victims, not perpetrators, and wonder if kindness is reciprocal.
Key Takeaway
Consider motives before judging character.
Themes
morality
psychology
crime
justice
Mood
thoughtful
critical
inquisitive
Type
analysis
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- detective work
- courtroom analysis
- media reporting
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
human nature
beneficence
ethical relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- What biases affect our view of victims?
- How does cultural view of kindness influence justice?
A Different Perspective
Assuming victims are responsible can obscure truth.