i pretty much agree with you, however i fail to see how alicia actually cares for paula? i've been reading this for so long now that i don't really remember all that happened anymore. but when did she ever care for her? in my eyes alicia is sticking with paula because it's easier than being all alone and there doesn't seem to be any affection or sisterly love coming from her. in fact quite the opposite, alicia is constantly using paula as a stepping stone for her own agendas. so idk.
I’m gonna hold your hands while I say that SHE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT PAULA. I’ve read the novel, she even tried to kill her even though Paula was trying to help her. So no, that girl is a pure villain
I dont really agree with the opinion that Alicia is a monster villainous that deserves the most terrible ending imaginable. I think this story has done a great job at making her multi-faceted. Its clear Alicia cares for Paula, its clear that Alicia has gone through unimaginable childhood trauma, and has shared in the grief of losing her siblings. Paula perceives Alicia as the beautiful, better sister who was favored by their abusive father. WE ARE NEVER SHOWN WHAT ALICIA'S HOME LIFE ACTUALLY WAS LIKE WHEN PAULA WASNT THERE. There aint NO WAY, her father NEVER abused Alicia WHEN THAT MAN KILLED HER SIBLINGS IN FRONT OF HER!!! He was a horrible person who kept EVERYBODY on survival mode. Alicia is a very emotionally stunted girl, who is striving to survive the best way SHE KNOWS HOW. Which means lashing out to others, being petty and spiteful, lying and objectifying herself to use her good looks as an advantage for survival. She is a hurt person, so she hurts the people closest to her (Paula), and projects her own pain onto others to make herself feel better. She is definitely the antagonist to Paula's story. Alicia is a PERFECT example of what unsolved generational trauma perpetuates. She isnt physically abusive, or comparable IN ANY WAY to her father. But she is a horrible sister to Paula. Alicia is SO STUCK in her own grief and problems, that she is unable to give her sister the emotional, mental or physical support that she needs during trying times. I really appreciate Alicia as a character, because this is a very realistic outcome that family trauma creates between loved ones. ITS SO HARD to learn to love someone when you have been pitted against each other to survive. ITS HARD to even maintain a "functioning" relationship with your sibling after LITERALLY GOING THROUGH THE CHILD-HUNGER GAMES!!!! I enjoy Paula and Alicia's disfunctional relationship AND I HOPE, we get the opportunity to see Alicia grow up and mature. Even if they cant ever be siblings to each other after the horrors they both have gone through, seeing Alicia in a time-skip or something, watching her learn to live in a healthy manner as and older person would be a rewarding way to conclude her story. In real life, some people dont even survive their trauma. Watching Alicia take "retribution" for lying to a noble by going to jail for life, getting her hand cut off, or a beheading is NOT the ending that poor girl deserves. She is a greedy little shit head, but she is ALSO a child and a victim. I empathize with her and Paula's story. For my personal life, I'm just glad me and my siblings left our abuse in our teens, and fell into good hands. We have definitely rekindled our very broken relationships and, while we arent 100% there, at least we can confidently say that we love each other <3