Why did Jonathan take the bullet....?(Spoiler s)

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There are many reasons why Jonathan would take a bullet for Ripley.

If we assume him to be an extremely logical person he could have done it simply to save his wife. If the assassin killed Ripley he would kill Jonathan and his wife as well.

If we go beyond such logic Jonathan did owe his life to Ripley. He saved his life on the train, in Ripleys house and he actually came back to help him in his hour of need. I suppose he figured him as an extremely close friend. He also came to Ripleys assistance for what he must have assumed was a suicide mission at his house earlier as well.

A third possibility is that he just wanted out.

It can also just have been a reflex. A sudden and unexplainable reflex in a time of shock.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

I thought the scene made it very clear. When Ripley asks him that, he looks at his wife. So long as the mobsters were after him, his whole family would be in danger. His only way to save them was to sacrifice himself (and he was dying, anyway.)


~ Can I cook, or can't I?

Jonathan was dying and he could dye his own way. Plus he and his wife would have been killed if Ripley died. I think he was a hero. I like his wife she was ballsy breaking into Ripley's house to see what was happing.