Tail of the Blue Bird: Ending Reflection

The last fifteen to twenty pages of the novel are so surprising. My initial reaction to the ending was that it was a great way to wrap up the story, however that being said it still leaves a lot of details about the case missing/unsolved so the reader never really gets a full sense of closure. The case aside, I found it very dramatic though not fully plausible that Kayo would so willingly accept death rather than work for a corrupt police chief:

Kayo held the inspector's piercing gaze, knowing that, contrary to the training he had received, he was acting on instinct over logic. 'You might as well shoot me then.' He turned and walked towards the dark mass of the forest beyond the clearing. The last thing he saw as he turned was Inspector Donkor raising his pistol to take aim. (168)

 Not only would he being doing the thing he loves (forensic science) but he would also be making great money. As mentioned in the novel, for him to make a decision like this he would have to do so by weighing his instinct much more heavily than his logic (which is unlike Kayo). This brings me to my next point though. In light of Kayo "acting on instinct over logic" (168) this shows that he has undergone an immense change since the beginning of the novel. As someone who initially made cold, calculated decisions- or at least took that approach towards many things in his life- for him to choose instinct over logic means that he has truly changed the kind of character he is for good. Whether this transformation is for good or bad is a matter of opinion, the point is somehow within this past of week of trying to solve this case he has changed for good. A very satisfying thing about the ending is how we see Kayo defy authority. Earlier in the novel, when he was being pulled over and forcibly made to cooperate with the police force he chose not to fully challenge his arrest. Here, at the end of the novel before he is about to be shot he challenges Inspector Donkor's authority and ultimately shows that he has not fallen victim to the power structure of the law.

Overall a great finish, though it still leaves bits of the case unanswered.