In the short story “A Matter of Balance”, by W. D. Valgardson, although Harold’s decision to leave the bikers seems most beneficial, it is actually an extremely poor choice of action. Firstly, Harold’s betrayal heightens the two men’s motivation to harm him. Rather than just participating in a “practical joke” (5), they are now provoked to take their actions further and attempt to “discover his name and address” (7). While on the verge of falling, they threatened that “[their] friends will come” (7) and rescue them, and that “[they’ll] start looking for [him]”. In addition, not only does his decision put himself at risk of future harm, but it also puts his family at high risk. By leaving the men to struggle, it opens up the possibility for
