Mrs Bertie - urgh, do agree, and having just recently read Lucy Lethridge's "Servants" I've a lot of thoughts about the Forest servants, though mainly re Peter's Room. One of Lethridge's comments is how much servants hated having to call upper class children "Master" or "Mistress" - as of course Mrs Bertie does here as in all the books. It grates. I'd agree Forest's depictions are more subtle in later books.
Mrs Marlow - I'd say the same for Mrs M, who seems to me a complete stereotype, almost a non-existent character in these earlier books - really could be substituted by any mother from a children's adventure story of the period (typical piece of dialogue "Oh Jon!") In the whole breakfast time conversation she doesn't say anything that doesn't relate to worrying about/reproving her children, or expressing interest in Patrick's health.
Geoff Marlow/Jon by contrast say a lot about a lot of things. Actually it's rather sweet (though I'm not sure very believable) that the men are so interested in the minutiae of Kingscote life, and the ins and outs of adolescent friendships.
I have a theory that it's because of the dominance of Commander Marlow that she gets rid of him in later books - it's harder to give the junior Marlows autonomy if he's around, and very difficult to imagine a lot ot things happening - the Thuggery Affair advdenture, the twitting of Edwin and the whole situation that develops there - if he was about the place being masterful and commanding and the natural authority figure. In his absence I think Mrs M herself becomes a lot more interesting as a character - and with a lot more spikiness, which I like - but she never becomes an authority figure in the same way.
Mrs Bertie/ Marlow Parents
Mrs Marlow - I'd say the same for Mrs M, who seems to me a complete stereotype, almost a non-existent character in these earlier books - really could be substituted by any mother from a children's adventure story of the period (typical piece of dialogue "Oh Jon!") In the whole breakfast time conversation she doesn't say anything that doesn't relate to worrying about/reproving her children, or expressing interest in Patrick's health.
Geoff Marlow/Jon by contrast say a lot about a lot of things. Actually it's rather sweet (though I'm not sure very believable) that the men are so interested in the minutiae of Kingscote life, and the ins and outs of adolescent friendships.
I have a theory that it's because of the dominance of Commander Marlow that she gets rid of him in later books - it's harder to give the junior Marlows autonomy if he's around, and very difficult to imagine a lot ot things happening - the Thuggery Affair advdenture, the twitting of Edwin and the whole situation that develops there - if he was about the place being masterful and commanding and the natural authority figure. In his absence I think Mrs M herself becomes a lot more interesting as a character - and with a lot more spikiness, which I like - but she never becomes an authority figure in the same way.