Yes, absolutely: it is an extra-ordinary decision. Yes we are looking at a mid 20th century situation from a 21st century, perspective, but even so: what would Rowan ever get out of doing this?
I had a few thoughts on why Pam may put up so little objection. Perhaps it suits Pam well too. She may well view the thought of being isolated at Trennels with trepidation. Since having the children she has only had a total of two and a bit terms without at least one child at home and they were in her home in London. Perhaps she doesn't like it? Furthermore, if she didn't go to school herself, she may, like Patrick, under rate things like 'might have been Games Captain'. My third idea presumes on future reading, so I'll be a bit oblique: in RMF Pam Marlow is absolutely clear that she will not stand in Karen's way re big life changing decisions because that is what her own mother tried to do and their relationship has suffered from it. Rowan is only a year or two younger than she was then, and she may be influenced here too by that memory. Plus of course the idea of a career for a girl would be less central to their education - Ann thinks in terms of teaching music or nursing, Karen (later) thinks in terms of NOT teaching - but nothing else really comes to mind; I don't get the impression that Rowan really thinks about architecture seriously - simply that she has outgrown the notion that being a Games Mistress would be a pleasant extension of the nice bits of being at school. My point is that in contemporary context, a girl training professionally (other than teaching or nursing) is not the norm. But even given all that: I think it is a ridiculous decision and the adults (including Giles) are highly selfish to have considered it, let alone accepted it.
Makes a good story though, and keeps Captain Marlow out of the picture - which is an absolute pre-requisite for a children's adventure story and a rare nod to the genre from AF. (Pam somehow doesn't count, does she?!)
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Rowan's decision
Date: 2014-07-26 05:29 pm (UTC)I had a few thoughts on why Pam may put up so little objection.
Perhaps it suits Pam well too. She may well view the thought of being isolated at Trennels with trepidation. Since having the children she has only had a total of two and a bit terms without at least one child at home and they were in her home in London. Perhaps she doesn't like it? Furthermore, if she didn't go to school herself, she may, like Patrick, under rate things like 'might have been Games Captain'. My third idea presumes on future reading, so I'll be a bit oblique: in RMF Pam Marlow is absolutely clear that she will not stand in Karen's way re big life changing decisions because that is what her own mother tried to do and their relationship has suffered from it. Rowan is only a year or two younger than she was then, and she may be influenced here too by that memory. Plus of course the idea of a career for a girl would be less central to their education - Ann thinks in terms of teaching music or nursing, Karen (later) thinks in terms of NOT teaching - but nothing else really comes to mind; I don't get the impression that Rowan really thinks about architecture seriously - simply that she has outgrown the notion that being a Games Mistress would be a pleasant extension of the nice bits of being at school. My point is that in contemporary context, a girl training professionally (other than teaching or nursing) is not the norm. But even given all that: I think it is a ridiculous decision and the adults (including Giles) are highly selfish to have considered it, let alone accepted it.
Makes a good story though, and keeps Captain Marlow out of the picture - which is an absolute pre-requisite for a children's adventure story and a rare nod to the genre from AF. (Pam somehow doesn't count, does she?!)