I don't know that Nicola's acceptance of the task of sweeping out isn't a rather strategic sort of submission, though. Patrick knows full well that it's ungracious of him to suggest she does it when he's been ignoring her all summer, so her acceptance of the task puts him at a slight social disadvantage, forcing him to acknowledge that she's being a good sport about his bad behaviour, at least to the point that he's obliged to engage her in friendly conversation (which he ends up enjoying). It restores familiarity between them, which allows her to open the conversation about Edwin and the farm log. Ultimately I agree that it's not really a healthy footing for a friendship, in that it depends on Nicola being perpetually indulgent of Patrick being a little shit, while Patrick is charmingly sheepish back (a mode ime depressingly typical of boys and men of his social class, and I think it's him that wants shaking) but I think it does show some of Nicola's interpersonal savvy.
Ann's acceptance of chores, meanwhile, always seems a sort of self-mortification, which doesn't admit any sort of reciprocity or trade-off, and so just ends up irritating people, because they can't repay the debt. (Which is not to say that Ann doesn't have a hard billet in her family and her Author).
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Being submissive to Patrick.
Date: 2015-02-13 09:12 pm (UTC)Ann's acceptance of chores, meanwhile, always seems a sort of self-mortification, which doesn't admit any sort of reciprocity or trade-off, and so just ends up irritating people, because they can't repay the debt. (Which is not to say that Ann doesn't have a hard billet in her family and her Author).