Marlow Family Liking Lists

[childeproof.livejournal.com]

We know that Nicola has a fairly well-established Family Liking List, according to which she habitually ranks the members of her family, with Ann always coming last, presumably after Bucket, Tessa, and assorted Marlow horses. We might also assume that Giles tops the list, with Rowan close behind him.

My questions are (because I've just begun what looks to be hellish workday, full of politicking and collegial back-stabbing, and I fancy some Marlovian amusement on the side):

How do the rankings work in the middle of Nicola's list - who is next to Ann as second-last? Ginty? Does Lawrie figure as a kind of twinnish second-self or would she get her own independent liking ranking?

Also, f we imagine the other Marlows to have their own Family Liking Lists, how do they rank each other? (If Ann were to allow herself for a moment to be uncharitable enough to deviate from 'But of course I love them all the same - they are my family', who would she like most? Karen, who seems to be least unpleasant to her?) What does Giles really think of the Marlovian Lower Deck? Are we to assume Peter hero-worships Giles, or does his slightly-taken-aback reaction to no longer being the only male on the scene in Run Away Home indicate seething sibling-Naval rivalry?

Comments

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I've never thought Nicola had that much of an opinion of Karen, though they seemed friendly enough at the beginning of RMF and she's willing to go and drop off books for infant Dodds.

I think Lawrie's probably higher up Ann's list than Nicola because she isn't so prickly about being fussed over.

I have no idea how brothers work when there are that many sisters in the way - Giles is six years Peter's senior, which still leaves a bit of a window for Peter being old enough to tag along and not need nappies changing or the like whilst Giles is still at the Swallows and Amazons adventuring sort of stage, but he does, as you say, seem to react in RAH with clowning and unwillingness to be conscripted rather than relief at having another masculine ally about the place.

[blonde222.livejournal.com]

i always thought (and I may have read this somewhere) it went: Giles, Ro, Peter-and-Lawrie-equal, then Gin, Kay and Ann.

But then, I think there's movement, particularly on the Binks front.

[forester48.livejournal.com]

I don't think Peter hero worships Giles, more nose slightly out of joint when Giles returns briefly and immediately assumes alpha male status. I agree that Ann would put Karen at the top of her list, then Lawrie because she lets Ann do all her jobs for her quite happily. It wouldn't occur to Giles or Rowan to rank their family members although they themselves are very close, of course.
I always found it very patronising of Giles in RAH to suggest that 'the infants' (Lawrie and Nicola, both agile and 14 and a half) wouldn't be able to manage a simple bit of rock climbing. I think Giles sees all his siblings, apart from Rowan, as not very capable and rather younger than they actually are. He never knows how old Nicola is, for instance. but then I can't stand Giles and never have been able to. Much prefer Peter.
My liking list, to digress, is: Rowan,Peter,Lawrie,Karen,Nicola,Ginty, Ann,Giles.