ext_537 ([identity profile] yonmei.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] trennels 2005-08-30 04:45 pm (UTC)

I don't think she's a particularly good mother

I think she's an excellent mother. The horses pother is really not a good example of it.

The letter to Nicola, on the other hand, is arguable; I think it's an example of how she is a good mother - she's clear about what's happening, she explains why Nicola will have to be the one to leave, and I think she breaks it to Nicola the right way: she could have come to visit and told her face-to-face, but then everyone would have known something was up, and it's obvious Nicola is a much more a private person - I think it's reasonable that Mrs Marlow knew a clear, honest letter was the best way to tell Nicola something as shattering as that.

The only argument on the other side is that you could argue that a good mother always treats all of her children exactly alike, and if they couldn't afford all the girls at Kingcote, none of them should be there. That's a point, except that while disagreeing in principle with private education, I agree with Mrs Marlow that it would have been unreasonable to move Ginty or Ann just as they were studying for exams: and personally, I think it would have done Lawrie a lot of good to be separated from Nicola during term-time. ;-)

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