Friends at Kingscote/Trennels

[carmine-rose.livejournal.com]

So... um... I didn't realise my post yesterday was going to engender quite that much debate! Maybe this will get a discussion going with a less "poles-apart" feeling.

Who would you prefer as a best friend, Tim or Miranda? And why? And why would Tim be attracted to Lawrie, since they seem quite dissimilar? And dislike (if Nicola's feelings are correct) Nicola?

Was Peter reasonable to feel jealous of Nicola's growing friendship with Patrick? Or Nicola to feel resentful of Ginty's relationship with him? (If she did feel resentful... Would you say she was actually jealous, and if so, are her feelings for Patrick romantic or just friendly?)

Which of the Marlows would you rather have as a best friend? And why?

Discuss!

Comments

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Which of the Marlows would you rather have as a best friend? And why?

I'm very tempted by Giles from what we see of him in Run Away Home, but I don't think I'd actually, in-real-life, want to get mixed up with someone who would go round setting off in inadequate boats with misplaced Swiss brats.

Oddly, the person I was closest to in my teenage years was pretty much a dead ringer for Ann.

Ginty would drive me demented, since I don't have Monica's sturdy sensibleness.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

It's possible that Ann might be better to have as a friend than as a sister: look how popular she is with her Guide patrol, when she's not in 'Little Mother' mode. Though her form-mates do find her unco' guid over not playing the interform cricket match to lose.

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

That's actually one of the moments when I really, really like Ann.

[owl]

One of the few...another at the start of Attic Term when she's snippy with Nick (humanity at last!), and a conversation somewhere when Nicola realises that Ann sees through Ginty as well.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Ooh, true. I'd forgotten about the cricket match, but they do seem quite tolerant about it, saying 'Just as you like, sweetie' and crossing her off the list - I don't get the feeling they're muttering in corners about her.

Then again, I never remember seeing Ann with friends at Kingscote - there's no one accompanying her to Early Service swinging their boater and talking about what a mess that was of a Sung Eucharist, or whatever. I kind of hope her friends are just less obtrusive than Ginty's mob, rather than being nonexistent.

[anstruther.livejournal.com]

I think at the beginning of End of Term Nicola tells Ann to go and find some of "her crowd" on the train to school, which may indicate the existence of friends - I certainly hope so!

[oursin.livejournal.com]

There is a mention somewhere about Anne and her mates not being soppy like certain of their classmates who sigh drippily, while holding hands, over the Chinese robe in the art room.

She may have a whole entourage of people who depend on her to take of them and clear up their messes, but this goes, I think, counter to anything in the text which suggests more a rather robust competence in the school context.

[anstruther.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, wasn't that in Autumn Term? I don't think we're necessarily meant to infer that Ann has no friends because AF doesn't mention them - I don't think Rowan's friends are mentioned by name (Margaret Jessop and Jan Scott are team mates rather than buddies) but she's obviously one of the Kingscote personalities during her time there.