End of Term query

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I was named after Nicola Marlow, and very pleased I was too when I read the books at around 10-12. I always identified with Nicola because of our shared name and because she was what I wanted to be and wasn't--confident and competent at games--and was--a tomboy, but obsessed with the RAF instead of the Navy. :-)

This year I decided to read all the books I can lay my hands on, and I'm enchanted and very impressed by their quality, depth, and understanding of teenagers. I think I've sorted out ages and terms thanks to this great comm, but I have a question.

I've just finished 'End of Term', which I don't think I've read before. The only bit that doesn't make sense to me is why Nicola is chosen for the Shepherd Boy by Keith. She bases her casting decisions on character (and possibly looks and size) rather than ability, so why does she choose Nicola when Nicola, as far as she knows, has been so unreliable at turning up for netball practices she was excluded from the team? Lawrie on the other hand has done nothing to upset authority, and doesn't already have an important role. OK, I know it was for Plot Reasons, but is there an explanation I can accept? It's so illogical to pick the best soloist they have for the shepherd boy and not the best actor.

Comments

[lobeliaqueen.livejournal.com]

Miss Keith chose Jess as someone of sufficiently good character but after Dr Herrick's (?) arrival to direct the play, he moved people around, based on ability, so that Nicola had a solo. Was he involved in her promotion to Shepherd Boy too? Isn't this the book where we hear a snatch of Miss Kempe and another mistress talking and Kempe says that she argued for "the other one" (or something like that) but that Miss Keith wouldn't budge so she made the best of what was offered? I took this to mean that she really wanted Lawrie but Miss Keith was only prepared to accept Nicola in the role.

Miss Keith is illogical and that does allow for useful plot devices eg Karen as head girl when the twins arrive.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I'd never thought about it, but it doesn't make much sense, even for Miss Keith.

Maybe Lawrie was left on the team as a character-building exercise in the same way that Marie was, but wasn't thought reliable enough for a part in the Play? At this point Lawrie's only acted in The Prince And The Pauper, which there was little staff involvement with, so they don't know that her usual flightiness and tearfulness doesn't apply when there's a play in question.

[ex-lizzzar998.livejournal.com]

This is a re-write of a previous post. I'm not certain why Nicola is chosen rather than Lawrie, but I'm not sure that Lawrie's comparative immaturity is completely plausible as an explanation as her significant talent as an actress seems pretty much agreed,including by Miss Kempe. The play was originally cast on character not talent, though, and Miss Keith may be trying to make a clumsy point in character formation. It is true that she did not directly re-move Nicola from the netball team, but most likely knew and approved of it ( it goes on Nicola's permanent record as "over-confidence" in Attic Term). Possibly she feels that Marlow over-confidence is a bit of a problem (in her Miss Keith way) and that both Nicola (the netball team) and Lawrie ( the play) not getting what they really want will be good for their characters. Maybe this is harsh on Miss Keith, but AF does seem continuely sceptical of her manipulations (as are Nicola and Rowan). It is a relief when a bit of Christmas luck sorts it all out (despite the glorious row ).

Names "borrowed" from AF

[(Anonymous)]

I called one of my daughters Nicola and the other Rowena (after Rowan), the dog was Tessa, the house renamed Mariners, our boat Talisman!
Julia Barnes