True - unfair as Mrs Marlow's Cricket Term letter is, her reasons do make sense somewhat, albeit in a somewhat backhanded way as she herself has the good grace to admit. And I see what you mean about buying into the values of the book (or at least that of characters I like) while I'm reading it, so it's probably just as well that AF's characters, however minor, are rarely if ever entirely abject.
Having said that, it fascinates me how Mrs Marlow runs off to see her husband and leaves the entire lower deck to its own devices at St.-Anne's-Byfleet - incidentally right after two of them (including one of the more sensible ones) give her the shock of her life when they barely survive their stroll-in-a-storm along the Undercliff that morning. Just a bit surprising coming after AF's description of the secretly heart-in-mouth parent who still thinks instinctively of rheumatic fever where the twins are concerned (unless this is Mrs Marlow over-compensating in her efforts to appear tough and unharassed).
Of course I'm looking at this through 21st century lenses, not knowing if this would have been reasonable circa half a century ago, so I'm not really in a position to judge Mrs Marlow. But I would be interested as to what Rowan thinks of her - both before and after all those breakfasts and dinners and evenings together at Trennels.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-12-07 09:06 pm (UTC)Having said that, it fascinates me how Mrs Marlow runs off to see her husband and leaves the entire lower deck to its own devices at St.-Anne's-Byfleet - incidentally right after two of them (including one of the more sensible ones) give her the shock of her life when they barely survive their stroll-in-a-storm along the Undercliff that morning. Just a bit surprising coming after AF's description of the secretly heart-in-mouth parent who still thinks instinctively of rheumatic fever where the twins are concerned (unless this is Mrs Marlow over-compensating in her efforts to appear tough and unharassed).
Of course I'm looking at this through 21st century lenses, not knowing if this would have been reasonable circa half a century ago, so I'm not really in a position to judge Mrs Marlow. But I would be interested as to what Rowan thinks of her - both before and after all those breakfasts and dinners and evenings together at Trennels.