Fatherhood in the Forest

[tabouli.livejournal.com]

Reading through people's comments on the last post, I found myself musing on the fathers depicted in the Marlow series. Even though none of them play a major role, there's quite a range.

The omniabsent Commander Marlow seems the kind of father who sees putting an expensively framed cabinet portrait of the family in his room as a substitute for taking leave to see them (see also Nicola's preference for a photo of Giles' ship and Nelson over photos of her family members?), but otherwise appears a friendly, no-nonsense sort of fellow. You have to smile at his pragmatic military preference for Nicola's crew cut in Falconer's Lure.

Arguably the most negative depiction of a father in the series is Mr Hopkins. When Berenice proclaims Meg's tormented family life to the masses, Meg shifts from being a workaholic nonentity to a disturbing reflection of her father's abuse, reinforced by his brief, dour cameo near the end of The Cricket Term (in which Forest hints that he also abuses his wife). On the subject of pastoral care at Kingscote, it's faintly reassuring that the school did attempt to intervene on Meg's behalf, even though it didn't succeed.

Mr West is warm and engaging; Mr Merrick is wry and genial, and seems to have a pretty healthy relationship with his son, where Patrick respects the boundaries he sets and wants his approval without fearing him. Our fleeting glimpse of Mr Todd suggests to me a conservative pillar of community type who indulges and secretly enjoys the eccentricities of his wife. Then, of course, there's Edwin, who is the only father whose parenting we see centre stage in the series.

There was a very interesting discussion of Edwin on Girl's Own in 1998 or so, which revealed a divide among Forest fans. Some would have happily had him locked up for the riding crop scene; others agreed that this was appalling behaviour, but allowed him more leeway. He is certainly a stern and authoritarian parent, though when he see him he is under a lot of stress and seems used to being the disciplinarian half of the parental team: see Rose's appeal to Mrs Marlow when he pushes her to stop reading and go outside. I'm not sure what I think of him as a parent, but he's certainly an interesting and complex character.

What do other people think about Edwin, and Forest fathers in general?

Comments

[oursin.livejournal.com]

You've left out Tim's father, who lumbered her with the name Thalia, and seemingly decided, at Miss Keith's persuasion, to bundle her off to Kingscote at v short notice and against her will. Okay, artists have leeway to be eccentric, but he seems to be verging towards the dangerously whimsical and may turn into Dicken's Harold Skimpole in later life if he's not careful.
Thinking over all the rest!

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I think Edwin is a disaster as a husband and a father. One would like to know *what* his wife saw in him.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of trouble believing that Edwin and Kay would ever have got together in the first place, even though AF makes its consequences so believable. Some of the people I knew at university who were dim enough to sleep with their tutors (though I'm not sure, thinking about it, whether we're told that Edwin actually taught Kay - can anyone remember?) were a bit like Kay in being generally a bit young for their age, but she doesn't otherwise seem the type. I usually end up putting it down to him still suffering the aftershocks of separation and then bereavement.

I like Mr Merrick, which isn't something I ever thought I'd say of a Conservative MP. I think my favourite moment of his is when he's knocked sideways by Patrick saying that perhaps he shouldn't be at a Catholic school whilst the Church is saying 'all the wrong things'.

[australienne.livejournal.com]

They were all at home due to the flu epidemic, but it was Rowan...from memory she says something along the lines of "You are sure he wants to marry you?" And admits that it was more or less what she was thinking, but not at all what she should have said. At which point Kay becomes quite sure she's doing the right thing.

Er, hello everyone, by the way.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

I think we are supposed to take Edwin at Nicola's valuation and get to appreciate his finer points, but I just can't get past him being a bully - he is rude to the Marlows when he is their guest (admittedly in trying circumstances, but he is an adult who should have some self control) and a cold and controlling parent with his own children, who have just lost their mother. Under the circs I find his unwillingness to let Chas have the birthday of his dreams just cruel. And I think his choice of a young, relatively naive second wife is all of a piece with his control freakery.

Mostly I like Mr Merrick, but every once in a while I find myself imagining him being involved in some sleazy scandal. Sucking Claudie's toes perhaps?

What do other people think about the marriages in AF? I cannot think of an ideal partnership, the only happily married couple immediately springing to mind are the Tranters who aren't really mainstream characters. Most of the couples seem to have one likeable party and one cold fish (the Merricks, the Wests, arguably Karen and Edwin). Mrs Marlow is a single parent for much of the time, and seems to have issues with her own mother, while her father is conspicuous by the absence of any mention. Even Ginty/Patrick is beset with awkwardness and misunderstanding rather than being an idyllic first love.

[owl]

Perhaps in the 1940s absent naval fathers were taken more as a matter of course, and as the young Marlows spend most of the year at school they wouldn't see their father that much if he were at home. It's arguably better than being an Army brat being uprooted all the time.

[robvic.livejournal.com]

hello! *waves* just found this, and think it's great

<> Hmmm: one does wonder where Patrick gets the 'only in marriage or if it's paid for' theory of when sexual activity is permissible... <>

I never thought of the 'paid for' as actually being financial - probably me being v dense and naive, but I thought more of a 'paid for' as in morally paid for - i.e. if you were in a committed relationship then it was more acceptable.

Also, I love Captain Marlow - esp in Falconer's Lure when he is quoting the Jabberwocky at Lawrie.
His relationship with Jon seems to have been a good one too.