Esther and Lawrie
Jan. 20th, 2014 03:46 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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Why does Esther think Lawrie is an ass? And, given how timid and diffident she is, why does she come out and say so in the Tim/Miranda Shepherd Boy altercation during the art lesson in End of Term? It seems so out of character, and all the other characters obviously think so, too.
Just because she's so fond of Nicola and feels she's defending her against an unjust accusation of being unfair in not relinquishing the role of SB to Lawrie? Or because Miranda has put her on the spot and she has to say yes or no to a direct question? Or does she actually think Lawrie is a bit of an idiot? If so, why? Because Lawrie is a performer, when Esther suffers agonies at the mere prospect of doing anything of that nature (apart from netball...), or because Lawrie whines and strops so much when she doesn't get her way, and unlike Esther, makes no effort to hide her incapacities ('I can't light gas. It bangs at me')?
Just because she's so fond of Nicola and feels she's defending her against an unjust accusation of being unfair in not relinquishing the role of SB to Lawrie? Or because Miranda has put her on the spot and she has to say yes or no to a direct question? Or does she actually think Lawrie is a bit of an idiot? If so, why? Because Lawrie is a performer, when Esther suffers agonies at the mere prospect of doing anything of that nature (apart from netball...), or because Lawrie whines and strops so much when she doesn't get her way, and unlike Esther, makes no effort to hide her incapacities ('I can't light gas. It bangs at me')?
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Date: 2014-01-20 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-20 07:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2014-01-21 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-21 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-22 12:13 am (UTC)So maybe when Miranda put Esther on the spot and she didn't have time to think and get nervous - she came out with what she thought at that instant (especially with Nicola being her Best Friend). She wouldn't necessarily think Lawrie was an ass all the time.
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Date: 2014-01-22 09:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2014-01-29 11:01 pm (UTC)A side effect of this discussion has been an unshakeable image of an older Lawrie cast as a gender-swapped Dogberry, perhaps momentarily harking back to that moment as she complains "Oh that I had been written down an ass!"
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Date: 2014-02-02 02:59 am (UTC)I think the above comments are spot on re why Esther *thinks* Lawrie is an ass - she is fond of Nicola, Lawrie is actually an ass in this book, Lawrie and esp Tim have been quite bullying to Nicola re the SB role - but I am still quite surprised (and 'yay!') when Esther simply says 'Yes' to that question. Perhaps because she's put on the spot (I am a Confident Type but if asked a direct question I act like a five year old and blurt); perhaps because she's having a rare confident moment, or perhaps because she suddenly gets sick sore and tired of Lawrie's INCESSANT WHINING ABOUT THE SHEPHERD BOY.
I also think (this might be in fanfic; apols if not or in canon) that Esther is scared of Tim (rightly so, I think, as Tim Is Mean to shy types like Esther) and perhaps someone equally as strong such as Miranda challenging Tim gave her that confidence.
Also, Miranda/Nick are part of the 'inner group' as described in Attic Term; Esther is inadvertently part of that group because of Nick's kindness to her as a new girl in End of Term, but I think she always secretly disliked Tim in particular and Lawrie in general. So when a 'leader' of the group challenges another leader, and invites Esther to comment, she is happy to
do so as it criticises the leader she dislikes, and it's socially accepted this time to do so.
All hail Esther! I loved forrester48's Esther's Term if anyone can track it down, btw.
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From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2014-02-02 03:02 am (UTC) - Expand(no subject)
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