Tim's friendship with Nicola and Lawrie.

[jackmerlin.livejournal.com]

I was going to say some of this on the last thread, then thought it might make a thread on its own. I was thinking that Lawrie is a perfect friend from Tim's point of view. Tim is the sort of person who doesn't need strong, independent friends and Lawrie is needy, weak in some respects, fearful and a bit daft, all of which fulfil Tim's need to be the dominant character in a relationship. But Lawrie's acting ability make her interesting and important enough to go on being Tim's Best Friend - having a genius actor for a friend reflects well on Tim (in Tim's eyes).
Tim's relationship with Nicola is different. In Autumn Term we are told that Tim is used to choosing friends who are flatteringly grateful to be her friend , then devastated when she gets bored of them and dumps them (a fate that I suspect would have happened to Lawrie if it wasn't for the acting ability.) Nicola, however is independent, and Tim doesn't quite know how to deal with her. When Nicola moves up to the A class ahead of Tim and Lawrie she starts making friends with Miranda, and by the start of End of Term is forging new friendships with both Miranda and Esther. At this point Tim decides that she doesn't like Nicola. Although the reader knows that Nicola is hurt by this, she doesn't show her emotions and I suspect Tim is piqued by Nicola's lack of obvious devastation. By the beginning of Cricket Term she wants to be friends again. Is she realising that being friends with Lawrie is a bit wearing without Nicola around too?

Comments

[hooloovoo_42]

It might be the difference between 11 and 14. Tim is still self centred and likes to be admired, but is maturing to some extent. Yes, Lawrie is going to be a Famous Actress, which makes her the perfect Best Friend material. But Nicola just gets on with stuff. While Lawrie is making a drama out of not being able to flame amazement, Nicola just takes if for granted that she has to appear as Lawrie's singing double until she doesn't have to. Meanwhile, Nicola is busy with her own stuff, like trying to get to form cricket team into some kind of impossible order and being quite good at Maths. Tim can relate to that somewhat because she's trying to get into the ASM stuff, which is what she wants to do. So maybe Tim is beginning to realise that steady application is the way to go, even with leaps of imagination. It doesn't stop her being friends with Lawrie, but it's possible to be friends with more than one person in different ways.

Whichever of the books talks about Ginty's coterie breaking up from being 6 to being 3 sets of 2 is almost going the other way. Instead of it being Tim & Lawrie and Nick & Miranda with a side order of Esther, it could be Tim & Lawrie with additional Nick & Miranda + Esther as a wider group without there being any snarky comments going on.

[sprog-63.livejournal.com]

I think the symbiosis of Tim's production abilities and Lawrie's acting is both what created the initial bond and what maintains it. Up to then her interest is slightly towards Nicola (new desk) but fairly balanced. But Lawrie finds her after she has permish to do the play and that's where the special bond begins. And then of course there is Lois, who not only rescues their play but puts a wedge between them and Nicola: which further pushes them together. Does Tim only stay interested in Lawrie because Lawrie is fantastic material for producing plays? (Or because is amused by her?) Throughout there are indications that Tim would like to be closer to Nick, is Lawrie a vehicle for this? Is Tim occasionally so unpleasant to Nicola because she feels cold-shouldered by her?

Sudden thought: do you think Tim is initially drawn to them both simply because they ARE the Head Girl's sisters and "Illustrious Marlows"? She is very aware of her own position as Headmistress' Niece, uses that argument to get them all sitting in front row of Third Remove: she wouldn't want to be friends with a non-entity would she? Perhaps her bullying of Pomona is partly to distance them and ensure she isn't stuck with her as a "friend from home"?