BUT I'm newly conscious of the thread running through the whole story of "natives" (adults) and "savages" (the charcoal burners). Just as I was thinking, well, it's toned down a bit in this book, there appears one horrific chapter where Titty makes a voodoo model of the Great Aunt out of candle grease. It's a really well-written episode, with Titty's eager delight in the magic ritual, then her horror when the model slips into the fire, and her on-going guilty terror that she might have done some real harm to the old lady. Ultimately Titty regrets her foray into 'Negro witchcraft' -- and the reader does too. It's such a shame, because there is so much else that has held up so well -- I suspect this is going to be a running theme. But I wouldn't feel comfortable handing this book to a modern child, even though the realistic, independent adventures and the heady mix of imagination and reality are so superbly handled. I think Swallowdale is actually better than Swallows and Amazons -- but not yet good enough for a contemporary reader.
This one wasn't a particular favourite when I was a child but I reread it during lockdown and loved the characterisation and the humour - Nancy trying to protect her mother from the GA's criticism, especially the implied criticism of her father, and Roger picking up on this and telling Mrs Blackett that he likes a lawn with lots of daisies growing on it (because that's something the GA has moaned about). Also the way Susan is written with such quiet humour - I love her getting the camp to herself and thinking that John, although he was the Captain, was just a boy so didn't really understand. How many male authors - from any period - write girls so well? And John's regret over the shipwreck - he analyses every bit of hurry or mis-judgement that led up to it - so the reader just knows none of those mistakes will ever happen again. The children deal resourcefully with rescuing the boat, but it's really Susan's triumph that when the adults turn up everything is under control with no need for their mother to panic - as Captain Flint acknowledges. Susan is never allowed to be just the boring sensible one who does the cooking, there's a real strength to her character.
ReplyDeleteYes, totally agree about the nuance of the female characters, which is one reason why I'm so sad that these books won't get much of a showing these days. Susan is sensible but she also has doubts and anxieties; Nancy is a terrific swashbuckler; Titty delves into her wonderful imagination; and I always identified with Dot, who was so anxious not to come up short, and was even more of a writer than Titty. Even Peggy gets her moment in the spotlight when she has to take over from Nancy in Winter Holiday. There is such a range of characters, someone for every reader to aspire to or identify with, and it's such an achievement when you think how insipid a lot of girl characters are! Their individual characters really begin to shine in this book.
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