Posted by Ed Kiser on January 03, 2003 at 04:28:06 from 205.188.209.46 user Kisered.
Where was Rattletrap?
In Winter Holiday, when Mrs. Blackett came to visit them at the
igloo, she said that she had gotten a lift around the head of the
lake to get here, but needed a boat ride to get back home.
This seems to indicate that there was no Rattletrap available to
her to use for this errand. Maybe she did not know how to drive
it yet, or maybe it was there, but not in working order.
When Uncle Jim returns home to Beckfoot, he is driven there by
someone else, unidentified, who just drops him off with his
luggage at Beckfoot and then just drives away.
We first encounter this car in Pigeon Post as the visitors are
being met at the station. The car will take their luggage around
the head of the lake to Beckfoot, but they themselves will sail
across. This car is referred to as "ancient" with badly dented
mudguards.
In Pigeon Post, Rattletrap is spoken of as responding better to
her old master, that being Uncle Jim. This seems to indicate
that the car is really his. Mrs. Blackett sometimes will drive
the car, but apparently with some difficulty as if she has very
little driving experience.
Rattletrap is used in Picts and Martyrs, as it was on a ride in
that car that the GA disappeared.
Rattletrap is spoken of in Secret Water as the means that the
Amazons used to be taken to the station so they could come join
the Swallows.
In Swallowdale, they use a carriage pulled by a horse, with the
GA and Mrs. Blackett and the two Amazons riding in it, but no
car.
This Rattletrap, the car, must be rather old, yet is not spoken
up in the earlier stories. It could be that it was there at
Beckfoot, but not in suitable running condition, until such a
time that Uncle Jim could come and work on it a bit to get it
into running condition. It seems to be his car, as he is the
better driver, understanding how to operate it much better than
Molly. Or it may be that the car worked ok, but Molly did not
know how to drive it, so did not use it, yet there is no mention
of Uncle Jim's using it either in those earlier stories.
Ed Kiser, South Florida...