Re: World War One


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Posted by andy bolger on May 07, 2003 at 09:32:24 from 81.131.103.250 user beardbiter.

In Reply to: Re: World War One posted by John Wilson on May 07, 2003 at 06:40:12:

I expect the death rate was even higher amongst fictional characters. Stories, especially children's’ stories are overpopulated with widows, orphans and twins. The only reason to speculate that Bob Blackett might not be dead is AR’s own status as the absent father of a daughter. But any thoughts that he might be estranged, living abroad as a foreign correspondent, or languishing in a Soviet prison camp are knocked on the head by the tenses used in “that was father” and “Bob would have liked them”.
Like most readers (I think) I always assumed that BB was killed in the war but was vaguely aware that the dates might not add up given Peggy’s age. My calculations based on Peggy being about 12 in SD agree with those who argue that the death in the war thesis is plausible but as has been pointed out there were all sorts of other ways to die especially at that time many of them war related e.g the flu epidemic, dying of wounds or other military engagements (such as the British involvement in the Russian Civil War).
The question that poses itself to me is “why are so many people on Tarboard so eager to argue that BB wasn’t in the war and wasn’t an officer?” Is it simple pedantry, the desire to point out that “it ain’t necessarily so” or do they have some other vision of Bob? The most compelling reason that can think of for imagining him as not having fought in the war is AR’s own example. The only reason internal to AR’s works that I can see that would place BB as not being a public school boy and a member of the “officer class” is the very slight one that Beckfoot appears to be the Turner not the Blackett family home. Or is it just that some people don’t like to admit that class is a very good predictor of life chances?
Does anyone have any positive models for BB from among AR’s circle? And what about Molly? We get a more detailed description of her personality and appearance than of most other adult characters in the stories. Who is she? I suppose the most obvious candidate would be one of the Collingwood sisters but which one? Or is there a better candidate?
BTW the father of a friend of mine died in not dissimilar circumstances to those outlined in Ed's story. So that has certain resonances for me.
BTWA Ed I enjoyed your posting. Are you the author? I think it would be fun if someone set up an alternative website or news group ( linked to this one) in which people could post longer pieces as files. Then they wouldn't get buried in threads or annoy those who wan't a quick browse of the latest AR action before breakfast.


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