Posted by Dave Thewlis on April 15, 2004 at 03:45:49 from 68.227.176.107 user dthewlis.
In Reply to: Re: Moving Missee Lee - A challenge to accepted chronology posted by Jim McDowell on April 14, 2004 at 22:55:41:
We have to remember that Ransome was writing fiction -- it's not clear that the Altounyans themselves were as "capable" as the S&As were, for one example. At the same time, I think we discount what "children" are able to do presuming they are raised to and familiar with the issues. It always seemed to me that the Swallows were rather more "capable" than the Amazons (I'm talking about camping and independent (for children) living, rather than sailing - which is another discussion).
But everything we "know" about the Swallows points towards their being raised towards self-reliance, survival and functional skills, and what we would today call "unit cohesion." Both of their parents clearly supported their children's ability to work and function together, manage themselves and their interactions with the world around them, and function on their own. Whereas the Amazons, while strongly independent, are far more tied to their home base (mostly Cook, I have to admit) and we have no idea how on-their-own they've really been as of S&A.
This doesn't sound far off from the qualities parents like Captain and Mrs. Walker would want their children to have, nor from the characteristics the Amazons would have had growing up in their mileau either.
I don't think the abilities the Walker children demonstrated were far-fetched -- simply that they were exposed to, and taught, the foundations as part of their lives.