Posted by Peter H on October 17, 2005 at 20:04:12 from 86.137.75.4 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Questions about Nancy posted by Jock on October 17, 2005 at 17:32:22:
On the contrary, the questions posed by Jock are highly 'inclusive', because they invite us all in to try and find an answer to them, in contrast to a nuanced dialogue between two people on a non-AR topic with obscure acronyms, which is code for 'keep out'.
I don't find Nancy a clear-cut character at all, but rather see her as a sort of energy force in the books. She is one-step removed from us, but that is why she is so fascinating. She is the one person who can influence events when she is not present, as in Winter Holiday.
'Deus ex machina'? No - because in the Ransome books Nancy is 'Deus', and she isn't 'ex' anything! She is also rather too down-to-earth to be a Goddess.
Thank you for these serious questions, Jock, and I hope others will follow up with their thoughts. The role of Nancy is indeed important.