Re: Details, details


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Posted by John Wilson on March 16, 2006 at 05:15:26 from 202.154.130.100 user hugo.

In Reply to: Re: Details, details posted by Peter H on March 15, 2006 at 22:59:04:

John going out as a naked savage (SD) reflects the alternative roles that the Swallows and Amazons could play - as explorers or savages. In one of the books Titty thinks that if they were savages they would not have to do school holiday tasks (like learning French verbs in SD), but would have to squat down on their hunkers and eat raw meat. Not an attractive idea! So as explorers they are an advance guard of civilization - or are Western Imperialists if you prefer!

As explorers they can use and make maps, and live off tinned (canned) food, though in PM Nancy is taken with the rabbit that the D’s have been given by Jacky and says “let’s catch our own food”.

Re the idea of them as unselfconscious nudists, I recall reading years ago that even in collectives like the Israeli kibbutz with lots of progressive ideas, early teenagers (as the older SAD’s would have been in the later books; actually John, Susan, Nancy & Peggy but not the D’s) were selfconscious and aware of their developing bodies, so were less inclined to go in for mixed showering etc.

And AR was looking at a mainstream market as Christmas presents, so he was not likely to have a tribe of nudists! The Swallows were based on the Altounyans, but with Commander Walker having a conventional English name and occupation. Taqui became the boy John, to avoid overpopulating SA with girls, and also because John is modelled on AR himself.

In several of the books AR comments on the SAD’s (both girls and boys) when they are wet but not naked - in SA (?) John is like a pink seal on a rock after swimming and in PM Nancy looks piebald after her run to the Dog’s home in the rain.

Saw an item on Beatrix Potter; in a letter of hers to a child fan which is about to be auctioned, she complains that one of her books (The Tale of Pigling Bland) suffered because the publisher said her fans “would be disappointed if I did not screw out my normal Christmas book”.

Looking at the review dates (starting late November), WH (1930) & WD (1937) were published in time for the Christmas market. I suppose Christmas is a deadline for many authors, not just children’s authors.



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