Posted by Peter H on March 21, 2006 at 16:16:25 from 213.122.95.193 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Fathers and Sons (was: A favourite chapter?) posted by JLabaree on March 21, 2006 at 15:54:01:
I’ve not yet found any major piece of writing on parental absence in ‘kidlit’, but a glance through Peter Hunt’s book Approaching Arthur Ransome is always rewarding, and he quotes someone called Juliet Dusinberre who wrote: ‘The child unhampered by parents has become a commonplace of 20th century children’s books since Arthur Ransome’ (Juliet Dusinberre, Alice to the LighthouseMacmillan, 1987). I do recommend Peter Hunt’s book – I don’t always agree with him, but he has some fascinating insights into the AR books and what lies behind them. (I think it’s out of print now, but you might be able to chase one down somewhere.)
AR and E Nesbit – in the Autobiography (p 100) AR says that he met E Nesbit and her husband at G K Chesterton’s flat in London. He didn’t like the monocle-wearing husband (‘a confident, blustering creature . .’), but says that he had a great deal of respect for the works of his wife.
Going back to the absent/perfect father theme, I've always thought this came about in AR's books because, judging by the Autobiography, he felt he had not lived up to his father's ideals, and had let him down (Oh, how I recognise that feeling!).
Mind you, mothers fare no worse in Ransome. Peter Hunt points out that there are no less-than-perfect mothers in the stories. The G.A., I'm afraid, was a spinster stereotype, and would be un-PC today, I reckon