Posted by John (Benedict) Lambert on March 11, 2008 at 19:47:55 from 64.59.144.85 user Benedict.
In Reply to: Re: Beckfoot or not Beckfoot... posted by Peter H on March 11, 2008 at 19:08:54:
Peter, I know you're not decrying the presence of emotion in AR's stories, but I do think it's worth defending. I had grown accustomed to the S and As facing danger and crisis with aplomb and restraint, so when Susan wept in WDMTGTS I was filled with horror at the terrible predicament they were in. If Susan broke down, it really MUST be serious. When John's eyes smarted at his father's praise, so did mine. Perhaps because there is relatively little emotion in AR's works, that when it does appear, it seems all the more important. He knew just when and just how much to inject. One of the most moving scenes is when Titty was left alone on the island after Mother had rowed away. The art of saying a great deal in a few well-chosen words was one of AR's great virtues. I agree, Peter, we don't have enough women on this site. Children too, come to that. It does tend to be a masculine thing - and that's a great pity. The stories were written to appeal to girls too, so why aren't there more of them?