Re: The ages of the Swallows and Amazons


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Previous # Next ] [ Start New Thread ] [ TarBoard ]

Posted by Peter Ceresole on March 19, 2004 at 21:42:47 from 193.195.0.102 user PeterC.

In Reply to: The ages of the Swallows and Amazons posted by Laurence Monkhouse on March 19, 2004 at 07:24:31:

This would make John 13 in SD and 14 in PP/WD/SW

And if the Bawdsey date is held to be 1936+, in WD he'd be 18. Which isn't consistent with the character as written, is it?

There doesn't seem to be any way of fitting in the actual dates of the Bawdsey masts - but does it matter?

No, not at all. That's what I meant by saying that it's dangerous to be too pedantic- and why the great virtue of Ransom's novel writing isn't in any way historical accuracy but the essential truth of his portrayal of the characters- and not just the children. In WD, the chapter "Lost! Two days and a boat" is a really vivid and excellent account of an 'adult' day. And the other adults, sometimes played for gentle satire as in PP and PM, are true to life and behave like real people.

The anachronisms are just fun to pick over. But I do love to simply read the books and let them wash over me- imagine myself back into the pages. Clearly Ransome had seen the Bawdsey masts when he visited the Harwich locations and just included them as salient features that he saw. When I read the account of the voyage home, I still see them in my mind's eye, even if they are out of time.


Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
Eel-Mail:

Existing subject (please edit appropriately) :

Comments:

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

post direct to TarBoard test post first

Before posting it is necessary to be a registered user.


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TarBoard ]

Courtesy of Environmental Science, Lancaster

space