Posted by Ed Kiser on March 12, 2005 at 21:33:08 from 64.12.116.6 user Kisered.
There is no mention of the great aunt in SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS, but the Amazons do refer to some sort of problem situation with the natives, thus being the reason for their not being already on the island. Uncle Jim is trying to write a book, and wants to be left alone on his houseboat so he can work on it, and for some reason, the Amazons are NOT camping on the island, as has been their normal holiday custom. Perhaps it is to avoid them being around to bother Uncle Jim. As to exactly why the Amazons are not on the island, is not all that clear. There is no mention of the great aunt requiring them to be at home on time for meals, but they do seem to need to be based in Beckfoot rather than the island. Later on in the story, after the houseboat break-in, they do get permission to come and camp out with the Swallows on the island, but that change is actually rather late in the book. Not sure what has changed regarding the natives as to their shift of policy to let them come to the island.
There was a similar problem in SWALLOWDALE, except this time, it is identifed as being the great aunt that expects them to be on time for meals, to be dressed properly in frocks, and otherwise definitely cramped in their desires to enjoy the holiday.
Of course, in PICTS AND MARTYRS, the great aunt was a very definite presence causing quite a shift in what activities they could do, including having the D's as guests while Mrs. Blackett was away, thus necessitating the displacement of the D's to the Dogs' Home for the duration of the visit of the great aunt.
There seems to be a problem with the Amazons. They had been camping on the island in previous years, but for the time of these lake stories, for some reason or another, they spend so much of the book NOT on the island, getting to camp there only very late in the holiday. In SA, they got there essentially just in time to endure the storm, which is fortunate, as their tent was the only one to survive the winds. In SD, finally the great aunt went away, so at the end of the story, the Amazons were able to join the Swallows.
Even in WINTER HOLIDAY, when camping out overnight was not to be considered because of the cold weather, Nancy was not around for much of the story, being sick with mumps, but still having her effect on the group in spite of her physical absence.
There is also some very similar themes involved here. In SD, Titty discovers a cave, Peter Duck's cave. In PIGEON POST, Roger discovered the mine in the gulch. These two seem rather similar, except for the presence of rich copper ore.
There is the search for treasure in several of these stories. In SA, the treasure is Captain Flint's book and his notes in the trunk. In Peter Duck's, it is buried pirate treasure. In PM, the treasure is to discover gold. Even in GN, the "treasure" is to get the photographic evidence Dick needs to prove the nesting of the birds in that location.
About the time of the great aunt's departure, there is a trek up Kanchenjunga in both SD and in PM. In SD, she actually LEFT, thus allowing the Amazons to start their part of the camping in tents. In PM, that last day was involved in her disappearance, much to everyone's dismay. It is as if for the celebration over her departure, or very soon departure, they take a climb up the mountain in both stories.
It really is only in PIGEON POST that the Amazons get to go camping with their friends in the series of LAKE stories. Except for the stormy night at the end of SA, and in SD, where the start of their camping with their friends is at the end of the book, we do not get to observe that much of island life with both teams there together. Once they do get together, the story is over.
Perhaps then, it is this struggle to get the the Amazons able to camp together with their friends in spite of native interference that provides the theme for the plot in SA, SD, and PM. Even in PP, there was a kind of native trouble, in that Mrs. Tyson was not at all happy with their camping together, and was threatening to send them packing. This same struggle to get the Amazons with their friends was in WH, but antaganized by a totally different problem, Nancy's mumps.
If we broaden the scope of our study here to go beyond the Lake stories, we see even in SECRET WATER that the Amazons get to join their friends in the camp, but again, not at the first, with their arrival being some time after the Swallows had already set up their projects, essentially exploration and map making. It seems that in SW, the Amazons are someone secondary, almost left out, even to the point that they are a distraction, an apparent problem with the map making project. The Amazon's interest is in other exciting adventures, such as War with the Eels, but only half-hearted with the map making efforts. In the other stories, it was Nancy that seemed to be the dominant force, when she was present, but here in SW, she seemed to feel out of control, which for her is not a customary position. Finally stirring the group into a "War", she again showed her leadership influence, much to the dismay of John, who felt such was just an unnecessary interruption in their primary task of map making. The title of "Commodore" given to John seemed more to be a title in name only, as it was obvious as to who was really the prime mover, Nancy. In SW we see a bit of a struggle between these two as to who is defining the mission, leaving them sometimes at cross purposes.
Yet for the stories of PP and GN, a new "leader" seemed to move to the front, that of DICK as the intellectual one in control, with the others there to serve according to his direction. Yet even here, Nancy was the primary controller of that cooperative effort to support Dick's directions.
It is no wonder that in our affections for these characters, that Nancy holds a very special spot. What an exciting adventure it would have been if only I could have known a "Nancy" in my real life.
Ed Kiser, South Florida