Posted by Edwin M. Kiser on 12/15/99 from MIAMB108-26.splitrock.net:
In the Ransome adventures, the children play at "WAR", or at least that is
what they call it. Somewhere, there is supposed to be the distinction
between "let's pretend", and "reality". Too bad really, to even try to
"pretend" to have a war, even one fought with sofa cushions, ending with a
"walking the plank." It always has bothered me, that the "pretend" wars
sometimes bordered on the edge of violence in the "reality" sense.
The very first time the Amazons and Swallows meet, they meet in a combat
situation. This was war. Thank goodness it quickly cooled to having a
"parley" so they could talk and get acquainted. But until that parley,
there seemed to be a true real danger that went beyond pretense. The
Amazons actually fired an arrow at the Swallows. John had his crew to drop
down to the ground at the right instant so the arrow passed harmlessly over
their heads. It was never quite clear to me that the Amazons deliberately
aimed high or whether it was the Swallows' timely dropping down that
avoided a hit with an arrow. Did the Amazons aim to hit? It is not clear
to me as to what their intentions were. What kind of pretend play is it
when someone gets stuck with an arrow, which looks like was very close to
happening.
Consider the Swallows in that same very quick combat scene. They had
picked up sticks to use as clubs. Were they really planning to bash
someone on the head with those things? Roger had a knife, the one that
Peggy had lost. If the parley had not been called for, just what did he
intend to do with that? Was he going to stick someone with it?
It is fortunate however that a parley was called for, and the bashing with
clubs and sticking with the knife never reached that point, but with all
indications heading in that direction, it has always bothered me that their
pretense so closely reached a point of violence and physical injury in the
real world.
Also in SA, their "war" became redefined to become actually a simple
contest, to see who could capture the other's boat. This did not seem to
have the threat of violence nor injury. Now that kind of competition did
not bother me.
There is one thing to play a war game, but not when those games involve
violence. This violence also bothered me in another book, SW, where the
Amazons actually went over to the other side (traitors?) to attack the
Swallows, an attack that actually was a physical weaponless combat to the
point that one actually rammed his head into the stomach of the other and
knocked the wind out. This was between what was supposed to be the best of
friends, and yet here they were, one causing PAIN to another. PAIN has a
way of making the activity REALITY, not just imagination. Apparently, in
the aftermath of that combat, the two bore no ill feelings regarding the
matter, but somehow, in a real world (not just a story book), I am afraid
that the friendship might have been damaged by such blows.
There was another war that somehow fizzled before it really happened, which
is just as well. In SD, it had been agreed that the Amazons would sneak up
on the Swallows in Swallowdale and ATTACK them. But when they got there,
the Swallows were hiding in the Peter Duck cave. The mystery of "where did
everybody go" replaced the concept of ATTACKING, so the "war" was
apparently forgotten when the Swallows finally showed themselves. But I
worried about that ATTACK, in that, if the Swallows had not hidden, would
their war have resulted in an exchange of blows with fists? I am glad it
did not progress to that point, but just what did they have in mind to do
with this actual ATTACK? Just how violent could this have been, to the
point that things get completely out of hand?
I did not like to see that PLAY between friends should be carried to the
point that it causes PAIN or injury. In SW, blows were struck. I hated
that. You do not hit your friend. You need a different game or contest
that does not involve knocking their wind out.
With all the imaginary adventures these characters enjoyed, I have always
not liked their playing at war. War is not fun; it hurts - really.
Ed