Posted by Robert Hill on February 28, 2002 at 19:29:28 from 195.92.168.174:
In Reply to: Church Going and the Great Aunt posted by Terence McManus on February 28, 2002 at 06:53:50:
The general non-mention of religion led me to assume AR was an
agnostic or atheist, possibly with some anti-clerical tendencies.
I can't remember whether anything is said about this in Hugh Brogan's
biography - perhaps somebody else can?
Incidentally I can't think offhand of anywhere in any of the books where
we know what day of the week it is, or where a day of the week is
mentioned.
As for the GA as a sympathetic character ... well, she is not wilfully
malicious. She doesn't take delight in causing people misery for its
own sake. I wouldn't personally regard that as enough basis for
describing her as even a semi-sympathetic character, but others might use
the word differently.
She doesn't, for example, if I remember correctly, acknowledge the real
fears people had for her life when she spent the night on the houseboat,
or thank Coonel Jolys's men for giving up their morning to look for her.