Posted by Prue Eckett on June 27, 2002 at -1:22:49 from 210.55.243.31 user Prue_Eckett.
In Reply to: Re: Susan & Dorothea posted by andy clayton on June 26, 2002 at 20:29:12:
Susan is an interesting character from the point of view that so many expectations are heaped on her by the natives and the other Swallows & Amazons, but a lot of expectations come from inside her and I think her snideness is partly when her ego is challenged.
On the voyage to Wild Cat the first time the subject comes up about houseboat and she says she wishes they lived in a boat all year round. John says he and Roger will one day and immediately she goes on the defensive, arguing a destroyer isn't the same and following it up with some housekeeping anecdote to prove her point. Certainly over the question of a better harbour than the landing place its what she doesn't say rather than what she says that is so pointed. She uses no less than three arguments to try and convince Captain John not to even go looking, and when he finds the harbour, whoops, she's too busy cooking to go and look. Its only after she's got over her fit of pique that she finally has a look and admits just how fine a harbour it is.
After the Amazons sail around Wild Cat and defy the Swallows with their skull and crossbone flag she disputes they are pirates, and after the long night of skullduggery she has the energy to argue with John as to whether Amazon has anyone in her when they find her anchored near Cormorant Island. Again she says nothing when proved wrong apart from a rather snippy 'Well done, Titty'while John is effervescent over her inspired act of taking off with the boat while the Amazons were on the island.
There are several more incidents in the same vein but her lowest point is when Titty tells of the sounds in the night while anchored off Cormorant Island and Susan accuses her of romancing, another way of telling her she's a liar. Interestingly, when Nancy supports Titty's supposition she is silent, and includes a swing at Titty when John tells her later Captain Flint is chasing Nancy in the dinghy. Finally when Titty finds the treasure she can only say she supposed Titty wasn't dreaming after all.
All this is only in Swallows & Amazons but a quick flick through the other books shows much more in the same vein.
There is no doubt Susan can be a good older sister. There are several well written incidents when she supports Titty, Roger and Bridget emotionally, but this shouldn't blind the reader to the negatives of the character.
Of course it all depends whether the reader wants to be objective. Any book ever written can have holes picked in it if the reader wants to, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed over and over.