The Secret Seven

[Anita Bensoussane]

I can't recall the details very well but I certainly remember Shock for the Secret Seven being rather a Shock for the Reader on a first reading, with the Seven no longer being the Seven and then the worry over Scamper too. A dramatic but distressing story - probably the most disquieting of the series.

[Moonraker]

I never saw anything untoward in the treatment of Susie by the SS, and still don't. Maybe it was because I was reading them in the era that they were written. My best friend throughout school had a 'big sister' who was never invited to join us. Age was very important in the 50s and we weren't even allowed to mix with boys from other years at school. I can't remember how much older Susie was, or even if she was, my friend's sister was probably 4 years older than us - but she seemed more like a grown-up to us! He also had a younger sister, and I don't think we bothered with her much, either!

[Daisy]

I had always assumed Susie was younger than Jack, but we are never actually told.

[Rob Houghton]

I agree, Moonraker - I think a lot of this has to do with how sensibilities have changed over the years. Even in the 1970's I never gave a thought to the way Susie was treated. The fact was that we all treated younger siblings in a similar manner, and as you suggest, older siblings too. My older sister rarely wanted to play with me (she was six years older) and had her own friends. She considered me a nuisance and a baby. I had friends who had younger siblings and we never wanted them to join in with our games because they would have spoiled them, being so much younger.

In the 1970's we had our own circle of friends, and we were even suspicious and resentful if one of the circle brought a cousin or new friend with them and invaded the circle!. They were outsiders and we didn't really want them. Children can be so conventional and snobbish in their own way!

[Lucky Star]

I had always assumed Susie was younger than Jack, but we are never actually told.

She does fit the stereotype of the annoying little sister so I too always assumed she was younger. I think Blyton kept the rivalry going as a method of adding interest to the characters. Arguably she could have left Susie out and developed the actual Seven better but a little bit of conflict seems to help keep readers interested.

[Rob Houghton]

From a purely technical point-of-view, I think Susie was there to merely 'fill in the gap' when there were no adventures or mysteries to solve. Enid had to make it fairly 'realistic' and so couldn't have mysteries always starting on page 1, so Susie was quite useful, giving her something to write about before the plot got moving!

[Dick Kirrin]

From a purely technical point-of-view, I think Susie was there to merely 'fill in the gap' when there were no adventures or mysteries to solve. Enid had to make it fairly 'realistic' and so couldn't have mysteries always starting on page 1, so Susie was quite useful, giving her something to write about before the plot got moving!

Amen to that! Of course that was one function of Susie. The other ones being to give the reader the feeling of being part of the Seven which was supposed to be a priviledge... Peter as the leader of the pack? No, thanks! I prefer 'my big brother Julian' by far. And of course Susie and her false clues are sometimes annoying and amusing at the same time.

Now, the point that annoys me so much is not really the Seven not wanting her in or the Seven being just as bad. Kids will be kids, and kids can be nasty - why should EB creations be different? Well, with the obvious exception og the Five that is... Modest Dick at it again, I know....
What does annoy me is that things are not as Robert or Nigel described: Susie keeps on trying to bang (literally) on the door that is closed to her and will stay closed. As was said, you would find your own circle of friends, and maybe the two groups would meet and tease one another, playing tricks and such... but usually that would be it.
Susie however, well... does she want to be one of them or does she not? It's somewhat ambiguous to me. Why not decide on a parting of the ways once and for all times?
They could still tease one another - if anyone of you ever bothered to read Astrid Lindgren's Kalle Blomquist series, there are prime examples of how mutual teasing can lead straight into adventure... And if Susie had featured in every third adventure or so, she would have been both bearable and nice.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'd go along with what people have said about siblings often having their own circles of friends and about Enid Blyton introducing conflict to heighten the drama.

Although Susie is in the same year as Janet, Pam and Barbara at school, I get the impression that she wasn't a particular friend of theirs even before the club was formed and that's why she wasn't invited to join. It seems that the Secret Seven boys are also all in the same school year (perhaps a year above the girls?) and that Jack and Peter have been good friends for a long time. So it was natural for Peter and Janet to invite Jack to join the Secret Seven, but not Susie. That's just the way things go sometimes.

I never saw anything untoward in the treatment of Susie by the SS, and still don't.

Not letting her join the club is one thing, but I do recall a few episodes that I thought weren't nice - e.g. Colin making up a rhyme mocking Susie's friend Binkie, someone suggesting that they have a password inspired by Susie's snooping (though Jack says that's going too far and they agree to choose another password) and the Seven being quick to accuse Susie of things that she hasn't actually done. Also, they tolerate her company (but merely use her rather than offer real friendship) when she has something they want to play with, e.g. a new aeroplane.

Of course, Susie herself plays spiteful tricks on the Secret Seven, forms clubs of her own whose main purpose seems to be to annoy the Seven, spies on them (even trespassing on Peter and Janet's parents' land in the process), makes up silly rhymes about them and taunts them (e.g. saying "Sucks to you!" and remarking at a gathering that she hopes Pam hasn't brought "the same miserable biscuits you bring to school to eat at break.")

I agree with Rob that the rivalry sometimes has a bearing on the mystery and "helps propel the plot" but at other times drags on and becomes exasperating.

[Wolfgang]

I agree with Anita, there must be a history between the Secret Seven and Susie. Age can't be the reason she's not with the secret Seven, otherwise Janet and Peter wouldn't be in the same club. Susie and Janet are in the same class at school, so Susie is younger than Jack.
I suppose Susie had been malevolent previously. Despite the fact that Peter also has quite a great ego, I don't think he's ever been that malevolent.
About the wrong accusation (destroying the bonfire), Susie did announce she'd do it, so when the 7 found out about it, why shouldn't they believe Susie destroyed things? Just because she suddenly said she didn't it?

[John Pickup]

I think that the reason the Seven won't allow Susie to join their club is because they know she is brighter and sharper than they are. She is also tremendously loyal to her brother when Peter throws him out in Shock For The Secret Seven. More of her character is revealed to us than any of the regular members in this series. All we ever seem to learn about Pam and Barbara is that they giggle a lot.

[Rob Houghton]

I think that the reason the Seven won't allow Susie to join their club is because they know she is brighter and sharper than they are.

On a recent reread of the series, this fact struck me very strongly. It dawned on me that I had read the books in the totally opposite way as a child, believing Susie to be just annoying and an enemy of The Seven, but this latest read through made me realise that Enid was actually being cleverer with her characterisation than we usually give her credit for. Like John, I also got the impression that the Seven won't allow Susie into the club because they know she is the cleverest of them all - and if you look carefully, Enid actually makes this fairly clear, and paints Susie as very intelligent. Quite often, its hard to tell whether Enid is actually on the side of The Seven, or whether she is really quietly cheering on Susie. I think it's the latter. It's very subtle, but it is there for the reader to see.

[John Pickup]

Exactly my thoughts, Rob. I'm certain that Enid was secretly championing Susie.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I can see that Susie's quick mind could be an asset if only Susie were good-natured and more mature. As it is, she's often mean and cunning in her cleverness so it's not surprising that the Seven are wary of her and her sharpness.

[Dick Kirrin]

Which leaves us with the already pointed out problem that the Seven are just as spiteful and mean as Susie is.

If we had Susie and Binky and some other friends on the one, and the Seven on the other side, there could be some sort of constant teasing and trick-playing. Which would be amusing, yet, what we have is Susie and the Seven tied down in a situation where no one can ever win and where in fact things can only go from bad to worse.

[Rob Houghton]

what we have is Susie and the Seven tied down in a situation where no one can ever win and where in fact things can only go from bad to worse.

Maybe so...but as children they might not realise that!