The Enid Blyton Society

Chrissie - forgot to add, I can't exactly picture you but I do remember our last visit there. I do wish Old Thatch was still open - it was lovely for a summer visit and best in late June.

Sally H wrote:Chrissie - not quite:

Thanks, Sally, I just made a post-it note for later at some point when I'll have more time to read them.
Looking forward to another continuation story with some of my favorite EB characters.

Rob Houghton wrote: but it's more noticeable in the Adventure series - especially in 'Ship' where the children's behaviour towards Lucian borders on violence!

What part of their behaviour borders on violence? I'm reading an edition from the 80s I think and I didn't notice any such thing, just that they're rude towards him and shun him.

tix wrote: "He called me all kinds of names," said Lucian, sitting up again. "He — he called me a nit-wit — and a nincompoop . . .

pete9012S wrote:
Does anyone know if this derogatory and offensive term has been removed/replaced in the modern additions?

Liam wrote:It's still in my 2007 MacMillan edition, pg 207. But "derogatory and offensive" seems a bit much. My O.E.D. doesn't label it as offensive - it just means a stupid person. In the Famous Five you have "silly ass" and "stupid donkey", pretty much the same.

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stardust wrote:

Rob Houghton wrote: but it's more noticeable in the Adventure series - especially in 'Ship' where the children's behaviour towards Lucian borders on violence!

What part of their behaviour borders on violence? I'm reading an edition from the 80s I think and I didn't notice any such thing, just that they're rude towards him and shun him.

I would have to read the book again to be quite sure what I meant - but violence in inverted commas is a common thing with the adventure children. I think in Ship they discuss pushing a few of the younger kids overboard because they're aggravating...and in Sea they are only too happy to keep hitting Horace Tipperlong on the head with a big stick! This sort of stuff rarely happens in other Blyton series' - as there's usually a dog to keep villains at bay.

I'm not sure, without checking, that it was more a threat to hit poor Horace, although I know when he had told Bill that Lucy-Ann was the worst, she was highly indignant as she said she was the only one who had said she couldn't.
The children treat Lucian in a kind of bullying way - in fact I know someone who won't read Ship again, because he is so incensed with their attitude. Again, I don't think they physically attack him.

Thank you, Daisy.

Daisy wrote:I'm not sure, without checking, that it was more a threat to hit poor Horace, although I know when he had told Bill that Lucy-Ann was the worst, she was highly indignant as she said she was the only one who had said she couldn't.
The children treat Lucian in a kind of bullying way - in fact I know someone who won't read Ship again, because he is so incensed with their attitude. Again, I don't think they physically attack him.

I agree - they don't actually commit the acts of violence - but there aren't many instances in other Blyton books where the main protagonists even consider violence toward others - except maybe Five Run Away Together and a couple of others. This is why I think the Adventure children come across as particularly realistic.

I've called a twentysomething colleague "nincompoop" a couple of times, but it's more a term of endearment than anything. He doesn't read Blyton, but he knows it from Blackadder!

Nitwit is also a term of endearment in my book, too! People are far too sensitive these days.

Moonraker wrote:Nitwit is also a term of endearment in my book, too! People are far too sensitive these days.

hmmm...yes...I agree!

However, regards the sentence quoted by Pete, its interesting that Enid is actually laughing at Lucian and asking her readers to laugh at him too, purely for being different. I think that's what I find (very slightly) distasteful. Unlike Edgar Stick, who really IS obnoxious and nasty and lazy etc, Lucian is just a bit namby-pamby and silly, and doesn't really deserve the children's wrath (or ours!). He would no doubt improve himself if the children offered a genuine hand of friendship. Enid works hard to make Lucian obnoxious, but she never totally succeeds.

Saying that though, I also think this shows Enid at her most observant - and a good demonstration of how well she could write from a child's perspective. 'Alpha' groups of children DO pour scorn and DO dislike anyone who is different to what they regard as 'normal' - and children DO bully those who don't fit in. Its just the way of the world - so ENid is actually being very perceptive here.

Yeah, and the children in the Adventure Series are most certainly alpha. The kind of kids who might be a little too harsh in their judgement of others, and might be very scornful very easily.

Rob Houghton wrote:

Moonraker wrote:Nitwit is also a term of endearment in my book, too! People are far too sensitive these days.

hmmm...yes...I agree!

An example is that when taught to cannulate a patient we were instructed to say "sharp scratch/little scratch" before inserting the needle through the skin into the vein. To me, this was a lie as it feels nothing like a little scratch. I always said, "You'll feel a little prick" or just "little prick" before puncturing the skin - which to me is exactly what it feels like. If you've pricked yourself on a rose thorn it is exactly like this.

Of course, some of my colleagues thought I was using this old-fashioned/non PC term to achieve comedic effect.

Moonraker wrote:Of course, some of my colleagues thought I was using this old-fashioned/non PC term to achieve comedic effect.

Yes, I've often wondered why medical people/dentists etc always say 'a little scratch' - which sounds rather odd!

Well, now you know.