Errors in the books

[Rob Houghton]

Many would say that "gypsies" don't have a positive reputation either.

Maybe so - but as a child I always looked upon Gypsies as romantic colourful figures.

[Yak]

I think that sometimes a group of people can feel that they are disliked by wider society and for that reason feel no urge to try to interact with said society or improve the impression that they give of themselves. Romany people have been persecuted for centuries; I can't entirely blame them for feeling marginalised and keeping within their own groups. But yes, I am aware that they do not always help people have a positive image of them.

[Moonraker]

We must also remember how Jews have been persecuted over the years.

[Yak]

Yes, we must ..

[Courtenay]

Agreed. On that topic, now I think about it, I'm pretty sure anti-Semitism is one of the few sins Enid Blyton HASN'T been accused of at some point... or has she??

[Shanku]

Not that I remember reading anything anti-Semitic. She stayed fairly clear of the war and its effects too, didn't she?

[timv]

Enid has been semi-accused of anti-Semitism once, at least in the sense of a remark by a character in a famous modern TV parody that people who had not read her might well assume was based on the tone of her stories. In the Channel Four parody 'Five Go Mad In Dorset' on their opening night in 1982, which used real lines from Five Get Into Trouble, the 'obnoxious rich brat' character (Toby) based on Richard Kent has been annoying the Five by spending a lot of money in a village shop and not saying 'please', for which Julian tells him off; then he gets 'kidnapped' that night from his tent. (In fact he's run away by arrangement with Uncle Quentin to set up a fake kidnap and keep the children busy investigating this.) George? says it serves him right for being rich, and Anne adds 'and Jewish' - which implies that the writers thought that sort of attitude appears in Blyton books, which of course it doesn't. I also remember that at some point in the FF parodies the children say' Hurrah for the Blackshirts' , repeating a 1930s newspaper headline - implying that 'nice' middle class people like them were often soft on the Oswald Mosley party's behaviour.
Of course this is only a 'comedy' - but given that the 'lashings of ginger beer' line in this episode has been used since as 'genuine Blyton' I thought then and think now that it was rather irresponsible. A pity, as the rest of the programme was very funny.

[Moonraker]

Enid has been semi-accused of anti-Semitism once, at least in the sense of a remark by a character in a famous modern TV parody

As this was written long after Enid had died, I can't see why she should have been accused of anti-Semitism!

[pete9012S]

I think the phrase 'lashings of ginger beer' may possibly have been coined after her demise too?
Sadly that seems to have stuck.

[Rob Houghton]

Enid has been semi-accused of anti-Semitism once, at least in the sense of a remark by a character in a famous modern TV parody

As this was written long after Enid had died, I can't see why she should have been accused of anti-Semitism!

As others have said, I think its the fact that the same TV parody used the words 'Lashings of ginger beer' which has since become a phrase everyone associates with Blyton, so therefore it follows that other less savoury lines might also be associated with her because of the TV parody.

In Enid's time, it was much, much easier to avoid being antisemitic than it is in 2018. If you didn't say anything anti-Jewish, then you weren't antisemitic. Much more difficult these days because the meaning of Antisemitism has blurred and now includes being Zionist.

[Moonraker]

I don't discriminate. I'm just anti-people.

[Rob Houghton]

Me too. I'm what they call 'a miserable old beggar' (to put it politely!)

[Nigel D]

I don't discriminate. I'm just anti-people.

I like your style

[Stephen]

I have wondered on these threads before whether Meddle is supposed to be an adult or a child. It seems he is an adult, but is prone to doing childish things, such as sneaking out to the shops to buy sweets, and receiving corporal punishment from his aunt. But the Dean books at least usually depict him as adult height.

However, there's one chapter in 'Merry Mister Meddle' where the illustrator can't seem to decide how tall he's supposed to be!

[Rob Houghton]

Interesting! I've never noticed that before - very observant of you!

As I think I've said before, I've always seen meddle as just 'a pixie' (or is he a gnome? brownie? not sure) - but not a human, so in a way he needn't be adult or child - just 'a pixie' of any age. After all, I think they live to be a thousand years old, lol! it might take them longer to learn things than a human!

Its a bit like Chinky in The Wishing Chair. Sometimes he acts like the responsible character, guiding the children, while at other times he seems rather stupid and irresponsible.