The CBB :: View topic

through

#1: Cornelia Author: Bee, Location: Canberra, Australia

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 3:08 am
—
I was reading "A United Chalet School", and it's in this book that the girls really learn about Mademoiselle's condition. Corney (one of my favourite characters, btw -I feel very sorry for her here!) takes the news badly, as Mademoiselle was like a mother to her.

Quote:

Cornelia departed, and Matron arrived half an hour later with the milk; saw her take it; then made her lie down, covered her up, and, stooping, kissed her. "I know, Corney," she said. "I've only this for you, child. As one door shuts, another opens. And Mademoiselle wants you girls to face it as bravely as she is doing. Goodnight, dear."
Cornelia turned enormous blue eyes on her. "Guess I - feel 'sif - my mother - " She stopped, unable to go further; and Matron, with a final pat, left her, knowing that Corney would feel everlastingly disgraced if anyone saw her cry.
All the same, the coming years were to show her a true prophetess, and Cornelia was to have such a mothering as even Mademoiselle had never given her.

Anyway, what I want to ask is who gives Cornelia the mothering later on???

#2: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 3:51 am
—
I don't think anyone is ever mentioned in the books. But I do know Corney mothered the Pertwees later on when there own Mother died

#3: Author: Squirrel, Location: St-Andrews or Dunfermline

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 8:46 am
—
Um... Jo, or Hilda? Those would be the main suggestions anyway. After she leaves school - I guess that unless it's by letters, someone we don't know about, or friends. Or she pretty well mothers herself. Thinking about it - there's a drabble about Corny as she get's slightly older Josie's "in the eye of the beholder. That's part one, part two is also available in the archives.

#4: Re: Cornelia Author: Lottie, Location: Humphrey's Corner

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 9:20 am
—

Bee wrote:

I was reading "A United Chalet School", and it's in this book that the girls really learn about Mademoiselle's condition. Corney (one of my favourite characters, btw -I feel very sorry for her here!) takes the news badly, as Mademoiselle was like a mother to her.

Quote:

Anyway, what I want to ask is who gives Cornelia the mothering later on???

I always read that as meaning that Matron, herself, took over mothering Corney.

#5: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 10:51 am
—
I suspect this may be an EBDism!

#6: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 11:37 am
—
Me, too.

She writes those prophetic statements quite a few times across the series about various people, and I guess this time she forgot to follow it up.

I'm not sure, from the wording, whether EBD means us to think Matron will mother Corney or whether she means the mothering will come from a different source - Jo, for instance. I can't think who else she might mean - I would have said Hilda was the most likely, but she is probably out because EBD tells us in Exile that she (the Abbess) had no idea of Corney's affection for Mlle LePattre...

Although, EBD might still have meant Hilda at the time, and then forgotten that too!! Laughing

#7: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 11:43 am
—
I don't think Corney could ever have seen Jo as a mother figure - there isn't enough difference in their ages. And at the time EBD wrote that, Jo wasn't a motherly type.

I wonder if EBD had some vague idea of giving Corney a stepmother. But more likely it's something she put in just to round off the scene, not anticipating that she'd ever need to follow up on it.

#8: Author: Bee, Location: Canberra, Australia

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 12:59 pm
—
I can't see Jo mothering Cornelia either - they've been friends too long, and Jo is only a few years older.

I like the idea of Corney having a stepmother though! I can just imagine her having some major arguments if the stepmother started enforcing some rules and restrictions to say, spending... Twisted Evil

It probably wasn't very important in the series, and as Loryat said, just another EBDism! But I did always feel for Corney with Mademoiselle's ailing health, and would have liked to see another relationship established between them. It seemed as if Cornelia and Mademoiselle's close relationship came rather out of the blue, though - I can't think of any instances in earlier books where this was portrayed. (Of course, so far I've only read Armada paperbacks... so if you know of anything from the uncut versions, please let me know!)

#9: Author: macyrose, Location: Great White North (Canada)

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 5:19 pm
—
Bee wrote:

Quote:

It seemed as if Cornelia and Mademoiselle's close relationship came rather out of the blue, though - I can't think of any instances in earlier books where this was portrayed. (Of course, so far I've only read Armada paperbacks... so if you know of anything from the uncut versions, please let me know!)

I agree. I have all the hardbacks and I still can't find any instances of Mademoiselle treating Cornelia differently than anyone else. I can see how Cornelia might look upon Mademoiselle as a mother-figure since she's doesn't have a mother of her own and Madge might be too young at that point for that role, but I still don't see any indications on Mademoiselle's side that she sees Cornelia as anything different from any of the other schoolgirls. As for who gave Cornelia the mothering after Mademosielle's death I could never figure that out either as I can't remember any instances of that being shown or even talked about.

#10: Author: Clare, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 6:16 pm
—
In the hospital in Exile after the plane crash, doesn't Cornelia thank Joey for helping her to get through Mademoiselle's death? So she'd have been some support for Corney, though not the likeliest candidate.

#11: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 9:42 am
—
I don't think Corney's Mothering needed to have especially come from someone at the Chalet School. I read it as it happens but maybe later in life perhaps her Mother-in-law filled that place and she got an even more of a sense of family than she would have with Mademoiselle

The CBB -> Anything Else

output generated using printer-friendly topic mod. All times are GMT + 1 Hour

Page 1 of 1