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It was, had they but known it, the testing-point of the Prefect system in the Châlet School. Had they given way, or taken no notice of the English girl’s defiance, it would have been ‘good-bye’ to all hope of self-government. Luckily for the school, Gisela Marani was made of too fine stuff to throw up the game weakly. To her mind there was only one course to follow, and she followed it. |
Fiona Mc wrote: |
What about Louise who had the horrible job of being after Joey and then had to cope with St Scholastika merging with the school. |
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Can anyone imagine Jo as Head Girl asking younger girls for help?
She [Gisela] was also the most approachable. All the girls felt like she was also their friend, and trusted her. Jo had everyone's liking and respect, but I dont' think the younger girls (I'm thinking twelve-year-olds) felt like they could turn to her |
Loryat wrote: |
I don't know where all the stuff about Anne Seymour being HG comes from. I mean, this being EBD we shouldn't be surprised but it seems like a very gratuitous thing to put in considering in New House Anne thinks she's going to be Games Prefect. At that point it doesn't seem like Anne is tipped for HG so I think EBD just put the bit in New in as a whim - reach us all about the consequences of our actions etc. |
RoseCloke wrote: |
I also agree with Bee and annah - in the later books the prefects are seen as a remote body, with a few notable exceptions (such as Mary Lou, who makes it her business to speak to everyone ). They don't seem to have much to do with the other girls unless they're telling them off or supervising prep. Although this could be down to any number of things (and indeed, most schools don't have mixed-age socialising), including housing the different forms in different buildings. |
Cazx wrote: |
Beth's headgirl in the year that's Mystery, Tom and Rosalie I think. All books, with the possible exception of Tom, that aren't really standard length books. |
Caroline wrote: |
I think KB tries to make sense of it in her Peace afterword - but I might be making that up! |
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Rosalie also presents several problems, mostly to do with a group of girls who have suddenly been appointed prefects. The first we learn about are Gay Lambert and Jacynth Hardy (Armada 1987 page 9; 1994 edition combined with Mystery page 103), who, at the respective ages of seventeen and sixteen, are Games Prefect and Second Prefect. EBD at least explains why Daisy has given up the position of Games Prefect, stating that she has an important exam this term (page 23/121), but the choice of Gay as a replacement seems odd, to say the least. Several others in the same form have also become prefects—Mollie Avery and Nancy Canton (pages 66 and 78 [170 and 184] respectively) are described as such, Esther Collins is on table duty (page 88/196) and Dorcas Brownlow, who has been at the School for two terms, is with the prefects when they discuss the play they will see at half term (page 56/159). (Admittedly this is not the only case of an almost new girl being promoted to prefectship—Dickie Christy is appointed Second Prefect in Peggy [page 81] after only a term at the School. However, I would also argue that Dorcas is too young to be a prefect in Rosalie, being only fifteen and in Lower V.) |
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This, of course, conveniently forgets the ongoing war... |
macyrose wrote: | ||
Jennifer wrote:
Probably due to the time the book was written. Tom was first published in 1955 as a retrospective so EBD probably didn't even think of writing about the war. |
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Yes, but it was first published in Second and Third Chalet Books for girls, in 1948 and 1949, so I think it would have been written about '47. Not *that* long after the war. |
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Both the Maranis were Head Girl, which is quite an achievement, since the only other sister Head Girls I can think of are the Bettanys and the Lucys, |
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Peggy Burnett, formerly Head Girl of the school and now its P.T. mistress |
Maeve wrote: | ||
You know, I'm not quite sure when she was HG! But in Bride it refers to her as
Anyone else know? |
Bee wrote: |
In which book was Rosamund Lilley Head Girl?
And why was Maria Marani demoted to library prefect? Was it because of her breakdown the previous term? But I do think Elizabeth Arnett does a good job when she takes over - she was so insane when she was a Middle, she could understand them! |
Caroline wrote: |
Later on, such girls would have gone to St Mildred's but here, they have to stay at the school. So in Highland Twins - Gay from China Robin and Co. are still accorded the respect worthy to them as the eldest girls in the school, but don't have to take on the supervision duties of the actual prefects. |
Loryat wrote: |
I think Lulu was a good HG as well. We saw her being responsible even as early as Eustacia, where she helps out Miss Stewart (a lot better than Joey did, it must be said). |
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But in fairness to Joey, it was an accident that she butted in on the prefects catching out the Middles. |
Alison H wrote: |
In Tom Daisy consults Robin (on one of the rare occasions when someone consults anyone other than Joey on such matters!) about how best to deal with Tom, and we also see Robin having a good influence (for lack of a better way of putting it) on Zephyr in Rescue. |
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Query: if EBD had chosen to marry Rob off, who would you have her marry? |
macyrose wrote: |
There's an interesting article on the FOCS website that shows the appropriateness (for lack of a better word) of Robin becoming a nun: The Robin: Cecilia Marya Humphries, une vraie religieuse. |
jennifer wrote: |
I could see her with a nice young teacher or professor, or, if she were Protestant, with a minister. She'd certainly make an ideal pastor's wife.
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Alison H wrote: |
I'm not saying that I'd like to see a load of religion-based stuff: I just find it a bit strange that we don't see religious ministers coming round to comfort people in times of trouble etc. |
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