Hahah, that is so true and funny! I think he seems like a very prudent person in every area of his life and so he can't even see for himself at first that he is falling in love with her...he just chalks it up to "helping her during the arrangements", as if it is part of his job..heeheehee. That is actually kind of charming that he just couldn't imagine such nonsense and yet he is totally mixed up in the whole time.
When we talked about this with my local book club friends, we agreed that telling the story through Noel breaks down in a few places... But, I think he's good because he gives context to Jean's character. The way she saw things, and then went after those things, was very... well, modern? Noel doesn't know what to think of her... and neither would many others at the time, I'm guessing. Noel gives us that context.
I don't know... I'm just making this stuff up as I go. :)
That's an interesting point about Noel giving us the context of the time and what it meant for a woman to do what Jean did (could A WOMAN really handle a large amount of money without blowing it all on clothes and jewelry in one day?!! Let's find out). I think Noel was endearing but it was so annoying when Joe came to see him and he felt that he couldn't tell Joe that Jean was in Australia. Did social decorum mean having to be just plain dumb?
There's no question that English society and customs are in play here. Protecting the fairer sex and all that entails, given that, Noel is not an innocent bystander. Wink, wink.
When can we ever trust a narrator? And one who has fallen in love with Paget at that, even as an old man. Who am I to talk?
ReplyDeleteHe behaves honorable, as an English gentleman should.
Hahah, that is so true and funny! I think he seems like a very prudent person in every area of his life and so he can't even see for himself at first that he is falling in love with her...he just chalks it up to "helping her during the arrangements", as if it is part of his job..heeheehee. That is actually kind of charming that he just couldn't imagine such nonsense and yet he is totally mixed up in the whole time.
ReplyDeleteWhen we talked about this with my local book club friends, we agreed that telling the story through Noel breaks down in a few places... But, I think he's good because he gives context to Jean's character. The way she saw things, and then went after those things, was very... well, modern? Noel doesn't know what to think of her... and neither would many others at the time, I'm guessing. Noel gives us that context.
ReplyDeleteI don't know... I'm just making this stuff up as I go. :)
That's an interesting point about Noel giving us the context of the time and what it meant for a woman to do what Jean did (could A WOMAN really handle a large amount of money without blowing it all on clothes and jewelry in one day?!! Let's find out). I think Noel was endearing but it was so annoying when Joe came to see him and he felt that he couldn't tell Joe that Jean was in Australia. Did social decorum mean having to be just plain dumb?
ReplyDeleteThere's no question that English society and customs are in play here. Protecting the fairer sex and all that entails, given that, Noel is not an innocent bystander. Wink, wink.
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