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Parents in Haunting and Changeover
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 1995 13:26:00 -600
RE: Katy's question about Winter and Miryam as parents in THE CHANGEOVER and Robin's questions about parents in both books:
To me, Winter and Miryam represent a very interesting perspective because their assumption that Sorry was going to be a girl - and their initial rejection of him when it turned out he wasn't - makes me think of more radical feminism throughout the past century in which female-only society was sought. I wonder if Margaret Mahy was addressing aspects of feminist discourse in her portrayal of them. Perhaps this is far?tched.
Regardless, I like the way she allowed Miryam and Winter to have made a decision that turns out to have been, for both them and Sorry, a huge mistake, but one that can be forgiven, as Robin pointed out, because they are trying to address the situation. Parenting is not necessarily a skill that comes naturally - and I think one of the things Margaret Mahy may have been addressing with Miryam is that parents can make a mistake but it doesn't have to mean either their own or their child's condemnation. Laura accepts Winter and Miryam's fallibility - their humanness - as do we, because they are taking responsiblity for it.
In general, I found the families in both books refreshing for the combination of strength and fallibility that characterized them all they were so much more realistic as a result. There is no such thing as a perfect family, and in these two books we had three families so very different from one another, so very imperfect (because, after all, families are comprised of us people, and none of us are perfect), and yet strong.
Received on Wed 09 Aug 1995 02:26:00 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 09 Aug 1995 13:26:00 -600
RE: Katy's question about Winter and Miryam as parents in THE CHANGEOVER and Robin's questions about parents in both books:
To me, Winter and Miryam represent a very interesting perspective because their assumption that Sorry was going to be a girl - and their initial rejection of him when it turned out he wasn't - makes me think of more radical feminism throughout the past century in which female-only society was sought. I wonder if Margaret Mahy was addressing aspects of feminist discourse in her portrayal of them. Perhaps this is far?tched.
Regardless, I like the way she allowed Miryam and Winter to have made a decision that turns out to have been, for both them and Sorry, a huge mistake, but one that can be forgiven, as Robin pointed out, because they are trying to address the situation. Parenting is not necessarily a skill that comes naturally - and I think one of the things Margaret Mahy may have been addressing with Miryam is that parents can make a mistake but it doesn't have to mean either their own or their child's condemnation. Laura accepts Winter and Miryam's fallibility - their humanness - as do we, because they are taking responsiblity for it.
In general, I found the families in both books refreshing for the combination of strength and fallibility that characterized them all they were so much more realistic as a result. There is no such thing as a perfect family, and in these two books we had three families so very different from one another, so very imperfect (because, after all, families are comprised of us people, and none of us are perfect), and yet strong.
Received on Wed 09 Aug 1995 02:26:00 PM CDT
