I suppose it's easier to be relatively happy though when the inadvisable stuff you do really isn't your fault; it's just, society expects it of you so you really don't have a choice and might as well anyway. *extreme side eye*
Yes! It's SO FRUSTRATING. Men are allowed to do anything, because there's this really intense atmosphere of boys will be boys and men know best, and that goes double if they're upper class and white and have even the slightest bit of money. It's incredibly disgusting.
To say nothing of the fact that Avery's definition of love largely boils down to "I think you're purdy," which (skipping ahead of things here) is what Blake explicitly warns him about! And the thing is, Avery on one level always knew she was choosing based on practical considerations: that's why she favored Keay before his departure, and Avery acknowledged as much. So it's a bit self-deceptive and self-serving on his part to convince himself otherwise when she very directly ends that engagement to marry the guy (i.e. Avery) with better prospects.
It is! The double standards in the situation are just awful. Helen is doing exactly the same thing as Avery was, but is judged for it. Helen is also only the slightest bit more depressed than Avery with her situation in the second two books, and yet again she is judged for it while Avery gets a lot of sympathy. It really doesn't seem fair. And yeah, she did say a little spiel about how she always favoured him secretly and he was the choice of her heart... But come on, anybody could've seen through that!
Yes, agreed. And at least some of my impatience with and dislike of it comes from the fact that it's so often been used as a cheap plot catalyst for the male protagonist's personal growth.
Is is, isn't it? And it just annoys me. Maybe you can tell an interesting infidelity plot, though I must admit that I've never read one myself, but I'm even more against it when it's just a way to somehow redeem the man. He does an extremely shitty thing, but he regrets it afterwards so obviously that's fine!
I know I sound like a broken record, but I WOULD ABSOLUTELY READ THIS. It's such a fascinating idea, and I love the thought of Matty and Helen being just as effective as the boys (and perhaps society's low expectations of what they're capable of even amplifying that effectiveness)!
I'm glad! :D I always mean to write more Matty & Helen (and Matty/Helen, for that matter). I think the two of them together could lead to an even more interesting examination of power in society. Because nobody pays attention to women, especially if they're married or a servant, and so they'd basically be able to solve crimes unseen.
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Date: 2021-02-22 12:52 pm (UTC)Yes! It's SO FRUSTRATING. Men are allowed to do anything, because there's this really intense atmosphere of boys will be boys and men know best, and that goes double if they're upper class and white and have even the slightest bit of money. It's incredibly disgusting.
To say nothing of the fact that Avery's definition of love largely boils down to "I think you're purdy," which (skipping ahead of things here) is what Blake explicitly warns him about! And the thing is, Avery on one level always knew she was choosing based on practical considerations: that's why she favored Keay before his departure, and Avery acknowledged as much. So it's a bit self-deceptive and self-serving on his part to convince himself otherwise when she very directly ends that engagement to marry the guy (i.e. Avery) with better prospects.
It is! The double standards in the situation are just awful. Helen is doing exactly the same thing as Avery was, but is judged for it. Helen is also only the slightest bit more depressed than Avery with her situation in the second two books, and yet again she is judged for it while Avery gets a lot of sympathy. It really doesn't seem fair. And yeah, she did say a little spiel about how she always favoured him secretly and he was the choice of her heart... But come on, anybody could've seen through that!
Yes, agreed. And at least some of my impatience with and dislike of it comes from the fact that it's so often been used as a cheap plot catalyst for the male protagonist's personal growth.
Is is, isn't it? And it just annoys me. Maybe you can tell an interesting infidelity plot, though I must admit that I've never read one myself, but I'm even more against it when it's just a way to somehow redeem the man. He does an extremely shitty thing, but he regrets it afterwards so obviously that's fine!
I know I sound like a broken record, but I WOULD ABSOLUTELY READ THIS. It's such a fascinating idea, and I love the thought of Matty and Helen being just as effective as the boys (and perhaps society's low expectations of what they're capable of even amplifying that effectiveness)!
I'm glad! :D I always mean to write more Matty & Helen (and Matty/Helen, for that matter). I think the two of them together could lead to an even more interesting examination of power in society. Because nobody pays attention to women, especially if they're married or a servant, and so they'd basically be able to solve crimes unseen.