The Enid Blyton Society

I love Enid Blyton's books, of course I do. However, I am currently reading Five Have Plenty of Fun and the fact that she rarely had anything positive to say about the good old-fashioned 'bobby' on the beat struck me quite forcibly once more. In fact, she often represented them as well, not very bright at all, to put it politely. I'm particularly thinking of poor, long-suffering Mr Goon in the Find-Outer books and the much maligned Mr Potts in the Mistletoe Farm books....Not really an idea which you would want to reinforce amongst children then or now...

well, I think its more a plot device than anything. Goon has to be incompetent or else the Find Outers wouldn't be able to solve the crime instead and be the heroes, and the same for other series'. If the policemen had been helpful, or believed the Famous Five etc, or decided to investigate further, the children wouldn't have much of an adventure!

I suppose so, but they are rather strongly portrayed as fools, dolts or nincompoops, to use a lovely word...

i agree, but again, they have to be totally incapable in order for the plots to work!

I guess Enid was also influenced by the popular ideas of the day, where 'cops' were often looked on with ridicule and as comedy figures - such as the Key Stone Cops and other comic characters. There were George Formby and Gracie Fields films in the 1930's that both made fun of being in the police force.

Interesting thoughts, Pauline. I would say Enid also has a few very positive portrayals of the police — Inspector Jenks from the Find-Outers series and Bill "Smugs" Cunningham from the Adventure series spring to mind, although they're much "higher-up" policemen than the village bobby. As Rob says, Mr Goon has to be incompetent in order to be a foil for the Find-Outers! But characters like him certainly never taught me as a child to assume that all policemen were nincompoops. At least, I should hope they weren't!

Rob Houghton wrote: I guess Enid was also influenced by the popular ideas of the day, where 'cops' were often looked on with ridicule and as comedy figures - such as the Key Stone Cops and other comic characters. There were George Formby and Gracie Fields films in the 1930's that both made fun of being in the police force.

That's a really good point too, Rob.

Thanks both of you. Of course, you're quite right Rob - you can see the influence of the popular ideas of the day and I had not thought of this. However, if I you or I had hung around with children who actually played practical jokes on the police...Can you imagine??

I agree! We were always afraid of policemen and would run away when we saw one and instantly thought we'd be arrested!! Even though were never doing anything to warrant it!

And of course there are plenty of stories where the police aren't contacted until the very end and then they swoop in perfectly capably and round up the wrong-doers.

We must all remember that the village bobby of the 1940s was a very different animal to the highly skilled police officer of today. Their remit was mainly to collate information regarding house burglaries, stolen dogs and cyclists riding at night with no lights. As Julie says, the 'higher-up' police officers in the books were of a much higher calibre.

But there are instances (e.g. Five on a hike together) in which the policemen didn't have to be that rude to carry on the plot without disturbing it.

Interesting comments. Thanks everyone

Rob Houghton wrote:i agree, but again, they have to be totally incapable in order for the plots to work!

I guess Enid was also influenced by the popular ideas of the day, where 'cops' were often looked on with ridicule and as comedy figures - such as the Key Stone Cops and other comic characters. There were George Formby and Gracie Fields films in the 1930's that both made fun of being in the police force.

I can think of two times in which other bobbies were in Peterswood, and I think both showed much more promise and social competence than Mr Goon (Pantomime Cat and Tally-Ho cottage).

I also thought Enid Blyton seems to go out of her way to show the constables as being incompetent, but maybe it is to show how superior Fatty is.
Even P.C. Tonks in "Invisible thief" admits to Fatty he's "not much of a one for solving cases".
However he also says he is used to a big town where more happens (presumably someone else solves the cases for him then!).