Love of Enid Blyton

[Petermax]

Petermax & Pippa Steff why do you think children today are more 'angry'? I like to think that EB's UK remains as it was with only a few changes.

Perhaps there is a corner of Buckinghamshire that is immune to the ills of modern Britain, but certainly not where I come from. In my hometown, people like to promenade their Staffordshire Bull Terriers along the main shopping street.

It is indeed true that a significant proportion of youths do go about in a very angry fashion. My view is that they are thoroughly spoilt and have no brick wall to come up against.

Feral youths are not a modern phenonemom, they were certainly very much in evidence from the late 1940's. Enid Blyton never referred to this except perhaps when she wrote The Six Bad Boys. Their antics were of course somewhat mild compared to today.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I think there's a lot of aggression in society in general - not only among children. Every so often we get woken up in the middle of the night by people fighting in our street and the next morning the pavements are littered with blood and broken glass. A few weeks ago someone pulled bricks from our neighbour's wall and used them to smash the living-room window to pieces (our neighbour's window, not ours.) I wonder if people are partly influenced by chat shows and by programmes like Big Brother and fly-on-the-wall documentaries, which seem to encourage people to be "outraged" at the littlest thing, give vent to their emotions at the expense of others and use expletives in every sentence? Some songs also have very aggressive lyrics. I was quite shocked the other day, while standing in a queue at the newsagent's, to see a small girl of about five listening to a very violent song on her mother's mobile phone. Her mother didn't bat an eyelid - she was too busy stocking up on vodka! It's also amazing how often mothers picking up their children from school swear habitually in front of or even at the children. I'm not talking about the majority of course, but a vocal and noticeable minority.

Anita

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

It seems to me that "anger" is the only adjective used in my local paper.

People are no longer, annoyed, cross, disheartened, fed-up, narked, riled....

What words did Enid use in her "limited" vocablary? I seem to recall she liked the word "cross".

Viv

[Belly]

What do you think Enid would have made of 'the youth of today'?

What 'lessons' would she try to teach them through her books? (Miss Grayling's words to new girls always inspired me 'strong women for whom the world could lean on' etc).

I think she would let it be known that 'fame' had to be earned, deserved etc.

[Rob Houghton]

It seems to me that "anger" is the only adjective used in my local paper.

People are no longer, annoyed, cross, disheartened, fed-up, narked, riled....

What words did Enid use in her "limited" vocablary? I seem to recall she liked the word "cross".

Viv

On the other hand, Enid herself often came across to me as a bit of a cross/angry/short-tempered individual when you think about it. She often gave such people as Gwen in Malory Towers short shrift, and anyone who was afraid of beetles or spiders, couldnt swim, made a noise, disturbed her whilst typing, played too loudly in the play room upstairs, lodged too long with her, etc etc. She didnt tolerate people very easily, and she certainly didnt 'suffer fools gladly'.

[Anita Bensoussane]

It seems to me that "anger" is the only adjective used in my local paper.

Except that it's a noun!

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

(hides head in shame)

515

[Susie]

Enid did inspire me, mainly to go to the library to get another 10 books. but it was through her characters, that I felt a connection with. I never really thought about Enid at all.

Some people are filled with anger and I agree with everything everyone has said above!
I sometimes feel that young people feel they can do anything, and not be held responsible for their actions, it's sad to see how this take this uncaring attitude into their adult life. Where has the sweet mouth of youth gone? ( eg Anne Kirrin)

Two boys in the car park were having a good time punching each other, while doing this on full show they were swearing away because it is the "done "thing to do and it was not because they hated each other. I think they thought it was "cool" coz all the bad and good guys do it in movies.

[Anita Bensoussane]

What do you think Enid would have made of 'the youth of today'?

Ya mean "yoof," innit?

What 'lessons' would she try to teach them through her books? (Miss Grayling's words to new girls always inspired me 'strong women for whom the world could lean on' etc).

I think she would let it be known that 'fame' had to be earned, deserved etc.

Yes, she'd no doubt have despaired of the "celeb" culture. I think she'd have told young people that it's no good having your wish-bone where your back-bone ought to be. That was something Enid Blyton's grandmother used to say and, if I remember correctly, Aunt Grace says something similar in House-at-the-Corner. Enid Blyton emphasized the importance of growing up strong and dependable, able to stand on one's own two feet and know one's own mind. Also that you have to earn "rights" and privileges, and that with them come responsibility and duty.

I think Blyton would also have taken pains to give credit where credit is due, and point out all the good and admirable things which many young people do. In her editorials in Enid Blyton's Magazine she often praised children and young adults who had been brave or helped someone or worked hard to raise money for charity. And she spoke up for the young when she heard people criticising "the youth" and tarring them all with the same brush.

Anita

[Moonraker]

Enid Blyton emphasized the importance of growing up strong and dependable, able to stand on one's own two feet and know one's own mind. Also that you have to earn "rights" and privileges, and that with them come responsibility and duty.

These days, of course, instead of standing on one's own two feet; one lies down, gets pregnant, visits the DHS and picks up one's keys to a nice council flat. Get a few more sproggs, a dog and hey, enjoy the cash rolling in that us wage-earners provide through our taxes.

[Ming]

Somehow I get the feeling that, if young people (look who's talking ) were told to "earn rights and privileges", they would misuse it - they would end up doing strikes, missing out on school or college to take part in some rally or other, if they were even slightly punished. They'd be breaking the rules and laws maybe, and being a general nuisance to society. And when they will be punished for it, they'll say, "I'm earning my right, as Miss Blyton said we should do".

[Petermax]

Enid Blyton was certainly not unaware of the changing world around her. Much has been said about her reference to juvenile delinquency in The Six Bad Boys, but there is another reference in of all places The Boy Next Door. This takes place shortly after the children restore The Black Swan to its former glory and encounter the kindly Mr Cunningham for the first time.

"I quite agrees with you said the man. "Well, I must say you are different from most children I know. They would do just as much damage as they could---but you seem to have gone out of your way way to put my boat in good order"

That passage reminds me so much of a tale related to me by my father. As a child during the 1930's he came across a cabin cruiser moored in Fareham Creek. Together with his merry band of friends he proceeded to reduce The Reward to an empty shell before fleeing when the police turned up. Some of his less fleet footed friends later served time at a Reform School. The hulk of The Reward languished in Fareham Creek for many years, I remember the skeletal remains being pointed out to me by my father around 1975. Maybe things were not quite so different 70 years ago.

[Belly]

That's interesting re: the boat at Fareham Creek, sounds like there' s a story for you to write there!

Ming, what do you think would work to motivate young people and make them less angry?

It's interesting to see here in Singapore how well behaved & studious the children are. The consequences of bad behaviour are harsh and they cannot believe how it is the UK. Most of my generation (late 30s) based here in Singapore had corporal punishment at school which they accepted and believe worked.

People here go out leaving their doors unlocked although they do say 'low crime doesn't mean no crime'. Capital punishment & canings for misdemeanours are real deterents.

Although not in favour of capital punishment etc personally when my mother got apprehended and pushed by burglars in her home recently I couldn't help thinking that this would simply been unheard of in Singapore. She has been very shaken up and although the police have been helpful, she's been told there is no hope of them catching the thieves or recovering any of her property. Of course she is now afraid of being home alone, this is unthinkable in Singapore

[Boodi]

Gosh Belly, I was really very sorry to read about your mother's dreadful experience and I do hope that she has got over the shock now. Such occurrences are frightful and unfortunately all too common. There seems to be no respect at all for either people or property. We are lucky because we live in a small village in the country, and thus can (and do) go out and leave the house (and car) unlocked. However, it is a different story in the larger towns, not to mention the big cities. I really don't know what the solution is!

[Petermax]

We are lucky because we live in a small village in the country, and thus can (and do) go out and leave the house (and car) unlocked. However, it is a different story in the larger towns, not to mention the big cities.

One would have to live in a very remote community in the UK to be able to leave ones property unlocked. During a visit to Japan in the mid 1990's, I was astonished to see supermarket car parks full of unattended cars, engines running to keep the air conditioning on, doors unlocked and keys in the ignition!

As in Singapore, the Japanese are very courteous and the children impeccably behaved, even if one or too did shout out gaijin (foreigner) at me from a distance! Japan has its social problems but nowhere on the scale of many Western countries.

I really don't know what the solution is!

Nor do I. There seems to be a collective madness that many now succumb to. Not so on the E.B.S Forum though. We are of different nationalities, religions and backgrounds, but believe in the same values of common decency that prevail in the Enid Blyton books.