Simply Alice

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Dad said that my mother used to sing—that she was tall, that she liked to wear slacks a lot,

I assumed slacks meant dress pants when I first read the books as that was the only way I had heard the word before. I think it was changed to pants in a later book, so I understood it was supposed to differentiate Marie from wearing dresses like most women did at the time.

“Are you supposed to clean the inside of the dryer? The dishwasher? How is a man supposed to know all this stuff?”

Odd since Ben never mentioned traditional gender roles before. I’m reminded of him telling Alice he learned how to sew after Marie died.

“Maybe we could get jobs as go-go girls for the week,” said Pamela. “Dance on customers’ tables.” She grinned at me, noticing Elizabeth’s change of expression. “Or we could even get hired as lap dancers.”

How could sophomores in high school get hired at a strip club?

“How do you know, Les? You’ve never been married,” I said. “I’ve been best man at too many weddings. I know,” he said.

Lester is 22 and has already been best man in numerous weddings?

then, in his normal voice, “Obviously, you’ve got a crush on your older brother and—” “I do not!” I said.

Gross!

“How intimate are you with this woman, Les?”

None of her business

“Looks more like a part of the private anatomy of a male monkey,”

Are more descriptive words not allowed in this Alice book?

“Darned right.”

darned!

“You can paint your behind purple for all I care, Liz.

behind!

“But . . . my nipples!” “So you have two little points down there. It’s not against the law.”

Visible nipples is a little much for a 15 year old IMO.

Everyone figured we were a couple. So this was what it felt like to be one of Lester’s girlfriends,

Why does she want to feel like Lester's girlfriend all the time?

I’d hoped Gwen could come over, too, so we could plan some more about camp, but she was going somewhere with her sister.

I thought Gwen only had two brothers?

“Yeah, and maybe they just liked to get together and play Tiddly Winks,” said Pamela.

Reminds me of the earrings store Tiddly Winks

“No, Les, we’re all lying here naked,” Pamela called. “Come on in and join the party.” We giggled. Les opened the door tentatively, and finally all the way. “See?” said Pamela. “That didn’t stop him one bit.”

why would Lester want to see his sister and her underage friends naked?

A eunuch can’t have intercourse, you know, so if Lester’s not going to be a eunuch, then it can only mean that—”

intercourse alert

“Not at all, we’re just fine!” I said. “Except that Miss Summers is due back from England in a week, and Dad wants the house to be perfect. I don’t know where to begin.”

Didn't Aunt Sally teach Alice about spring cleaning in "Alice in April"?