The Fields and the Wheedons

[Alanna]

So, I've been thinking about it a lot since I've finished the books about what happened (most likely) to Terri Wheedon, and whether or not Pagford "keeps" the Fields.

For me, personally ... I think Terri went back to using again. She was really only getting clean for the sake of her kids, and we all know how that ended. I think that it might also be fair to assume that Terri goes the same way Krystal does. In reality, Terri has no one left at this point - with perhaps the exception of Obbo, who really does more harm than good anyway.

But, maybe there was a greater design to the tragedy. Maybe because of Robbie and Krystal, the citizens are able to overcome years of discrimination and resentment towards the Fields and her denizens and actually decides to keep the housing development within the Pagford limits. The council was fickle from the very start but at the end, with the younger Mollison taking a seat along with his wife (and her vote that Colin Wall take the other) the future of the Fields, and consequently St. Barts, might have been a little brighter at the end. Colin is essentially trying to carry on the work of Barry, Parminder steps down BECAUSE of the lack of Barry ... the shadow of Barry is carried right through the novel.

In the end, this is what I think ... if you could check in with Pagford in a year and a half:

- The Fields are still there, looking a little less shabby. More kids are going thru the Pagford school system where Fats and Arf attended. The addiction clinic is still open and serving the community. There is a community outreach program to raise awareness about drug use and addiction, and where and how to seek help.

- Mollison Sr has left the Council, leaving a bitter taste in his and Shirley's mouth. No longer the center of attention, Shirley's quite bitter about it. Mollison Sr. has been forced to loose weight if he wants to live to see another 5 years, which he takes as an insult to his manhood. The EpiPen is still buried in the backyard. Mollison Jr and his wife balance out the Council quite nicely, though Colin still struggles with his mental illness but Fats gives him less of a hard time over it.


Thoughts?

[A.H.]

Stumbled upon this picture on the interwebs and had to share it. If you've read the novel, meet the reality.
http://imgur.com/35ddsaH

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship]

I am not convinced things were looking up for the Fields. Assuming the council works out as it's suggested at the end:

Mollison Sr. is off, Mollison Jr. is on--no political difference there
Parminder is off, Colin is on--likewise no political difference
Barry is off, Samantha is on--she's showing an open mind and feeling some responsibility for her neighbors at the end, so it's possible she goes the same way as Barry

So it seems like the council will be as divided as before. Actually, I think the whole point of the end is that the fate of the Fields is left open: metaphorically speaking, we all live in Pagford and the question the book asks us is how we're going to treat the most vulnerable people in our own society.

As for the fates of individual characters, I agree that Terri's life was looking awfully bleak. And the Prices! That was the one poisonous dynamic I was sure was going to change. Although looking back, I think the point is that the families that are doing the worst (the Weedons, the Prices) aren't really able to fix themselves, while the families who were better off to begin with (the Jawandas, the Walls, Kay and her daughter) are the ones who look like they might be able to overcome their problems, or at least learn to deal with them better than they have been.

[Nichola]

I don't think anything will change. I think in small villages like this, more importantly with the people in the village, life will go on. The residents were already allocating blame to other people (some of them anyway.)

I think most people will agree that Terri managed to over dose after Obbo supplying (SP?) the drugs. My opinion would be that she dies within six months of Krystals funeral.

The dynamics of the Prices will probably remain much the same for a while, how long would depend on the family surrpunding Ruth after the move. Either way, his reign of terror cannot go on forever. My guess is that Andrew and/or Paul grew up. Boys don't stay boys forever. Andrew was already showing a desire to topple Simon, I don't think it will be long before he is big enough to knock seven bells out if him. Bullies don't realise, one day they will be old and there will be someone younger and fitter to take revenge.

Mollison Snr I would say became a back seat councillor trying his best to assert his opinions on Miles. Problem is, Miles seemed to turn more towards Samantha at the end of the book. I think miles and Samantha found the second wind in the sails of their Marriage.

I would like to think Parminder found the time to speak to Sukhvinder (sp?) and she became much happier. Fats, again, I hope he grew up and learned a hard lesson. He seemed to be trying to make ammends and seemed truly remorseful.

Overall, I don't think the village would have changed. I think Krystal having sex whilst her brother drowned would be all the proof the 'anti-fields' people needed to 'prove' the rehab wasn't working and that they (Fields) were not part of pagford.

The place where I live is not huge but isn't a small village like Pagford either. When I was a child, one of my school friends drowned in the canal, he was approximately 5 years old and unattended by an adult. A few years later, his brother drowned in the same place, at a very similar age. He was also unattended by an adult :'( The sorry state of affairs is that people don't learn, less often do they change from what is happening around them. They shake their heads, lament how sad it is, then continue with life as though it never happened.

Sad really.