Victorians! discussion
Archived Group Reads 2024
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Week 1: Chapters 1 - 5
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It took me one or two chapters to adjust my mindset to fairy tale mode, but once that was in place I could settle comfortably into this story. Having read The Princess and the Goblin, the characters were familiar and it was interesting how the author only briefly referred to that previous story.I am imagining that Curdie has now grown into a young man and that the princess is no longer a child. However the princess has not made her appearance yet so we will have to wait and see. Not so her great, great grandmother whose influence on these first few chapters is the greatest. ‘Old Mother Wotherwop’ is an odd name and seems to be entirely the invention of George MacDonald rather than derived from ancient Scottish or other folklore.
Curdie’s naive ‘innocence’ in killing the pigeon leads him to Irene and, with her help, a sudden revelation of his responsibilities now that he has become an adult. His defence of Irene against all the gossip surrounding her seems to be the first of many gallant pursuits he might undertake in this story.
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Sorry Trev, I meant to reply much earlier. I pulled a leg muscle a couple of days ago, and my brain was mush aside from the discomfort of not really wanting to sit on a chair in front of the computer. Fortunately things are much improved.
Do things happen by chance in a fairy tale? I wonder if it isn’t more likely that the pigeon landed right in front of Currdie by design.
I absolutely agree with Trev that it takes some adjustment to get into fairy tale mode, but MacDonald's writing makes the effort worthwhile. When I read the title of this story, I assumed that the princess referred to was the young Princess Irene. Now I wonder if the princess refers to is the great-grandmother only. Time will tell. I think it's interesting that Curdie sees her both as a withered crone and a beautiful radiant woman.
I read this as a child but it seems that I remember nothing beyond the title! So far I’m struck by MacDonald’s lush descriptive writing, the profound good of connection to nature, and the deeply Victorian ethos of a line like “I was doing the wrong of never wanting or trying to be better.” :)
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MacDonald's prose is beautiful. This is what I like about authors of this era, the best of them seem to paint with words.
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Over the years Curdie has become doubtful of these past events mostly due to the influence of other miners and not wanting to embarrass himself. By now he has lost his child-like wonder. He had fashioned for himself a bow and arrow and kept practicing with it on his way and back to the mine. One evening a white pigeon landed in a branch in front of him. He shot it and then had immediate remorse. Picking it up, for it was still alive, he remembered a white pigeon from the past that had come from the Princess’s great-great grandmother Irene. He notices a great, moon-like globe of light and follows it toward the Castle.
Entering the castle he takes the stairs to go up and high into the tower where great-great grandmother had her chamber. It is with trepidation he enters the room encouraged by the gentle voice of Irene. Curdie gives back the pigeon which she promises will heal. In their conversation he gains new insights into what it means to do good as opposed to doing wrong. ”I was doing the wrong of never wanting or trying to be better.” In parting Curdie promises the old lady, ”if you should hear anyone speak about me, never to laugh or make fun of me.”.
After Curdie returns home for supper his parents notice a change in him. After they finished their meal Curdie tells them of his recent adventure.
Next day in the mines the men talk about this “strange being they called Old Mother Wotherwop” whom their wives and grandmothers had seen from time to time. Curdie keeps quiet and lets the men talk, but soon his silence is called out and he is forced to say something. Since he gave his promise to great-great grandmother not to make fun of her, he tries to sidestep but not carefully enough, for they make fun of him for believing she exists.