The Doubtful Marriage - Discussion Thread

Last week we had Matilda's Wedding. The Doubtful Marriage could easily have the same title, as Tilly's real name is also Matilda and there is also a wedding. How many Matildas do you know? I can't think of a one. We Hanna Bettys have a great-great aunt Minerva (called Aunt Nerve by her nieces and nevvies - which I think is hilarious)...but I think that's as close as we come. The only Matilda's I'm at all familiar with are:

1. The book, Matilda by Roald Dahl 2. The Australian song, Waltzing Matilda.
[Betty Keira] Are you the only one who thinks that Australia should scrap the somewhat bland "Advance Australia Fair" in favor of Waltzing Matilda? It would make the Olympic medals stand way waaaaaay more fun.

Right off the bat, we are treated to a home birth. The father is busy boiling water for no apparent reason, other than the fact that he's seen it done on the telly. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and state (with plenty of personal experience backing me up), that I'd rather not have to have a baby anywhere but at a hospital or delivery center. I know, there's one or two nutters saying; "But Betty Debbie - it's so unnatural." (Betty Kylene: I'm looking at you). To which I say; " Sure. Whatev." I am so willing to fork over money so that the experienced hospital janitorial service people are the ones who have to clean up the unspeakable aftereffects. Giving birth is not a tidy occasion - and I don't have anyone I'd trust to do a thorough enough job at cleaning my house besides me (and a few of my sisters--I assume this is not me you're looking at. Have you seen my resident dust bunnies? [Betty Debbie] I'm looking at Tia and Sherri in particular.). Just sayin'. I'm not trying to start a heated debate on home vs. hospital birth. Do whatever is right for you...I'm just saying that I'm glad I never had to clean up that particular mess.

Tilly goes to church with her uncle and Rauwerd..."their pew was on the opposite side of the aisle to the Manor pew." Mormon congregations do not have 'assigned pews' at church...that said, most families tend to sit in the same place week after week, year after year...and when a visitor or new family comes, it tends to shake things up a bit - which is probably a very good thing. My question is: If you happen to go to church, do you have 'family pews'? Ours growing up was the second and third long pews in the middle section because we were ALWAYS early. (And dad, being a teacher, has weird ideas about where you sit determining your final grade. The Hanna family was getting an A.) My own family gets the hard seats way, waaaaaay into the overflow because though we are always on time, our ward is huge and there are others on timer.

Rauwerd has a dog named "Dickens' - this is not the only pet in Neeldom with this name. Can anyone name the book in which there is a cat named Dickens belonging to an orphan? Anyone? Hint: the orphan adopts another cat and names it Ollie. The only part of pet ownership that attracts me is getting to name it.

When Tilly is sick with the flu at Rauwerds's home, she wakes up and bursts into tears and snivels all over him. He says, "No one listens to a doctor in his own house." Really? This reminds me of that scripture about prophets in their own country...

Emma the Trusty has appalling English: she drops her aitches like raindrops in a thunderstorm...her dialog is littered with mispronounced words such as "termorrer" and "gorn" et, al. Here's a fun little article about dropping aitches...

Tilly is introduced to Rauwerd's fancy house. How do we know it's fancy? The hall is described as being "lofty and narrow, the ceiling hung with pendant bosses". While the halls in my home qualify as "narrow", I'm guessing that Rauwerd's really were not - otherwise, why the pendant bosses? They would be entirely too pretentious in my narrow, but not lofty hallways. Pendant bosses sound like minor cogs in the Cosa Nostra--the actual knuckle breakers, if you will.

Besides the G.I. sapphires, Tilly is also given the family pearls. Our RDD's may not all be granted the same exact amount of worldly wealth, but you can be sure as shootin' that there will always be heirloom rings and pearl necklaces (or in this case, a pearl choker).

Tilly has got to be one of the densest girls (romance wise) in the entire civilized world...perhaps beyond. When she comes out to the pool in Las Palmas, Rauwerd gives her one of the best compliments, evah..."I'm not surprised that you are collecting leers from all sides, Tilly - you look good enough to eat, which is more than I can say for those around us. I've never seen so much bare flesh so unwisely exposed, and I'm not speaking as a medical man....Have I ever told you that you're a beautiful young woman?" Her response? It's just the expensive beach outfit, the pool, etc...I'm just plain old me. Mind you, she has already had her 'dawning realization' - if she really wanted evidence that she was appealing to him, well...there it was, and she blew it.

Times, they are a changin'. When Tilly rushes off to find Rauwerd, she wanders past some doors in the hospital. One of the mahogany doors in the hospital is labeled, 'Lady Social Worker'. Discuss.