As mentioned in the above illustration I was indisposed for
a number of weeks after Christmas due to the flu, never had it before and the
little bastard certainly made up for lost time.
Indisposed? Such a
feminine term, don’t you think? Conjuring up visions of being draped across a
chaise longue with properly uniformed maids hovering in the background.
A gal can dream I suppose.
As a result I’m way behind on a lot of things including the
next and what I hope will be the final chapter of AVVE. I have approx 3k words
written but there is still a long way to go, I’m really busy with the day job so
it will be at least another month to six
weeks.
I composed the
illustration above mainly just to let readers know I’m not neglecting the blog,
usually I’d add text or write a very short story to accompany it. Then I
thought, perhaps readers may not like my perspective of what is taking place here and would probably interpret these scenes
differently. So I have omitted the text
and readers are free to create their own scenario, unburdened by my ramblings.
How did this hapless youth come to be dressed as a girl?
What is the relationship (If any) between him and the
ladies?
What is the nature of the conversation?
Is he in some sort of trouble? The body language of the lady
in the pink blouse seems quite assertive, perhaps even intimidating , the lady on the left appears
extremely interested in the young man’s predicament but remaining a little
aloof.
Why is the young woman on the stool wearing trousers in such
elegant company and why does she appear so nonchalant, almost blasé?
Is he dressed for some formal occasion?
These, and many others, are the questions that keep me awake at
night.
Again, apologies for the delay in posting the next chapter of AVVE
and thank you for your understanding.
Take care
Carrie
I hope your feeling better now Carrie.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to your illustration, I think that the boy is dressed as a girl for some sort of occasion, probably to replace the girl on the right wearing trousers who was too determined to not wear traditional female clothes. I also think this could be the beginning of a plot to feminise him, perhaps while he is wearing that dress his regular clothes are taken by a maid to clean.
I think the lady with her hands on her hips is the dominant one in the room and is the main instigator of the situation. The girl on the right could be someone he has grown up with, like a playmate but who was far more assertive than he was. The woman on the left could someone who has long had authority over him, maybe she was a close friend of his mother who was often at his house and became like a second mother to him. She may have been someone his mother looked to for advice about disciplining little boys. She could also be the girls mother and having raised such a strong-headed child, took a liking to him as we was far more delicate.
Those are just some thoughts, I'm sure your idea for the scene would be much better and far more intricate.
PS Lady Charlotte looks wonderful in that dress in the illustration at the top of the page.
Charlie
Hi Charlie
ReplyDeleteI’m fine now thanks, it just took the wind out of my sails for a few weeks.
I’m delighted you shared your wonderful perspective on what is unfolding in the illustration.
I suspect you are right about his clothes being taken by the housemaids and this marking the start of his feminisation. What a great idea about the lady on the left as someone his mother looked to for advice about disciplining boys. The notion that she had raised such a headstrong girl and looks to the delicate young man as someone she could substitute as the daughter she always wanted is also probably correct and she sees an opportunity to finally have the sweet obedient daughter she always wanted. Those two ideas could be a story in itself.
As I recall Aubrey’s mother expressed similar sentiments and look how the poor boy ended up.
You have the makings of a great story, you’re selling yourself short. I doubt if I could come up with as good a plot line. Why not go all the way and write it- you’ve done the hard part already in coming up with the idea, it’s now only a matter of joining the dots and you’ll have fun doing it.
Another reader has kindly offered to write an accompanying piece to the illustration, it would be interesting to see how two individuals view the same scene.
Thanks again Charlie for such an interesting take, I greatly appreciate you taking the time and effort to do so.
Take care
Carrie