Career Selection Strip, Part IV

It was a difficult day for snarking. I kind of picked on the fact that April mysteriously decided to compare human and animal surgeries after experiencing her first spay operation. The other snark was over the idea that a real veterinarian would never allow someone as young as April to assist. Inexplicably, the various For Better or For Worse commentaries all seemed to have some comment from someone in the veterinary field where they knew of high school students participating in surgeries, usually with heavy supervision. I guess the rules are not as strict with animal surgeries as they are with human surgeries.

Today’s strip makes the transition back to Milborough and presumably a John and Elly story arc. Elly and John are made aware of April’s job ambitions and just as John did in his monthly letter, he not only doubts April’s abilities to handle the unpleasant side of surgery, but actually mocks her. At least he is consistent with his opinion of April. After criticizing April’s desire to participate in music, and April’s desire to do veterinary work, it makes his comments about April being his best friend in the monthly letters take on an even creepier tone. It’s like he doesn’t want April to succeed, so she won’t leave him.

If you take this and John’s speeding in the new Crevasse to impress the young men of Milborough, it is difficult to get around the idea that he is being intentionally made to look not only bad, but more than a little creepy. It happened with Elizabeth also, with Gary and Vivian Crane being openly critical of Elizabeth in Mtigwaki. I have been so used to all Pattersons being praised all the time, it is a little jarring to see Pattersons portrayed as the selfish people they had previously been portrayed as only through poor story-telling. I guess it is more realistic, but it may take a little getting used to.