Don’t Make Grandpa Jim Angry, Unless You’re Elly
Today’s For Better or For Worse is probably the most interesting because of its beginning. 2 days ago, Grandpa Jim showed his anger because Elly was talking down to him and asking him questions over and over again like he couldn’t understand what she was saying. Then yesterday, we saw Elly push Iris out the door. In today’s strip, reading from left to right the first thing we see is Grandpa Jim with a storm cloud over his head. Given the events of the last 2 days, this begs the question: Why?
Is Grandpa Jim still mad that Elly talked down to him back when they were outside in the garden? Is Grandpa Jim angry because Iris left him in the care of Elly? Is Grandpa Jim angry that his wife feels the need to leave him with a sitter? All these are possible choices. However, the thing I noticed we did not see, was Iris saying goodbye to Grandpa Jim. Yesterday’s long farewell sequence was completely Jim-less. How odd. While Elly was trying to tell Iris that everything was going to be handled while she was gone, no one was telling Jim the same thing. His wife packed, gave last minute instructions to Elly for the care and feeding of Jim, hugged Elly and Jim was completely left out. Shoot! In my family, even when we leave pets in the care of others when we travel, we say goodbye to them.
What has really happened is that Lynn Johnston has shown us very clearly the focus and purpose behind this sequence. It is not about Jim. It is about Elly. In yesterday’s strip, Iris praised Elly for taking over. In today’s strip, Elly praises herself for trying to understand her father. I could read between the lines as Lynn Johnston has suggested, and presume that Jim is pissed off because Iris ran off without saying goodbye, or I could read between the lines that Iris really did say goodbye and we just didn’t see it and Jim is pissed off for some other unknown reason. The reason Jim is pissed off is unimportant. What is important is that he has to be in a bad mood for Elly to come off as kind and understanding of his bad mood.
How should this have been done? To be honest, Jim has had almost no one in the apartment but Iris for the last 18 months. Iris has been shown to be constantly talking, constantly interpreting for Jim, and constantly belittling him in front of others. If Lynn Johnston were to get into the head of Jim, what you might really have is Jim looking forward to a vacation from Iris, just as much as Iris is looking forward to a vacation from Jim. Imagine a strip where Elly says to Jim, "I finally got the time to take over for Iris for a few days!" and Jim thinks, "What took you so long?"
Another element of this strip sequence might be Jim trying to assert himself. Elly wants to go outside and watch movies. Jim may want to do something completely different. He may want to go to an old fogey music concert, baseball game, or any of a host of activities which Iris would not have allowed him to do. Elly could be shown trying to communicate with Jim as opposed to Iris' constant psychic interpretation for him. If that happened, then Elly would come off very well.
What will probably happen? My guess is that Elly and Jim are going to reminisce about 1979-80 for 2 weeks, so Lynn Johnston will get in her usual 2 weeks of reprints per month. Then we will have a 3-week run showing the events of the wedding day, and that's where the strip will end.
As for me, I head out tomorrow for Garden City, S.C. on my annual trip to visit my relatives. I don’t know what the computer access capabilities will be so, so once again a daily Howard Bunt Blog will be sporadic for a week. Secretly, I hope for the reprints, because I don’t want to miss anything important. I would also be equally excited to miss a week of "Praise Elly the best daughter in the world!" OK. Not equally. I would prefer reprints to a week of that.
Is Grandpa Jim still mad that Elly talked down to him back when they were outside in the garden? Is Grandpa Jim angry because Iris left him in the care of Elly? Is Grandpa Jim angry that his wife feels the need to leave him with a sitter? All these are possible choices. However, the thing I noticed we did not see, was Iris saying goodbye to Grandpa Jim. Yesterday’s long farewell sequence was completely Jim-less. How odd. While Elly was trying to tell Iris that everything was going to be handled while she was gone, no one was telling Jim the same thing. His wife packed, gave last minute instructions to Elly for the care and feeding of Jim, hugged Elly and Jim was completely left out. Shoot! In my family, even when we leave pets in the care of others when we travel, we say goodbye to them.
What has really happened is that Lynn Johnston has shown us very clearly the focus and purpose behind this sequence. It is not about Jim. It is about Elly. In yesterday’s strip, Iris praised Elly for taking over. In today’s strip, Elly praises herself for trying to understand her father. I could read between the lines as Lynn Johnston has suggested, and presume that Jim is pissed off because Iris ran off without saying goodbye, or I could read between the lines that Iris really did say goodbye and we just didn’t see it and Jim is pissed off for some other unknown reason. The reason Jim is pissed off is unimportant. What is important is that he has to be in a bad mood for Elly to come off as kind and understanding of his bad mood.
How should this have been done? To be honest, Jim has had almost no one in the apartment but Iris for the last 18 months. Iris has been shown to be constantly talking, constantly interpreting for Jim, and constantly belittling him in front of others. If Lynn Johnston were to get into the head of Jim, what you might really have is Jim looking forward to a vacation from Iris, just as much as Iris is looking forward to a vacation from Jim. Imagine a strip where Elly says to Jim, "I finally got the time to take over for Iris for a few days!" and Jim thinks, "What took you so long?"
Another element of this strip sequence might be Jim trying to assert himself. Elly wants to go outside and watch movies. Jim may want to do something completely different. He may want to go to an old fogey music concert, baseball game, or any of a host of activities which Iris would not have allowed him to do. Elly could be shown trying to communicate with Jim as opposed to Iris' constant psychic interpretation for him. If that happened, then Elly would come off very well.
What will probably happen? My guess is that Elly and Jim are going to reminisce about 1979-80 for 2 weeks, so Lynn Johnston will get in her usual 2 weeks of reprints per month. Then we will have a 3-week run showing the events of the wedding day, and that's where the strip will end.
As for me, I head out tomorrow for Garden City, S.C. on my annual trip to visit my relatives. I don’t know what the computer access capabilities will be so, so once again a daily Howard Bunt Blog will be sporadic for a week. Secretly, I hope for the reprints, because I don’t want to miss anything important. I would also be equally excited to miss a week of "Praise Elly the best daughter in the world!" OK. Not equally. I would prefer reprints to a week of that.
posted by howard at 12:34 AM
13 Comments:
howard,
What will probably happen? My guess is that Elly and Jim are going to reminisce about 1979-80 for 2 weeks, so Lynn Johnston will get in her usual 2 weeks of reprints per month. Then we will have a 3-week run showing the events of the wedding day, and that's where the strip will end.
That's probably another reason that Jim might be upset. Not only did Iris not say goodbyee and nort only does he have to listen to Elly lecture him, he knows he's trapped listening to her complaining about how terribly hard it was for her to take care of an average six year old.
Another possibility: Jim is old and infirm and set in his ways. He likes his routine and doesn't want it disrupted. He probably also misses Iris, because despite her annoying qualities, he loves her and he is used to the way she does things. So maybe he's just crabby because he doesn't like having things change. I had a grandfather who was like that. He didn't act like he liked Grandma all that much (though I think he did), but he definitely got annoyed with people who tried to take care of him but didn't do things exactly like her.
DreadedCandiru2,
That's probably another reason that Jim might be upset. Not only did Iris not say goodbyee and nort only does he have to listen to Elly lecture him, he knows he's trapped listening to her complaining about how terribly hard it was for her to take care of an average six year old.
That’s possible. Elly’s lectures and complaints annoy us readers, so why not Grandpa Jim too?
qnjones
He didn't act like he liked Grandma all that much (though I think he did), but he definitely got annoyed with people who tried to take care of him but didn't do things exactly like her.
This would be a legitimate and realistic possibility, especially after Iris dropped her lines about the oatmeal and turning on the light at night, which are part of Iris’ routine. If Grandpa Jim was shown to be angry right after Elly failed to do one of the things Iris requested, then there would be a definite cause-and-effect, and a reasonable explanation. As it is, we get no thought balloons from Grandpa Jim and have to assume that Elly’s explanation (he’s mad because he can’t do what he used to be able to do) is the correct one, even though it doesn’t make as much sense as your explanation. As the reader, we are irritated because Elly presumes her explanation is the right one, without actually trying to get the answer out of Jim, and also because she praises herself for trying, when she actually isn’t.
qnjones,
Another possibility: Jim is old and infirm and set in his ways. He likes his routine and doesn't want it disrupted. He probably also misses Iris, because despite her annoying qualities, he loves her and he is used to the way she does things.
I know from my own experience that when people get into a habit of doing things, they resist change. If Lynn had had Elly address this instead of talking down to him, I might not have minded this strip so much. Too bad that this, owing to Elly's inability to really see what his life is like, was impossible.
dreadedcandiru2,
Too bad that this, owing to Elly's inability to really see what his life is like, was impossible.
Lynn has gotten into a bad habit of reverting to the same conflict whenever a character appears. She had the Kelpfroths banging on the ceiling for months with no change in their character. Whenever they were mentioned, it was ceiling banging. Mike’s article making fun of them didn’t change that. Confrontation with Mira Sobinski didn’t change that. Paying the ceiling plaster bill didn’t change that. Likewise the situation with Becky McGuire. Every time it was “Becky is a snob about her music” and no amount of conversation between April and Becky seemed to change it. It was her theme.
With Grandpa Jim, the theme is that he is miserable because of his aphasia. You would think that he might be a little more light-hearted now he can handle his own toilet and can walk around and can feed himself again. Because this is Lynn’s theme for this character, no other possibility (like he doesn’t like the change in his routine when Elly moves in) exists. She does not take into account that he has had to live with this condition for 18 months, and perhaps he has managed to adjust to the condition somewhat. He has his theme and that is it.
This strip did make me laugh...AT ELLY. She is one of those people who just always thinks things are all about her. It would never occur to her that Jim might be out of sorts because he misses Iris, or he's frustrated with his infirmities, or because his arm itches. It has to be because of Elly! This reminds me of a real-life Elly I know, so I guess if she's going for video camera in the living room realism, this strip pretty realistically shows everyday narcissism.
howard,
Lynn has gotten into a bad habit of reverting to the same conflict whenever a character appears.
Mira is also a victim of that tendency; no matter what happens, she's perceived as throwing her weight around and to make Mike do things her way. It doesn't seem to matter that Mira has every right to be involved in her daughter's and grandchildren's lives or that she never expects to be paid back or praised for her acts of charity, she's seen as trying to challenge Mike's authority and that's enough to damn her in the Patterson's eyes.
qnjones,
This reminds me of a real-life Elly I know, so I guess if she's going for video camera in the living room realism, this strip pretty realistically shows everyday narcissism.
Elly does work very well as a narcissist.
Just like the love story of Anthony and Elizabeth plays pretty well as a story about obsessive love, where a man and a woman destroy every decent relationship they have in pursuit of each other; but when they finally can have each other, discover that the excitement of their relationship was in not being able to have each other, and they marry in a manner which shows their disinterest. A strict “Show, not Tell” interpretation can be quite fun.
dreadedcandiru2,
Mira is also a victim of that tendency; no matter what happens, she's perceived as throwing her weight around and to make Mike do things her way.
When this perception of Mira was used even in Elizabeth’s wedding preparation, it moved from simple, lethargic writing to unbelievably stupid writing.
Howard,
I find that requiring Lynn to show me something happening in the strip--or to have the characters at least talk about it in the strip--is going from a fun game to a virtual requirement. When Lynn's out-of-strip embellishments like character bios contradict what happens in the strip so often, they become hard to take seriously.
Going to go ahead and comment about Saturday's strip:
We already see Elly is a horrible caretaker. Anyone who has known an 80+ infirm diabetic knows that they cannot eat those foods. And it's not a matter of being mean, either. An 80+ year old person, even if healthy, usually cannot eat a lot of rich, fatty, sugary foods without experiencing gastric upset. Add to the fact that Jim is diabetic, and what Elly is proposing is to cause him severe discomfort and possibly illness.
Apparently, Elly thinks he's done for no matter what anybody does, and she's going to let him cheat his diet because she figures he's a goner anyway. Or, perhaps Elly the Narcissist just wants Jim to like her better than Iris. Actually, it's probably the latter.
qnjones,
An 80+ year old person, even if healthy, usually cannot eat a lot of rich, fatty, sugary foods without experiencing gastric upset. Add to the fact that Jim is diabetic, and what Elly is proposing is to cause him severe discomfort and possibly illness.
This could be why the old coot is smiling. He's nasty enough a guy to relish the thought of Elly racing around with a chicken with her head cut off trying to deal with the fact that her awful cooking was within an inch of being lethal. Add in a stern, mocking lecture from his nutritionist and you've got a recipe for wonderful nasty fun.
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