Melting Snow Michael’s Woe
Having spent the last 10 years in Arizona and the 15 years before that in Texas, it took me a little while to figure out what Michael was doing in today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse. The icicle on the drain pipe means that air is cold, but the continuous water flow from the drain pipe means we are probably dealing with snow melting from the roof of some house. Since it is snow just above freezing temperature, it must be cold. Lawrence’s dare for Michael has to do with enduring the cold water, which Michael does with great ease.
After having endured the cold water, instead of enjoying Lawrence’s adulation, young Michael Patterson’s thought immediately turn to the reaction of his mother. Maybe there are boys like Michael who would do this. My son, at that age, in the same situation, would take great pride in his accomplishment and would be very excited to share his triumph with his mother, who could very well react in the fashion that Michael is predicting Elly will react. My son was much older than 5 before he gained any sense of how his parents would react to such things. At 5, he was still jumping in mud puddles and sitting in the dirt. It is a testimony to Elly’s parenting ability to instill guilt in her children that young Michael is able to come to the conclusion he does so early in his childhood.
As this is a reprint from early For Better or For Worse, we get to see the Lynn Johnston imitation of Charles Schulz's art style in full flourish. The final panel, with the mouth shape and head thrown back and apple-shaped mouth opened is pure Schulz. Even back in 1980, I would have recognized this imitation. As for the storyline, it is pure Dennis the Menace, except that Dennis would have been daring his friend Joey to get wet and Joey would get upset at the end.
After having endured the cold water, instead of enjoying Lawrence’s adulation, young Michael Patterson’s thought immediately turn to the reaction of his mother. Maybe there are boys like Michael who would do this. My son, at that age, in the same situation, would take great pride in his accomplishment and would be very excited to share his triumph with his mother, who could very well react in the fashion that Michael is predicting Elly will react. My son was much older than 5 before he gained any sense of how his parents would react to such things. At 5, he was still jumping in mud puddles and sitting in the dirt. It is a testimony to Elly’s parenting ability to instill guilt in her children that young Michael is able to come to the conclusion he does so early in his childhood.
As this is a reprint from early For Better or For Worse, we get to see the Lynn Johnston imitation of Charles Schulz's art style in full flourish. The final panel, with the mouth shape and head thrown back and apple-shaped mouth opened is pure Schulz. Even back in 1980, I would have recognized this imitation. As for the storyline, it is pure Dennis the Menace, except that Dennis would have been daring his friend Joey to get wet and Joey would get upset at the end.
posted by howard at 9:55 PM
4 Comments:
howard,
It is a testimony to Elly’s parenting ability to instill guilt in her children that young Michael is able to come to the conclusion he does so early in his childhood.
That it is; her skills at imprinting her values is further vindicated by Mike's refusal to accept blame. Just as he'd get mad at the people at summer camp who took advantage of his spinelessness and suggestibility to "make" him do all manner of stupid stunts; he's angry because Lawrence remembered he's too weak to say No. Like Elly and Liz, it's not about him leaning to stand up for himself and not do every fool thing people tell him to, it's about their realizing that he's special and must be treated better.
Maybe Lynn will retcon Becky needling April into trying to play with her boat in the flooded ravine. And in a few years (as Lynn time-jumps all over the place,) we'll see Liz only agree to go out with Paul on a dare, pressured into it by her manipulative native "friends." Eventually, Nothing Was Ever the Patterson's Fault could become the new name for the strip.
DreadedCandiru2,
Like Elly and Liz, it's not about him leaning to stand up for himself and not do every fool thing people tell him to, it's about their realizing that he's special and must be treated better.
That certainly does become a theme for Michael with everyone from Deanna to Lovey Saltzman having to stand up for him in the face of adversity.
John F Jamele,
Eventually, Nothing Was Ever the Patterson's Fault could become the new name for the strip.
Your suggestions with Becky and Paul are intriguing, but nothing to compares to what I expect Lynn Johnston would do with Anthony Caine during the Howard Bunt assault. I suddenly have this image of Anthony Caine, the superhero who is always there for you, and who is always home by supper time.
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