You Don’t Have a Friend Like You
Today’s reprint of For Better or For Worse was originally published on Friday, February 6, 1981. Since the day of the week synchronizes up and leads into the “Connie in Montreal” story from February, 1981, there is a good chance tomorrow’s strip will come from Saturday, February 7, 1981. It still puts the current 2010 time about 2 weeks off from the reprint 1981 strip time, so Lynn will need 2 weeks of new-runs to synchronize the 1981 strips with the 2010 strips. In its original publication order, today’s strip followed this strip.
As for the strip itself, something I noticed is that in each panel, something or someone is being lifted. Elly lifts plates in Panel 1, John lifts Farley and Elly lifts Elizabeth in Panel 2, John lifts Elizabeth and Elly lifts the covers on Michael in Panel 3, and John lifts Elizabeth while Elly lifts her head in Panel 4. I have no idea what all this lifting means.
As for the point of the strip, there are a few possibilities:
a. While showing that John is good friend to Elly by complimenting her and helping her with the kids, Elly laments about not having a friend. Elly ignores the fact her husband is her friend and doing the very things he complimented her for doing for Connie.
b. Elly realizes that she gives a lot more to Connie than Connie gives to her, and laments that her relationship with her friends is lopsided.
c. John compliments Elly for being a good friend, and then Elly launches into an extremely self-centred and unfriendly statement, effectively destroying the effect of John’s compliment.
d. Elly can’t take a compliment, because she is too busy playing the martyr.
I think all of those are reasonable choices. Oddly enough, when there is this much possible variation of interpretation and all the interpretations work within the context of the strip, that makes for a pretty well-written comic strip. So, congratulations to 1981 Lynn Johnston for writing a nice, layered strip. I wish 2010 Lynn could say the same.
As for the strip itself, something I noticed is that in each panel, something or someone is being lifted. Elly lifts plates in Panel 1, John lifts Farley and Elly lifts Elizabeth in Panel 2, John lifts Elizabeth and Elly lifts the covers on Michael in Panel 3, and John lifts Elizabeth while Elly lifts her head in Panel 4. I have no idea what all this lifting means.
As for the point of the strip, there are a few possibilities:
a. While showing that John is good friend to Elly by complimenting her and helping her with the kids, Elly laments about not having a friend. Elly ignores the fact her husband is her friend and doing the very things he complimented her for doing for Connie.
b. Elly realizes that she gives a lot more to Connie than Connie gives to her, and laments that her relationship with her friends is lopsided.
c. John compliments Elly for being a good friend, and then Elly launches into an extremely self-centred and unfriendly statement, effectively destroying the effect of John’s compliment.
d. Elly can’t take a compliment, because she is too busy playing the martyr.
I think all of those are reasonable choices. Oddly enough, when there is this much possible variation of interpretation and all the interpretations work within the context of the strip, that makes for a pretty well-written comic strip. So, congratulations to 1981 Lynn Johnston for writing a nice, layered strip. I wish 2010 Lynn could say the same.
posted by howard at 9:42 PM
6 Comments:
About the only thing wrong with this strip is that all the layers point to how self-absorbed, oblivious and negative Elly is as a person. Is she grateful for what she has? No. Does she admit that she's in the wrong? No. Does she seriously try to improve her lot? No. Does she realize how stupid and selfish she looks? No.
While your point is correct, please note that strips of this sort are pretty much nonexistent in the modern era. Elly may be just as self-absorbed, but you would never see a strip pointing that out, especially when most of the strip is busy complimenting her. In the modern strip, the final panel would end with a pun and a sticky-out tongue laugh.
One of the more unusual aspects of this strip is that the compliments are based on things that occurred in the strip, instead of the modern day things like "Elly puts the grand in grandma". Elly is, in fact, being very nice to Connie. I don't disagree with the compliment.
Elly is, in fact, being very nice to Connie. I don't disagree with the compliment.
The problem is that, when the chips are down, Connie is never that nice to her; if her frown were based on hostility instead of martyrdom, I'd like today's reprint a lot more.
Is she grateful for what she has? No. Does she admit that she's in the wrong? No. Does she seriously try to improve her lot? No. Does she realize how stupid and selfish she looks? No.
So, we'll just assume that you know Lynn.
Anonymous,
We'll just assume that you know Lynn, then.
Not personally but I've met people like her.
Dreadedcandiru2,
The problem is that, when the chips are down, Connie is never that nice to her
Good point. The one time I can think of where Connie stepped up to help Elly was when John and Elly went out of town for one of their Mexican vacations and left April in Connie's care. Of course, Connie just left April over in the house by herself, which kind of defeats the purpose.
Other than that, once Lawrence is out of the house, Connie becomes a jogging companion and person willing to talk to Elly about all things Elly. I guess in some respects that requires a good bit of personal sacrifice.
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