Great post - I had also never thought about the gender ratio before, but it is an unusual one. Trying to think of other children's books from the same-ish period with a similar ratio of boys to girls, I can only come up with ones that are much more 'girly' books in their premise (i.e. set in girl's boarding schools or about ballet or ponies).
Comparing Ransome to Blyton (the inevitable comparison, though an unqual one - I have read and re-read the S&A books as an adult, but don't think I could bear picking up a Famous Five again!), she has some positive and well-rounded female characters, but even then they nearly always take a back seat when it comes to the adventuring. George may be a tomboy, but she still gets told what to do by Julian and Dick!
Very good points on Susan. One of the things that I love about the books - especially taken as a whole - is that everyone gets to be useful but in their own ways, using their different skills. There are no weak characters.
Yet another reason why all children should be made to read S&A at the first opportunity! :)
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Date: 2008-09-07 04:41 pm (UTC)Comparing Ransome to Blyton (the inevitable comparison, though an unqual one - I have read and re-read the S&A books as an adult, but don't think I could bear picking up a Famous Five again!), she has some positive and well-rounded female characters, but even then they nearly always take a back seat when it comes to the adventuring. George may be a tomboy, but she still gets told what to do by Julian and Dick!
Very good points on Susan. One of the things that I love about the books - especially taken as a whole - is that everyone gets to be useful but in their own ways, using their different skills. There are no weak characters.
Yet another reason why all children should be made to read S&A at the first opportunity! :)