A pocket full of rye
So, I finished re-reading A Pocket Full of Rye, which I greatly enjoyed.
A few remarks about Gladys, the parlormaid.
(1) There are many, many servant-Gladyses in Christieworld. Most are interchangeable – this one is surely the most fleshed-out Gladys.
Was “Gladys” really a common Christian name for members of the servant class in early-to-mid-twentieth-century Britain? Or is this a class marker of Christie’s own invention?
(2) This Gladys is said to be stupid and unattractive, with “adenoids” – a repulsive physical feature.
I looked it up. An adenoid is a body part – a kind of tonsil – that is important for fighting childhood infection. Everyone’s got ’em.
There must be some further usage. Does the term refer to a medical condition, perhaps? A behavior? Breathing loudly? Speaking from the back of one’s nose? (Karin suggests).
(3) 2008’s TV Gladys (Rose Heiney) seems to have been cast and costumed to look like 1985’s TV Gladys (Annette Badland), even though the book is not so specific about how Gladys looks.
There is nothing new under the sun.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Happy seventh wedding anniversary to Karin & me.
A few remarks about Gladys, the parlormaid.
(1) There are many, many servant-Gladyses in Christieworld. Most are interchangeable – this one is surely the most fleshed-out Gladys.
Was “Gladys” really a common Christian name for members of the servant class in early-to-mid-twentieth-century Britain? Or is this a class marker of Christie’s own invention?
(2) This Gladys is said to be stupid and unattractive, with “adenoids” – a repulsive physical feature.
I looked it up. An adenoid is a body part – a kind of tonsil – that is important for fighting childhood infection. Everyone’s got ’em.
There must be some further usage. Does the term refer to a medical condition, perhaps? A behavior? Breathing loudly? Speaking from the back of one’s nose? (Karin suggests).
(3) 2008’s TV Gladys (Rose Heiney) seems to have been cast and costumed to look like 1985’s TV Gladys (Annette Badland), even though the book is not so specific about how Gladys looks.
There is nothing new under the sun.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Happy seventh wedding anniversary to Karin & me.