Elsie Dinsmore Pt. 2

Okay, so yesterday I talked about all the adults that were making Elsie Dinsmore's life miserable before her father came. Now I guess I should talk about the children of her step-grandmother, her father's half-siblings - plainly put, her aunts and uncles.

Oldest is Adelaide. I really don't know what to make of this girl's treatment. Throughout the first two books, she kind of sympathizes with Elsie but can be turned against the girl in certain situations. Before the books began, though, I think her treatment towards Elsie was one of confusion and therefore indifference. On the midst of her entire family of hypocrites (the Dinsmores basically went to church because it was "the thing to do"), Adelaide didn't understand Elsie's strong and strict morals.

Next oldest is Arthur. This kid. Causes Elsie no end of pain. Before the series began, though, his mistreatments were generally limited to teasing her in class while the teacher was gone so that she couldn't learn her lessons and so ended up "failing" - because Miss Day would not pass her for a "mostly-learned" lesson. I believe there may also have been times before the series began that Arthur did something naughty and blamed someone else, only to have Elsie step up and tell the truth, which also contributed to Arthur's hatred for her.

Next I think is Lora. This girl has a strong sense of justice, so even though she's also indifferent to Elsie herself, Lora does speak up on occasion when some great wrong has been done to Elsie. It does either girl very little good, though, considering both Miss Day and Mrs. Dinsmore are very much against Elsie.

Next is Louise. The books don't really dwell on her at all. She's kind of a brat, and once in the first book she scares Elsie with a lie, but I think most of the time, she ignores Elsie - including turning a blind eye whenever Arthur does something mean.

Two more to go. I'm not really sure who's older - Louise or Walter, but I'll put Walter here just to break up the list of girls. Walter is pretty much weak throughout the first book or two. He likes Elsie well enough, I guess, but Arthur scares him too much for Walter to try and do anything to help Elsie, and naturally he likes to be spoiled by his mother.

Enna. This girl is almost as bad as Arthur. She's the epitome of a spoiled brat. She waltzes into Elsie's room uninvited and has her pick of Elsie's toys, because there's nothing Elsie has that Mrs. Dinsmore won't make her give up. Enna can demand anything - anything - from Elsie and expect to get it because Mrs. Dinsmore will back Enna up and even work to get Mr. Dinsmore on their side sometimes.

Now can you see what a living nightmare this poor girl had to go through? From age four to age eight, she lived with the Dinsmores and her father barely even acknowledged her existence even in letters to his own father. Hmm, this is getting to be a long post. I guess I'll continue it tomorrow and hope it doesn't run into a Christmas Day post or something. A bientot!