Haha, yeah, and I think that's why I always take especial notice when you do get unequivocally good parents - I think the one who comes nearest who actually plays a role in the story is Mig Laker's mom in Black Maria, and even then, although she's undeniably a positive and sympathetic figure, she spends half the book in a magical oblivious haze before she finally gets to be proactive - and even then you have an arguably-abusive father to balance her out. (And I love that book too for subverting the standard 'oblivious parents' thing, because in most other books poor Mrs. Laker never would have gotten to be proactive, but that's another story.)
But yes, I very much agree with the fact that the matter-of-factness with which her parents are written is one of the things that makes her books so exceptional. I think what stands out about her really horrible parents is that, as you say, there's no great hue-and-cry made about it within or without the world of the story. And while you can see that it's screwing the kids up in all kinds of ways, it's all sort of just under the surface - you never get the bright flashing lights pointing to "TERRIBLE UNNATURAL PARENT," because for DWJ it's not automatically exceptional, it's just the way things sometimes are and you learn to grow up and into yourself in spite of it. (People don't tend to grandstand about their baggage in DWJ either, they just kind of quietly stow it behind them. But if you look at them in profile of course it's there.)
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Date: 2011-03-26 08:07 pm (UTC)But yes, I very much agree with the fact that the matter-of-factness with which her parents are written is one of the things that makes her books so exceptional. I think what stands out about her really horrible parents is that, as you say, there's no great hue-and-cry made about it within or without the world of the story. And while you can see that it's screwing the kids up in all kinds of ways, it's all sort of just under the surface - you never get the bright flashing lights pointing to "TERRIBLE UNNATURAL PARENT," because for DWJ it's not automatically exceptional, it's just the way things sometimes are and you learn to grow up and into yourself in spite of it. (People don't tend to grandstand about their baggage in DWJ either, they just kind of quietly stow it behind them. But if you look at them in profile of course it's there.)