\u201cMaiden Flirtelia and the princess spent the next few hours looking around Market Street, visiting the tapestry shop, and picking up some pastries at the bakery. They then sat down at Fountain Circle to talk.\u201d (pg. 87)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

ROTFL. \u00a0This is a great example of how to insert anachronisms into writing.\n
- I\u2019d forgive a lot if 1) the rush of some livestock going to the fountain knocks both of the girls into the fountain and 2)Maiden Flirtelia has a deathbed conversion to purity while dying of typhoid fever contracted from her unplanned baptism. \u00a0 (After all, if you\u2019re going to write an overly preachy morality story, go for the overly sentimental death scene. \u00a0That\u2019s a standard trope that is sadly missing from SAHD writings.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  Maiden Flirtelia and the Princess chat.<\/p>\n
  \n
  \n
  \u201c\u201dI must tell you, I had the most wonderful time last evening at the Summer Ball,\u201d Maiden Flirtelia chattered excitedly. \u201cYou should have been there to meet all the enchanting young men. I had such a romantic time with Sir Striking.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cFlirtelia, thou hasn\u2019t changed at all! Can you think of anything else besides men, romance, parties, and weddings?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cAnd you have not changed at all either,\u201d Maiden Flirtelia replied. \u201cWill you ever grow up and start enjoying your life? In fact, I heard Sir Eloquence was seeking your hand. I cannot believe you would not even take time to consider him. Dost thou not know that he is one of the most popular knights?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cWhy take time for something one already knows will come to nothing, especially when it is neither wise nor safe?\u201d asked the princess.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
  \u00a0<\/p>\n
  \n
  Being a princess and being kept isolated from all other people were the two reasons I thought the Princess had no friends. \u00a0I\u2019ve added a third reason to my list: the Princess is a horrible conversationalist!\n
  \n
  Maiden Flirtelia starts off the conversation by clearly signaling that she wants to tell the Princess about the fun she had at the Summer Ball last night. \u00a0The Princess responds by chiding her friend for being flighty.<\/li>\n
  Maiden Flirtelia didn\u2019t say anything about weddings so the Princess is not listening very well either.<\/li>\n
  The net outcome: the conversation pivots from Flirtelia\u2019s choice of topic to talking about the Princess and her life choices. \u00a0While this is somewhat forgivable as a plot device, it does not bode well for the socialization skills of the Princess.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
  Good for Maiden Flirtelia not being cowed by the Princess\u2019 nagging. \u00a0This does bring up a tangential point. \u00a0If Maiden Flirtelia and the Princess are friends \u2013 or even just friendly \u2013 why didn\u2019t the Princess get background information on Sir Eloquence from Maiden Flirtelia? \u00a0Sure, Flirtelia has a worldly bias \u2013 but a young adult like the Princess should be able to read between the lines to figure out if Sir Eloquence was a decent catch or a person to be avoided.<\/li>\n
  Why is the Princess compelled to talk like she\u2019s the Sphinx? \u00a0She could have simply said \u201cWe didn\u2019t click\u201d and moved on.<\/li>\n
  Although Ms. Mally is unaware of them, there are actual rules for when to use \u201cthou\u201d and when to use \u201cyou\u201d and the rules are not hard to follow.\n
  \n
  In Old English, \u201cthou\u201d was used for second person singular and \u201cye\u201d was used for second person plural. \u00a0In Modern English, we use \u201cyou\u201d for both or \u201cyou\u201d for second person singular and \u201cyou all, ya\u2019ll, yintz, you guys, etc.\u201d for second person plural.\n
  \n
  Ironically, using this rule would have made writing the book very simple! \u00a0I haven\u2019t found a single second person plural in the book so every \u201cyou\u201d should be replaced with \u201cthou\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
  In Early Modern English, \u201cthou\u201d was second person informal while \u201cyou\u201d was second person formal. \u00a0This started because of the influence of the French court where \u201ctu\u201d was used for informal settings and \u201cvous\u201d was used for formal settings.\n
  \n
  \n
  This still exists in modern Iberian Spanish with \u201ctu\u201d \u00a0and \u201cvosotros\u201d as well; Latin American Spanish dropped the second person plural tense and replaced it with \u201custed\/ustedes\u201d or third person singular and plural for formal usage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  In the most sensible choice for this conversation, the Princess would use the informal tense of \u201cthou\u201d to address Flirtelia since Flirtelia is the Princess\u2019 social inferior. \u00a0Flirtelia would use the formal tense of \u201cyou\u201d to address the Princess.<\/li>\n
  In another more questionable choice, both young women could use \u201cthou\u201d throughout to denote an intimate relationship.<\/li>\n
  Both women could use \u201cyou\u201d, but that would imply that they were strangers who had no way of determining relative social class.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
  There\u2019s not a point where having two characters switching randomly between \u201cthou\u201d and \u201cyou\u201d makes any sense.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  \n
  \n
  \u201cWell then, you could have at least suggested that he get to know me!\u201d declared Flirtelia.<\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cYou may suggest it to him yourself if you like,\u201d said the princess with a smile. \u201cYou seem to have ample opportunities to converse with the knights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cAre thou saying that thou hast no opportunities? You really should come to one of the dances. I\u2019ll arrange a match for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cNo really, Flirtelia, you just do not understand, do you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
  \u201cUnderstand? \u201d asked Maiden Flirtelia. \u201cNo, I do not understand! Why would you say no to such a choice knight? Why would you miss out on so many fun and harmless activities? No, I do not understand at all!\u201d(pg. 88)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
  \n
  The Princess\u2019 response to Flirtelia\u2019s joke that the Princess should have sent Sir Eloquence towards Flirtelia is condescending at best and passive-aggressive at worst. \u00a0Apparently, being CP\/QF means never learning how to demur gracefully.<\/li>\n
  Flirtelia is a surprisingly good approximation of how some non-CP people interact with SAHDs. \u00a0Flirtella is being social and friendly towards the Princess in spite of the Princess\u2019 foibles. \u00a0She\u2019s even offering to smooth the Princess\u2019 transition into interacting with young men which is a sweet gesture considering the Princess has been self-absorbed and pedantic during this interaction. \u00a0(Yes, viewing every other human being solely as a potential convert to Emo-Pure is self-absorption.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  \n
  Logically, Ms. Mally has built up to the point where the Princess gives a whole-hearted, passionate and ringing endorsement of emotional purity. \u00a0Maiden Flirtelia has laid the groundwork; she\u2019s even stated that she doesn\u2019t understand why the Princess lives like she does and Flirtelia seems at least open to listening to the Princess\u2019 explanation.<\/p>\n
  Instead, the conversation stops dead when some horsemen ride into town and give a proclamation. \u00a0The Princess sees Sir Valiant who is heroic, loyal to the King, young and handsome. \u00a0The Princess doesn\u2019t interact with him in any way. \u00a0Without any explanation, the scene jumps to the Princess and Queen walking home while the Princess is distracted because she\u2019s having a full-on crush on Sir Valiant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
  \n
  \n
  The deus ex machina<\/i>\u00a0moment of Prince Charming<\/span>\u00a0..\u00a0*rolls eyes*\u00a0<\/i>I mean \u2026Sir Valiant saving the Princess from having to explain Emo Pure to her friend is telling. \u00a0Ms. Mally can\u2019t coherently describe her protagonist\u2019s motives! \u00a0That moment undermines the book\u2019s entire premise that the Princess is quietly showing the People how to live in emotional purity. \u00a0Instead, she comes across as socially immature (who wanders off without saying goodbye to a friend?) and incapable of explaining her most deeply held views.<\/li>\n
  Having a crush is normal and pretty awesome. \u00a0There is a bit of an issue here, though, because the Princess is now \u201cnearly 18 years old\u201d according to the Alligator. \u00a0 Once a person gets old enough to get married, it\u2019s a good idea to channel some of the emotional energy used on crushes into real relationships with the good, bad and ugly that comes in all human interactions instead of the flawlessness of an imaginary partner.<\/li>\n
  I\u2019m curious what Sir Valiant\u2019s flaws are. \u00a0Sir Eloquent was one big mess of flaws; he was affectionate toward the Princess, didn\u2019t want to jump through the hoops placed by the King and was a braggart. \u00a0Sir Valiant is one big mass of virtues so far \u2013 and let\u2019s be honest here \u2013 a person who has no flaws at all is as much of a red flag in a relationship as someone who is a hot mess.<\/li>\n
  Loyalty is a good virtue normally, but a scary red flag in CP land. \u00a0After all, repaying the kind acts of a follower by giving him your daughter\u2019s hand in marriage sounds great for the men involved \u2013 but isn\u2019t always in the best interest of the daughter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
  The chapter ends with the Princess back at the castle yammering with the Alligator and daydreaming\u2026again.<\/div>\n
  <\/div>\n
  \n
  Introduction<\/a> | Part 1<\/a> | Part 2<\/a> | Part 3<\/a> | Part 4<\/a>\u00a0 | Part 5<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
  Part 6<\/a> | Part 7<\/a> | Part 8<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
  <\/div>\n
  \n
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/div>\n
  <\/div>\n
  \n
  Mel is a science teacher who works with at-risk teens and lives on a dairy farm with her husband. She blogs at\u00a0When Cows and Kids Collide<\/a><\/strong> She is also an very valuable source of scientific information for us here at NLQ. Mel is also blessed with the ability to look at the issues of Quiverfull with a rational mind and break them down to their most basic of elements.<\/p>\n
  \n
  Stay in touch! Like No Longer Quivering on Facebook:<\/em><\/p>\n
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  Comments open below<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nNLQ Recommended Reading \u2026<\/strong><\/h1>\nQuiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement<\/a> by Kathryn Joyce<\/strong><\/h4>\n
  13:24 \u2013 A Story of Faith and Obsession<\/a> by M Dolon Hickmon<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Comments open below<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nNLQ Recommended Reading \u2026<\/strong><\/h1>\nQuiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement<\/a> by Kathryn Joyce<\/strong><\/h4>\n
13:24 \u2013 A Story of Faith and Obsession<\/a> by M Dolon Hickmon<\/strong><\/h4>\n

NLQ Recommended Reading \u2026<\/strong><\/h1>\nQuiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement<\/a> by Kathryn Joyce<\/strong><\/h4>\n
13:24 \u2013 A Story of Faith and Obsession<\/a> by M Dolon Hickmon<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement<\/a> by Kathryn Joyce<\/strong><\/h4>\n
13:24 \u2013 A Story of Faith and Obsession<\/a> by M Dolon Hickmon<\/strong><\/h4>\n

13:24 \u2013 A Story of Faith and Obsession<\/a> by M Dolon Hickmon<\/strong><\/h4>\n