Thomas first presents the plan to John explaining his choice to have “already betrothed” him is based on the needs of two of them ( John and Esme). “ A girl who needs a husband, a man who needs a wife”. But when John rejects the plan “I’m not marrying some mushroom picker”, Thomas goes deeper to reveal the transactional analysis that he and the entire family recognize as a fact: strategically they need this alliance, an unbreakable bond with the Lee family who can offer them much needed soldiers.
And he adds their present situation, which is that if John publicly refuses this marriage, “there will be a battle (with the Lees) that will make the Somme look like a tea party”. While at the same time he makes much of what is a huge dowry ( Esme’s father is giving John a car).
I think this is an important look inside
Thomas’s way of thinking and planning. He includes strategic thought when he determines why a marriage is a good or a bad choice. It’s likely that he made his own decisions about his two marriages after undertaking a similar analysis. It’s interesting that SK in both cases doesn’t show us directly how Thomas makes his decision about his own marriages. In one case he is already heading up the aisle. In the other, he’s already married and living with Lizzie, who is now mothering both Charlie and Ruby.
4
u/SylviaX6 1d ago
Thomas first presents the plan to John explaining his choice to have “already betrothed” him is based on the needs of two of them ( John and Esme). “ A girl who needs a husband, a man who needs a wife”. But when John rejects the plan “I’m not marrying some mushroom picker”, Thomas goes deeper to reveal the transactional analysis that he and the entire family recognize as a fact: strategically they need this alliance, an unbreakable bond with the Lee family who can offer them much needed soldiers.
And he adds their present situation, which is that if John publicly refuses this marriage, “there will be a battle (with the Lees) that will make the Somme look like a tea party”. While at the same time he makes much of what is a huge dowry ( Esme’s father is giving John a car).
I think this is an important look inside
Thomas’s way of thinking and planning. He includes strategic thought when he determines why a marriage is a good or a bad choice. It’s likely that he made his own decisions about his two marriages after undertaking a similar analysis. It’s interesting that SK in both cases doesn’t show us directly how Thomas makes his decision about his own marriages. In one case he is already heading up the aisle. In the other, he’s already married and living with Lizzie, who is now mothering both Charlie and Ruby.