The Lay-off Season

"Everythin' I told her was true"

Olive believes that Pearl's view of the lay off was a mis-judgement caused by the fact that it "was all different" this year. If she could have seen "just somethin'" of the way it normally was, she would have understood.

Do you agree with Olive? Support your view with evidence from the text, including two quotations.

You might consider the following in making your decision:

•   In what ways is this year different?

•   Is Olive's view of the lay off supported by anyone else?

•   Why did Nancy get married?

•   What does Johnny Dowd have to say about the house?

Make sure that you provide an argument with evidence. Post to your blog before Monday's lesson.

In the play, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Olive believes that Pearl’s view on the lay off-season was a misrepresentation because it was different. In Olive’s mind, it has always been the four of them, but now things have changed. Roo supposedly had a bad back and left the last cane season. Barney’s girl, Nancy has move on, she got married. Nancy is a silenced character in the play, however it is most likely she moved on because she wanted the male-female relationship society wanted for her. She didn’t want to only have “five months of heaven” (P9). Olive doesn’t seem to understand that the relationship she has with Roo and Barney may come to an end because of Nancy leaving. However, her mother, Emma, was sure of the fact. “Olive’s a fool…” (P86), she has fantasised about the last sixteen years and it was inevitable to change. Barney and Roo support the idea of lay-off season in the old boarding house, however, they soon realize things are changing when Johnny Dowd comes into the house and has quite a realistic and truthful attitude towards the house. “Funny thing. I imagined this place pretty often. Oh, of course I’ve never been here, it’s just the reputation that’s been built up among the boys. I reckon you could say its almost famous up north.” (P66). Olive has a fatal flaw that leads to the demise of the seventeen-year relationship; holding onto the past has made it hard for her to move on. She refuses the marriage offered to her by Roo and the breaking of the dolls plays a significant roll in understand that they relationship is over. The representation that Pearl saw was an old boarding house with no fun or games because in the play, everything was different this year.