Academy of Armitage Studies: The Research Continues

[asmallbunchofflowers]

Welcome to the new campus of the Academy for Advanced Armitage Studies, part of the University of Milton-Northern.

We offer courses at all levels from introductory to advanced and opportunities for independent research. Come and share your learning with us.

Mmm, I do think the age factor comes into it, too. I used to find certain grown men mysteriously scary when I was a young girl, only realising later that it was because they were seriously hot, and I had no way of dealing with that sort of feelings at the time.

You are too modest, Theresa. I think the attention you devote to all the Gisborne resources leaves you well-qualified for the professorship.

Stripey is spot-on too in suggesting that he has some stalkerish tendencies which would be unsettling to one so young. (I'm thinking of his frequent unwanted gifts, including those stolen from hapless peasants). And, despite her activities as the Nightwatchman and stitching up Robin's wounds, I think Marian is still squeamish about Guy's propensity for impaling people on that vast sword (and that's without any Freudian reading of the situation). So maybe it's not surprising she prefers Robin as the parfit gentle knight; even though he has had his own bloodthirsty moments, she has not witnessed them.

A lot of this, I think, is the archetype of the bad man who was (or could have been) redeemed by the love of a good woman. There's a music vid which I did not save and can't now find, in which we hear Guy muttering forlornly that there was once one who saw good in him when nobody else did.

yes, age too, definately.

And social expectations about the sort of man a nicely brought-up girl like Marian would marry (at a time when marriage was the inevitable conclusion of any courtship).

Sripey and Flowers, I bow to your superior knowledge of Guy's stalkerish tendencies, as I have only seen YT and two thirds of season 2. The bit I did notice was right after Marion's father had just died and he went straight ahead and came on to her. That was creepy.He really has no idea has he?

But putting all that aside and theorising that there was no Gisborne there at all, I still can't fathom the attraction of, what was Mrs LN's apt phrase? Petulent came into it somewhere.

I believe Counsel for the prosecution described him as a petulant little fuckwit, M'Lud.

Why do you think he "lets her run roughshod all over him"? Because he loves her so much that he will let her get away with anything?

Oh arses. Sainsburys have just cancelled my gropcery delivery order - we have no food in the house and DD has a friend coming round for tea as well. Pants.

Oh Lordy, it's cold.

Grin was for Flowers not for your loss of shopping Boden. That is pants indeed. Tesco delivered this morning but did complain about the journey. Where are you Boden?

Yay for Something Kinda Ooh!!

Stripey, I'm in the SouthEast. It's not snowing that badly here but apparently my shopping comes from Chelmsford (no idea why as that's miles from us!) and it's snowing there. It's just the thought that I'm going to have to take the 2 MiniBodens and the friend round to the shop in the snow to buy something for dinner. Especially annoying, as S'burys were going to be bringing stuff for the girls to make their own pizzas, thereby keeping them out of mischief for half an hour :)

Boden, I think that is part of it. And as he seems a wee bit dim when it comes to matters of the heart, maybe something in him won't let him give up hope that she'll turn to him or let him quite believe what she is doing to him.

Although at the end of RH2 he does appear to have had enough, even before he kills her, and resolves to have her anyway, willing or not.

Can you buy some french bread or muffins and tomato puree, veg, ham etc from the local shop and still give it a go?

Our local shop doesn't really have that much range, Stripey. Good idea though, thanks.

I feel your lack of shopping pain.

My toes are still numb.

YT is completely banjaxed for me today. Can the whole world be watching Guy vids? MN is turrible slow too. Must be all those snowed- in ladies, wanting to warm themselves up. as they chat.

At least my hut on the banks of the great grey-green greasy Limpopo is even a little too warm.

Guy has just told Marian to beg. And then set fire to her house regardless.

I think another dimension here is that Guy is a psychopath and psychopaths lack insight into their condition.

Maybe not quite this, Flowers.

''Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age 50 or so, then tapers off.

Their emotionlessness reflects a detached, fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a low-state autonomic nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life history will usually show no long-standing bonds with others nor much rhyme to their reason (other than the planning of violence).

They tend to operate with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective brakes. ''

He does come good in season 3, so we have to think there is good in him somewhere all along.

I think what it boils down to is that he's angry.

Crikey. Who wrote that? Sounds more like Mills and Boon that the Institute of Psychiatry. It has to be more nuanced than that, surely?

As a veteran now of series 1 and one episode of series 2, I remain of the view (for now) that Guy does demonstrate some psychopathic traits - especially his lack of empathy and the loss of control (I notice that when he kills people, he doesn't just stab them once but often stabs them repeatedly in a frenzy).

Hi again. Thanks for the welcome a few pages back (I'll ignore any cheeky comments that may have been made ).

I watched the Vicar of Dibley yesterday, but found it somewhat lacking - Harry Kennedy seems to be devoid of angst, alpha qualities, a dark side and requisite tormented facial expressions!

Theresahole... were you referring (a few posts back) to Youtube viewing suggestions popping up? I was relieved to discover that you can delete your viewing history on Youtube (if you go to Recommended for You section, click on Learn More, then Viewing History, then Clear Viewing History). Unfortunately it seems to need doing after each viewing!

Agree completely about the anger - but again tend to think that his tendency to lose it in violence is more evidence of a psychopathic tendency.

Thanks for that helpful tip, fascicle.
I know what you mean about Dibley but sometimes
''angst, alpha qualities, a dark side and requisite tormented facial expressions!''
get a little too much and it's nice to spend time with a gentle soul like Harry or Mr Thornton --not quite as gentle, but Upright and Moral.

I tend to think the violence is a reaction to having his anger constantly stoked, Flowers. Obviously I know he is far from being the paragon your Mr T is.

Hello again, Fascicle (and do please explain your intriguing name).

I agree that sometimes the angst, alpha qualities and tormented dark side can be a bit much. I freely concede that my beloved Mr Thornton (who himself has some alpha qualities) is far from a paragon; he has some anger management issues.

Oooh. Guy has just told the Bavarian buffoon that "Marian says no when she really means yes". Or so Guy hopes.

Now serving in the Academy canteen: Marlborough Mills stew for lunch.

That last article wasn't Mills and Boon, just Google.
Here's another article

I feel psychopath isn't right --- there must be some technical term for what ails him but I find shrink-ology a bit confusing.
Not sociopath either. He does have feelings.

But again, why do I bother? I wish I didn't want to bother. Maybe I should see if Mr Thornton wants another hand in the canteen. For Lucas is another dead loss obviously :(