May 21st, 2010 by admin

In The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Murial Spark, we are allowed the privilege of an insight into the world of young women, supposedly before they enter their prime. A part of the fascination is their great curiosity about sex, but their equal revulsion at the thought of actually doing it, particularly when they get older. As young people with firm and, depending on the viewer, potentially beautiful bodies, there is something “off-putting” about the development of wrinkles. Written sixty years ago, it explores how sexual relationships development in a more strongly puritanical culture just recovering from World War II. Life expectancy was still relatively short with people seeming to age faster and give up on sex earlier. Coming into modern times, the culture of puritanism is still with us and the original narrative would now be viewed through the lens of pedophilia. But one basic truth remains. People of all ages remain sexual animals when they have the chance. Whether older people continue to have that chance is often the source of bitter recrimination and anger. Such is the price we all pay when we toy with each others emotional expectations. Read the rest of this entry »