Going back to p. 230, discussion re: Emil's thoughtless dismissal of the Danish army's efforts at Kastrup:
Ann Marie ... the more I look at Emil's expression in panel 4 - I kinda feel for him. He looks genuinely horrified when he realizes the impact of his words. I mean, yeah he's thoughtless and self-absorbed, but he's not deliberately cruel by any means. And he seems to have learned from this.
Or maybe this is more like when he discovered the stain on his shirt, and he's really just worried about how he looks to other people and not Mikkel's feelings. Erm.
Miss Honeyham I honestly feel so badly for poor Emil. He's so awkward. He seems well meaning, but he's just... ah, dare I say it? A homeschooler. One who tends towards bravado in order to cover up social incapabilities.
Ann Marie Yea... hey! My kids are homeschooled! ;-) But yeah, I think his family put him on a bit of a pedestal and he's... recovering from that. And we know he doesn't understand Mikkel that well so I think he just opened his mouth to sound "cool" before he'd even processed what had been said, or realized how close Mikkel probably was to the actual events.
But I think he has a sweet nature in general. Kids like him, and cats.. well, Lalli.
Grace As a homeschool graduate, I resent that remark! (actually, I do have several *very stereotypical* homeschooled friends, so I don't resent it too much
)
Honestly though, I kind of wonder if Emil has a bit of social anxiety. He was so concerned about making a good impression on Tuuri and Lalli, and almost had a panic attack when he thought that his impression was ruined. I don't think he's vain, I think he's terrified that anyone he meets will hate him.
Crazybean I'd thought about something like that too. Emil comes off to me as someone who is desperate to make friends ('just need to make a good first impression and everything will be going well from there') while at the same time his crippling fear screws up any attempts he makes. He *always* assumes the worst and projects it on his person.
'Did that man just call me ugly..'
'The teachers were out to get me'
'they'll think of me as a pig... they're already whispering about me'
'There better not be anything mean about me in there (the crew files)'
Maybe this anxiety stems from bad experiences in public school?
Incognita I'm curious where these stereotyped awkward homeschoolers are hanging out.
Miss Honeyham I was homeschooled, and after growing up knowing only other homeschoolers it was a total shock to meet other people who'd actually had friends growing up. Almost nobody I'd known as a student had any social interaction besides 4-H once a week, and that shows.
Incognita Perhaps it's a geographical distance thing, then. I live in a large metropolitan area and we had lot of social interaction, particularly classes and other activities like dance, scouting, choir, church, and family events. We also spent a lot of time with each other (both fighting and working together) and we still have very good relationships with each other and our cousins. Most of that would be difficult with longer distances to go.
Celidah It depends, really. I know homeschoolers who run the gamut. I can think of at least two homeschooled acquaintances off the top of my head who had a lot of social interaction through extracurriculars, local homeschooling group activities and what have you. They're very well-adjusted, socially graceful, and popular people.
But I know others who fit the awkward homeschooler stereotype. I myself was the latter until I went to college and found a good group of friends who helped me come out of my shell. Oh don't get me wrong, I'm still a maladjusted weirdo (points to avatar), I'm just the fun kind now.
The most socially awkward and creepiest guy I've ever met, though, was in an institutional public school. *shudders at the memory*
I think a lot of factors contribute to how well kids adjust socially, and it's a lot more complex than just how they're educated.
