Betsy was a Junior

At this point those of you who are walking down memory lane with me are most likely chomping at the bit. Where’s Joe? I know you’re asking. How can a character so important he rates his own title billing (coming up next in Betsy and Joe) not have warranted a single mention in my first two posts about high school? Well, the truth is, Joe is barely in those books. Sure he’s lurking about the edges being attractive yet maddeningly aloof, not to mention besting our girl academically, much to her chagrin. But honestly, he’s just not that big a deal. Of course all that turns on a dime in the first few pages of Betsy was a Junior when she licks her pencil and marks in her journal the fateful words, I think I’ll go with Joe Willard!

Of course, as Betsy and Tacy observe (quoting Burns no less), “the best laid plans…gang aft a-gley” and Betsy is brought crashing to earth when she sees Joe getting into an automobile driven by none other than Phil Brandish’s pill of a twin sister Phyllis.

Instead of going with Joe, Betsy goes with the strong, silent Dave Hunt.  Emphasis on silent, he makes Calvin Coolidge look absolutely loquacious.  Betsy spends much of the book wondering if she’s actually going with him, if he’ll be calling for her and where she stands with him(a feeling teenage girls have known for centuries!) As the girls discuss his silence, one volunteers that he’ll have to learn to talk before he can take out girls.  In reply (a reply I swear I’ve either said or heard personally, it’s that modern), Winona quips, “Oh I don’t know. You could look at him.”

Still not enough Joe for you?  Come back tomorrow, I promise he’ll be in Betsy and Joe.

Great for: Offering a cautionary tale about sororities and fraternities. Julia comes home from University over the moon for a certain sorority. She’s dead set on joining and relates that if you’re not in a sorority or fraternity you haven’t a chance at having a social life. Good old Mr. Ray bristles and objects when Julia relates the nickname for those that don’t join – barbs (short for barbarians). Despite Mr. Ray’s common sense, Betsy is so taken with the idea that she starts a sorority for her friends. Their exclusivity ends up costing them dearly, and rightfully so. Disclaimer: I was in a sorority in college. It was tons of fun. However, there was blackballing and exclusion. I’m not against them but when they are powerful there is much potential for harm.

Old fashioned thinking alert: Mr. Ray will absolutely pay for and support anything Julia does but admits he hopes she settles down and uses her singing voice for lullabies.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – The girls are shown lacing up each other’s corsets. Tib’s waist is a sickening 18″.
Profanity – “Gott sei dank” which translates to Thank God, “What the dickens,” “Gosh darn,” “darned,” “darn” a few times.
Death, Violence and Gore – Betsy refers to her conquest of Phil as “taking his scalp.” Miss Cobb the local piano teacher took in her niece and nephews when her sister died. The niece and one of the nephews died soon after. There’s a bit of play fighting, punches thrown and wrestling after a school prank. The girls put on a play called She Loved but Killed Him. Cab’s father dies. This means that Cab won’t get to finish high school or go to school to be an engineer. He has to take over for his father to support his mother and younger siblings.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Betsy still has Phil’s pipe and collects Dave’s as well, she’s given some tobacco and papers from Dennie and a cigar by Cab, all eager to be reformed. Mr. Ray admits to smoking cigars. Tony is suspended for coming to school drunk.
Frightening or Intense Things – Miss Cobb’s nephew Leonard is very ill with the disease that killed his siblings. It seems fairly clearly that he will die from it in time.