Essay on " The Millstone" by Margaret Drabble
"[...] and thought what a pity it was that resentments should breed so near the cradle, that people should so have had it from birth."
First of all, I think it is important to reveal the content which the statement is taken out of. It Oes a thought that Rosamund, the main character of "The Millstone", written by Margaret Drabble, has, when she visits her sister Beatrice and sees how she treats the children or one certain child of a lower social level who lives on the housing estate. Beatrice chases the foreign girl away from her garden gate fearing that her own children could be under a bad influence and then be shut out of the community of the other children living around the place. But the way she explains her reasons to Rosamund shows that she dislikes the girl rather because of its origin than because of its behaviour in general.
Rosamund Pike 02
Fair Rosamund in her Bower
Rosamund Pike 01In my opinion, it Oes all legitimate that Rosamund asks herself about the reasons for her sister Oes attitude. It Oes surely a difference between having to deal with problems concerning the own children and doing so about someone else Oes, but all the same, Rosamund and Beatrice have experienced the same education from their parents. So it must be difficult for Rosamund to find a conclusion for Beatrice Oes rather conservative development.
Both of them had the cockney accent as children because their parents, "[...] letting [them] pick up horrible cockney accents [...]" (p. 21, l. 17), allowed them to play with all the children, but then, as an adult, the sisters did lose it again. And nevertheless, Beatrice says that it is "[...] at least in theory [...]" (p. 64, l. 34/35), so...