Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.

By A K Haart blog
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Not Just William

Saturday, January 19, 2019 10:58

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

source

Many folk of a certain age will be familiar with RichmalCrompton’s Just William books from their childhood. Maybe later too.

From Wikipedia

William is the leader of his band of friends, who call themselves the Outlaws, with his best friend Ginger and his other friends Henry and Douglas. His scruffy mongrel is called Jumble.

A William story often starts when William or the Outlaws set out to do something — put on a play, collect scrap metal for the war effort, look after Violet Elizabeth Bott for example. William always manages to get into trouble with his parents, although he can never see why. Often his well-meaning efforts result in broken windows and hysterics among Mrs. Brown’s friends.

What may be less well known is that the character of William was probably inspired by and to some extent copied from an earlier book – American writer Booth Tarkington’s novel Penrod. Penrod Schofield is the hero of Tarkington’s novel and no William fan could possibly read it without recognising the similarities.

“Penrod Schofield!” Mrs. Lora Rewbush had come out into the hallway. And now, in this extremity, when all seemed lost indeed, particularly including honour, the dilating eye of the outlaw fell upon the blue overalls which the janitor had left hanging upon a peg. Inspiration and action were almost simultaneous…

Mr. Samuel Williams, aged eleven, and congenial to Penrod in years, sex, and disposition, appeared in the doorway, shaking into foam a black liquid within a pint bottle, stoppered by a thumb. “Yay, Penrod!” the visitor gave greeting.

“Yay,” said Penrod with slight enthusiasm. “What you got?”

“Lickrish water.”

Penrod is eleven years old, he had a mongrel dog, a nineteen year old sister, a middle class family life, frequently gets into scrapes and collides with authority and with enormous relish he drinks a concoction called liquorice water. Tarkington refers to him several times as an outlaw which as we recall is the name of William’s gang – the outlaws.

From a piece on William in Quadrant -

The boy hero he is most like is Penrod Schofield, created by Booth Tarkington (who wrote The Magnificent Ambersons) about ten years before William. Though her biographers stoutly deny it, Richmal pinched some of his plots. And why not? She made the stories better, funnier.

More importantly she pinched the character. To my mind she improved on Penrod as she adapted him for a British audience but it seems odd that she didn’t disguise this by avoiding some of the more obvious similarities. My guess, and it is a guess, is that she saw Penrod in boys that she knew and her imagination took it from there. And why not?

Source: https://akhaart.blogspot.com/2019/01/not-just-william.html

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!

Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Comments

Online:
Visits:	1,600,076,091
Stories:	8,141,155