#hilary gordon

[batrachised]

Can you please tell me more of your conspiracy theory that Hilary was the one to burn down Silver Bush?

DELIGHTEDLY. First, a point of order: this basic idea behind the theory is not mine! It belongs to a random book reviewer whose name has been lost to the sands of time of my brain :(

A year ago, I was reading an article about Mistress Pat which hit on the common discussion points of the book - Pat seems unwell, Pat and Silver Bush are kind of the real couple, the book is kinda eerie - and then it ended with the galaxy brained joke that Hilary was one the one to burn down Silver Bush, and I loved it so much I have spread it with fervor since.

There's not specific textual evidence or anything of the sort, but there's also not really anything to contradict it besides the in-text guess that it was May leaving a pot on the stove. In fact, it fits it so neatly with the neurotic behavior and disturbing undertones of Pat that I think it's brilliant. What follows is the mutterings of a deranged woman, but bear with me.

Hilary, in a way similar to Teddy, is largely absent from Mistress Pat. I believe he only makes an appearance a couple of times in the book; the vast majority of the time, as with Teddy, he's offscreen building his career as an (of course, because he is Pat's romantic interest) architect. As such, it conveniently gives him a large amount of leeway to basically be doing whatever he (or whatever I, with my handmade tinfoil hat) wants to offscreen.

First: Silver Bush only burns down after Hilary learns of Judy's death. We learn this here:

She had packed the picture up after Judy's death and sent it to Hilary. He had never even acknowledged it...that hurt her...but as she had sent it to his office she felt quite sure he must have received it.

There are several take-aways we can get from this. First, Judy was an extremely significant tie of Pat's to her old life that was now gone, clearing the way for Hilary to move in. Second, Hilary himself confirms that it was Judy writing him a note her deathbed that gave him the courage to try for Pat's hand, despite failing at every point in the past due to Pat's attachment to Silver Bush - except, oh wait, Silver Bush then burns down.

Second: no one actually knows what burns down Silver Bush. May is accused of leaving a pot on that exploded, but even that is presented as an educated guess.

Third: obviously, the loss of Silver Bush sends Pat reeling. Silver Bush burning down - and this is actually true based on the text, not wild conspiracy theory - was necessary for Pat to marry Hilary. If it had not, Pat would have never left. Both Pat and Hilary confirm this. We have Hilary's words upon returning:

Besides, you were taking me too much for granted, Pat. You were blinded by our years of friendship.

Then we have Pat's general emotional state:

They all went to Swallowfield until things could be settled. Pat took no part in the settling. Life had suddenly become for her like a landscape on the moon.

Mother was really pleased at the thought of going back to her old home to live. "Mother is younger than I am," thought Pat drearily.

She felt horribly old. Her love for Silver Bush had kept her young...and now it was gone. Nothing was left...there was only a dreadful, unbearable emptiness...She had a terrible feeling that she did not belong anywhere...or to anybody...in this new sad lonely world.

Not in a good place, Pat! Unless...someone takes advantage of the psychological moment and...

Fourth: Hilary conveniently reappears after years of absence, and then.. and THEN....AND THEN...HAS A HOUSE ALREADY BUILT FOR PAT. Keep in mind, this is two weeks after Silver Bush burned - yet Hilary is like oh look what I have for you :) just conveniently ready :)

He says this, which we can believe or not:

I started as soon as I saw the account of the fire in an Island paper. [reader: batrachised is Suspicious]. But I was coming anyway...I had only been waiting to finish our house. I know what this tragedy of Silver Bush must have meant to you...but I've a home for you by another sea, Pat. 

HMMMMM.

So, there is my case. Now, Hilary is a BELOVED character of mine, and I do not actually think this angel boy would do this; in fact, I think he deserves far, far better than Pat. However, I do think the idea of Pat marrying someone who would burn down Silver Bush to get her is a fascinating commitment to the Shirley Jackson afterflavor of the series. It fits the mood and tone well. Was it intended by LM Montgomery? Absolutely not - but neither was Pat coming across the way she did.

EDIT: I would like to add, this is quite literally the final line of the Pat series:

The old graveyard heard the most charming sound in the world...the low yielding laugh of a girl held prisoner by her lover.

[alwayschasingrainbows]

"Judy gave him a pair of mittens and Pat gave him a little white china dog with blue eyes and a pink china ribbon around its neck . . . the best she could afford after all the family had been remembered out of her small hoard. Nobody knew what earthly use it could be to Jingle but he slept with it under his pillow that night and got more warmth from it than from Judy's mittens. His mother had not sent him anything . . . not even a letter. It took all the comfort Jingle got out of the blue-eyed dog to keep back the tears when he remembered this."

Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery

[vodyaniks]

Sun with kids / Sun with adults

[turnipoddity]

one might say it’s one of his proudest moments in his life

[grandmoments]

I'm in love with this chaos!

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

[empire-of-the-words]

Why comics are hilarious pt 8

Batgirl vol 1 #14 and 16*

Barbara: hey Bruce I think Cass needs to have a life

Bruce: ??? but she likes being Batgirl???

Barbara: *judgemental stare*

-Later-

Barbara: hey Cass I think you need to have a life

Cass: ??? but I like being Batgirl???

Barbara: ...why do I bother

*technically she talks to Cass then Bruce but this is funnier

[pinkrosylux]

let me know your insult guys ☺️

[fueledbyseggovia]

The Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, and Molly Gordon cinematic universe is something that can actually be so personal

[motheroftheantichrist]

Saw AU in which Hoffman escapes the bathroom and makes a trap to get revenge on Lawrence. It's a typical Jigsaw trap except instead of Billy rolling out on the tricycle to bring the tape it's Adam's skeleton.

[meowder]

I wish I could experience the horror of being a Half life fan who has not seen HLVRAI(I got into Half Life because of HLVRAI) and looking at the Half Life tag and every now and then you see some are of Gordon Freeman and Barney but spelled as Gordon FEETMAN and Benry because somebody tagged HLVRAI art with the Half Life tag AND YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE UTTER CONFUSION AND DISMAY

Like "WHY THE HELL DOES BARNEY HAVE A SHADOW OVER HIS EYES AND WHY DOES GORDON HAVE A PONYTAIL AND WHY ARE THEIR NAMES SPELLED LIKE THAT"

[batrachised]

Hilary Gordon is the MOST underrated lm montgomery character and I will die on this hill!! His glasses and clumsiness and letter writing and wistfulness!! MY MAN

[upslapmeal]

the second episode of The Three Doctors is just the Brigadier gradually losing the will to live

[sonicf64]

rewatching HLVRAI for the first time years and my god is it still fucking hilarious to me, this moment in particular absolutely killed me

[bruhstation]

Can you elaborate more on Spencer wanting to make Henry dependent on him?

Would he do the same to Edward ? Like in the episode Edward the great?

Spencer trying to manipulate Gordon's friends?

spencer has some kind of weird toxic gay crush on henry. he's always liked men who are (in his opinion) in distress because they open an opportunity for spencer to swoop in and save them and feed his ego. henry's personality in spencer's head has been altered and dumbed down so severely to match his fantasies where spencer is henry's knight in shining armor who protects and takes care of him while henry is the damsel in distress who's waiting for big, strong spencer to take him away. this guy is a grade A freakster. henry just ignores spencer like he's scraps on a dinner plate and silently prays for his downfall.

after the events of the beast from sodor, spencer gained a microscopic smidge of respect towards henry. it's frankly embarrassing for him because henry's the one protecting spencer instead of the other way around like he envisioned. it doesn't stop him from annoying henry whenever he gets the chance. once, spencer left a note inside nwr 3's cab "call me if gordon's bothering you xxx-xxx-xxx <3 -S.S.G." and henry had to resist the urge to jump and dive head first onto the rocky road after finding it

speaking of gordon, spencer knows that if he DID manage to pull henry, gordon's gonna be extremely pissed off because 1) gordon is his cousin 2) gordon has been fumbling henry for around one and half a decade through gold dust-fueled mind-twisting situations yet they never ended up together and 3) spencer’s gonna have another insensitive stand up comedy material besides "dead siblings" and "dead father" which just excites spencer even more

edward isn't really spencer's type (wise, can stand his ground, etc) and he knows the older man can see right through him, so he's not interested in chasing after him. also henry will NEVER EVER return spencer's feelings mainly because he's just so annoying instead of the fact that spencer has ulterior motives for him and spencer will always remain having a one-sided crush/twisted infatuation/etc for henry

[empire-of-the-words]

Why comics are hilarious pt 9

Batgirl vol 1

Bruce: *gets video evidence of Cass killing someone*

Bruce: this is obviously fake

Bruce: *to David Cain*: how did you fake it?

Cain: nope 110% real you idiot

Bruce: lol you're a liar

Babs: don't you think it's possible-

Bruce: shut up Barbara

[incorrect-all-for-the-game]

Matt: Well, Seth, is there anything you would like to say to Neil?

Seth: How do I put this delicately? You’re a horrible roommate and nobody likes you.

Matt: …How about we frame our statement with “When you do this, it makes me feel this”?

Seth: When you live here, it makes me angry. Because you’re a horrible roommate and nobody likes you.