Elly Pattterson: Hoarder.....

[dreadedcandiru2]

The strip for 27 December 1981 in which Elly "cleverly" disposed of Mike's "excess" toys is not only another example of a lost opportunity for her to parent, it's a reminder of a deeper pathology. While it's clear that she has no real respect for the property of her child, it's equally clear that she tends to attach far too much value on her own belongings. Where her sentimental attachment takes a turning towards to horrific is that the items she venerates have no real value. As by way of example, she not only saves old wrapping paper in the vain hope of one day using it again, her freezer is loaded with left-overs that have been destroyed by freezer burn but not thrown out because of their sentimental value. The colloquial term for someone with this particular form of OCD is a "hoarder". While not the sort of extreme case we see on television, Elly's need to pack things away for a day that will never come is making her life harder than it needs to be; it also explains what the Sweet Suite they promised April is really being used for. I should think that if we were to look in on the Tiny Train House right now, we'd see Elly lugging a bunch of old junk into that basement apartment John is supposed to get around to finishing. The person it's supposed to be for is probably either spending winter break at the Pattermanse or chilling with Bev and Dan; either way, John and Elly will be making stupid remarks about how Her Highness can't deal with a little clutter.

Comments

[josephusrex.livejournal.com]

Bingo. And we know perfectly well that the Sweet Suite never got completed. April slept in those unfinished rooms for weeks, then months, while John promised to "get around to it real soon," and then finally Elly said, "You know, April, this is your last year of high school; you'll be living somewhere else after that. It doesn't really make sense to spend the money and go to all that trouble if it'll be done by the time you're ready to leave."

I bet April spends a good deal of her free time thinking up stuff she could do to really, REEEEALLY hurt her parents, altho of course she'll never carry out any of her ideas.

[dreadedcandiru2.livejournal.com]

I know; my guess is that she realizes that just existing is hurtful enough to them.