Honestly tho idk - my parents are in the highest tax bracket but refuse to vote completely as they think labour’s a mess and the tory party are immoral. However, if it came down to it they would vote labour and so would I - whilst I think ruby is very upper class and privileged, it makes sense for her to be voting left, being a young person with relatively progressive values she’s previously been vocal about, and I don’t think it’s something she would lie about. I just dislike it when people view it as a given that people in higher tax brackets would vote Tory, when imo things like taxes only play a small part of it. Now, how her parents vote is a different story but when ruby said she votes left, I actually believe her. Nothing against people speculating ofc - just putting my own opinion out there
Ruby Granger #4 Please sir, may I have some more (priviledge, playtime, and fake productivity)?
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The fact that your parents refuse to vote completely is the thing though - in order to actually change society and redistribute wealth you need to take part in the process and actively support a party. Not voting is basically abstaining and supports the status quo. Statistically wealthier voters are more likely to vote Tory- which would make sense, as they benefit the most from Tory policies. Saying that Labour is a mess so you refuse to vote for them is symptomatic of being so privileged that you don't really mind whether society changes or not.
Going back to the privilege stuff, does anyone notice in Q and As that when asked if they’re wealthy Ruby (and Jade/Jack etc) all end up saying ‘I’m wealthy in terms of love’ or something like that? I understand not fully wanting to disclose your financial situation but they just skirt around their privilege all the time.
Exactly. I could not stand corbyn yet still voted for him because lets face it, the tory party were literally killing people with austerity. To not vote is just immoral imo when theres lives at risk. Then again, the fptp voting system in the UK is so messed up, I can understand why a lot of people don’t bother
Sorry to swerve the conversation but I think Ruby came across quite mature and more grown up when she studying first year (theology) and she also looked healthier back then.
Is it just me who noticed that?
I wonder if she really made the right choice changing degrees as she seemed happier back then?
Is it just me who noticed that?
I wonder if she really made the right choice changing degrees as she seemed happier back then?
This. I’m not defending Ruby (and I genuinely don’t know how you can be a reader and not use that as a way of understanding other lives) but if you think about it, she’s never had her bubble burst. Small private day school - so everyone was pretty similar, geographically and economically - RG, traditionally quite posh uni and at least two years in some of the most expensive accommodation there, visits home practically every weekend and a wider family that’s clearly quite well-off too. She doesn’t seem to have many ‘different’ friends (I’d hazard a guess you don’t get many Blakeneys at state schools ...) and her world seems quite small. She come from that class of people that think they understand poverty and difference but it’s entirely theoretical, and they think that by donating to charity or talking about it in a surface way that’s enough - and to be fair, in their world it usually is. There’s thousands of Rubies out there and they never really have to think about their privilege, or they genuinely do think that their minor discomforts somehow give them insight (I.e. I know about the Holocaust because I was bullied at school ... not to diminish bullying but the two shouldn’t be conflated). They never get challenged on it because they exist in a bubble where doing the the performative stuff is enough because it’s all they’ve ever done.
Yeah I agree. There was also that whole thing with her "identifying as a Lit student" which was so silly. And Theology and Philosophy forced her out of her comfort zone and challenged her knowledge more than English Lit does.
It was just a mess to be honest, she said she chose Theology because "if I can't study English Lit at Oxford, I won't study English Lit anywhere", which is such an immature attitude to have when choosing your university path? And then changed her mind and went back to English Lit because she identifies as an English Lit student, whatever that means. I don't think Ruby approached the choice of her degree in a very healthy and mature way in general.
why did she switch back to lit?
We live in one of the most strong labour constituencies anyway so it’s not like it would’ve changed the result lol
Moreover, them not being from the U.K. in the first place - they have a number of reasons to dislike each of the parties and not voting is a form of resistance to what they did to our country? Something like that anyway - is what I got from our conversations together
Still, how other people vote doesn’t impact my opinion that I think she actually did vote labour, it’s a real possibility. A lot of my friends come from incredibly privileged families and honestly probably don’t acknowledge their privilege, however, vote labour as they’re progressive youngsters (will probably change to tory later on in their lives but for now it makes sense that ruby would vote labour, at least to me)
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She said that she enjoyed Theology but she just felt like English Lit was her calling or something like that. And that even while she was studying Theology she always identified as a Lit student and when people asked she felt the urge to tell them she was a Lit student (?)
I think she probably does vote Labour, but doesn’t really understand why. I doubt she understands our hatred of the Tories, because let’s face it they’ve never done anything to disadvantage her (well their handling of COVID is bad for everyone), but she knows that lots of people our age think voting Labour is the right thing to do, so she does it. Ultimately she probably has a Tory outlook on life, but I suspect she ‘votes left’ because she knows that to do otherwise would make her look bad to her followers/peers. Even amongst privately educated people, most ppl in their 20s I know are left leaning, so I’m sure most people at uni she knows probably vote Labour
I figured that Green would be the most logical vote for Ruby, but I could be way out!
I wonder if maybe she votes green?
Haha I was literally typing the same thing a minute ago
When Ruby said she voted left, I assumed she meant she went to the booth on the left-hand side of the room to cast her Tory vote 
This is all really dull but essentially someone has used Erimentha's email account and sent inappropriate stuff in her name. She doesn't tell her parents what has happened and goes to school to speak to Mr Aldridge, who is wearing a cream suit like Jay Gatsby. The man is having a breakdown.
She tells him about the emails and that her tennis lesson is her alibi, thank goodness for middle-class extra-curricular activities! Mrs Stafford joins them and even though this is something her parents should be involved in, Erimentha manipulates her teachers into keeping quiet.
With two pins down, she goes to harass Miss Soloman who is 'absent-mindedly' eating a tuna sandwich - she assumes it's tuna due to the salty smell hanging in the air - ouch! Someone is salty!
"Just give me a second, Erimentha." She wants to be left alone - Erimentha doesn't take the hint. Erimentha denies knowing who the culprit is.
She tells him about the emails and that her tennis lesson is her alibi, thank goodness for middle-class extra-curricular activities! Mrs Stafford joins them and even though this is something her parents should be involved in, Erimentha manipulates her teachers into keeping quiet.
With two pins down, she goes to harass Miss Soloman who is 'absent-mindedly' eating a tuna sandwich - she assumes it's tuna due to the salty smell hanging in the air - ouch! Someone is salty!
"Just give me a second, Erimentha." She wants to be left alone - Erimentha doesn't take the hint. Erimentha denies knowing who the culprit is.
I really want someone to do a 'fanfic' from the POV of the bully or one of the other people in the school. Like, the perspective of an ordinary person with actual struggles to demonstrate what a massive nob Erimentha is, and how her victim narrative is complete waffle.
I agree, I think a lot of young people vote labour because of peer pressure (in private circles) without really understanding what the party stands for or believing in it
May I ask what kind of inappropriate stuff?When Ruby said she voted left, I assumed she meant she went to the booth on the left-hand side of the room to cast her Tory vote
This is all really dull but essentially someone has used Erimentha's email account and sent inappropriate stuff in her name. She doesn't tell her parents what has happened and goes to school to speak to Mr Aldridge, who is wearing a cream suit like Jay Gatsby. The man is having a breakdown.
She tells him about the emails and that her tennis lesson is her alibi, thank goodness for middle-class extra-curricular activities! Mrs Stafford joins them and even though this is something her parents should be involved in, Erimentha manipulates her teachers into keeping quiet.
With two pins down, she goes to harass Miss Soloman who is 'absent-mindedly' eating a tuna sandwich - she assumes it's tuna due to the salty smell hanging in the air - ouch! Someone is salty!
"Just give me a second, Erimentha." She wants to be left alone - Erimentha doesn't take the hint. Erimentha denies knowing who the culprit is.
"Ruby's collar is bigger than mine..."
Did someone go to a PARTY? Have FUN? Pass the smelling salts... *faints dramatically*
Honestly this kind of parenting is incredibly damaging to a sibling relationship, as well as to each child individually.
Not only is it fostering needless competition and rivalry, but is very hurtful to the Nathan-type child, who of course will be aware of the subtle ridicule and patronisation, but it also doesn't do the Erimentha-type any favours. It puts pressure on her to make sure to always be seen as the smart one.
How humiliating if she was outsmarted by her dumb younger brother, who might well be really good at something else! Must make sure she is always better than him in every way, and be seen to be better than him. Otherwise she could end up at the receiving end of mummy and Nathan laughing at her behind her back!
And then carrying that attitude with her into the classroom, and beyond.
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