what did nels see in harriet - Little House on the Prairie (1974) Discussion

[–] wanton87 (934) 5 years ago

That’s a good question Jason. Since I’m pretty sure that no man starts off by saying to himself, “I think I’m going to find the most obnoxious, overbearing, and unappealing woman that I can find, so that I can marry her” :D

That’s the type of woman that would raise serial killer children. Oh wait; I was just reminded of Nancy :D I remember what she did to the girl from the office!

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[–] AlfredTheGreat (471) 5 years ago

Harriet had the stones to collect on accounts from the various customers in WG. She was probably better at maintaining inventory and bookkeeping. There was a business that my father patronized where the one co-owner was the personable one in terms of selling and the other was a little more uptight but probably managed the business better. I think that Nels was more concerned about having a woman that would make a good business partner than being a domestic servant.

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[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I think Harriet changed considerably over time. We get a bit of a glimpse of that in The Preacher's Wife episode. And Nel's is the kind of guy who'd see things through. Probably tied in first for the most likable characters in the series. Mr. Edwards is right up there too.

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[–] L1 (1316) 5 years ago

Big tallawhackers

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[–] ATG6 (3000) 5 years ago

Slim pickin's on the frontier, and Nels wasn't exactly a lady's man. Harriet was from a well-to-do family and was probably something of a looker in her younger days.

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[–] Who (5146) 5 years ago

I always thought Harriet brought the money to the marriage and Nels was some schmuck her rich father chose to help her manage it.

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[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] JohnnyJohnson (314) 5 years ago

I think Nels very well could have been gay. He and Harriet are at least ten years older than the Ingallses, so they got a late start. Harriet wasn't getting any younger or prettier, and Nels could only say he hasn't found the right woman yet for so long. I liked their chemistry, very much like a gay man and drama queen wife.

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[–] Who (5146) 3 years ago

Where do get Nels was gay? Because he was a mild mannered guy? Typecast much? Nels and Harriet were probably an arranged marriage by their parents.

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[–] JosephQCat (706) 2 years ago

People do not realize how common arranged marriages were in the 19th Century. And how "terrible" they looked due to smoking, drinking, and poor diet. Very likely that their marriage was arranged. It does not matter if one partner looked or was significantly older than the other. If a person was not in an arranged marriage it was typically due to poor economic circumstances or general perception of being a failure.

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[–] Whom (528) 2 years ago

That goes with my original theory. Harriet came from a wealthy trade family and Nels was a clerk in her father’s business. They are ficticious but based on a composite of real people, according to the author. They could have even been cousins, as that was common back then too.

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[–] JosephQCat (706) 2 years ago

Marrying close cousins was common right up until World War II. Some of it was convenience and some of it was xenophobia. Even today where I live there is a fear of outsiders. If your ancestors did not come over from England and were not Protestant you were treated like a second class citizen. I suspect that was the reason I got dumped by a couple of girls while in high school many years ago.

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[–] Whom (528) 2 years ago

Sorry to hear JosephQCat. The high school dating scene is a cesspool of shallowness and peer pressure. I am sure at least some of those means girls regret dumping you for some waspy wanker.

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[–] JosephQCat (706) 2 years ago

The big problem was being judgmental. It's far enough into the past that I can't get worked up about it now.

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[–] liscarkat (18605) 5 years ago

You should have seen her when she was twenty. Small waist, big firm boobs.

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[–] JohnnyJohnson (314) 3 years ago

Yes, I am sure that she was quite a handsome woman when she was young.

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[–] Kokoro (40) 2 years ago

How many older men do you see walking around with horrible Karens. The women were obviously nicer to them until they put a ring on it. Sometimes men can't get past a women's look until it's too late. Ask Johnny Depp.

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[–] Whom (528) 2 years ago

Katherine MacGreggor was a professional dancer and stage actress, so she must have been quite fit. The costume and hair made her look really dowdy but that’s how all the gals dressed in that time.

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