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'Modest as a Violet' ????????????????????

posted 11 years ago by johandav
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This is a spectacular version of one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time. Now that that's out of the way, does anyone follow the exchange during the game of 'Similes' when Fred says, "I was thinking 'Modest as a violet'." His wife then gives him a little laugh as she says "Fred!", as if some private joke had passed between them.

Now, if her name was Violet I could understand that - but it's not. So why the look and the laugh?

Can anyone help me with this?

”I don’t like crooks. And if I did like ‘em, I wouldn’t like crooks that are stool pigeons. And if I did like crooks that are stool pigeons, I still wouldn’t like you!”

[–] bemibet-880-233748 11 years ago

The reference "modest as a violet" is from the poem "The Violet" http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-violet/.

Here's why I think there's a little laugh - the woman who guesses "modest as a maiden" is Janet's sister, Fred's sister-in-law. Topper is very interested in her (as he is interested in the sister in the original book.) The Patrick Stewart version has the game of blind-man's bluff that's described in the book, but if you watch Topper in this version he's always looking at the sister. Indeed, when Fred is talking about how his mother loved Scrooge and again when he says that Scrooge is losing some pleasant moments, in the background you can see Topper leaning in against the sister.

I think Janet, the wife, was just enjoying Fred's teasing her sister by giving her the simile "modest", because they both knew that Topper was so interested in her.

"I tell you, if he wasn't my best friend I'd have nothing to do with him."

[–] crlnrgbrght5 10 years ago

This isn't the version when they were doing "The Minister's Cat". I liked that game much better.