I liked Jean Brodie, hated Sandy!

okay, I realize "hate" is a strong word and that maybe it shouldn't be used in this case. But I must admit that the character of Sandy was a very creepy one indeed. When people go about bashing the character of Jean Brodie, I think they are horribly mistaken. Because regardless of what the writer's intent was when she wrote the book, the truth is Sandy is a deceptive traitor who was dishonest to Jean Brodie almost from the very beginning, without Jean being any the wiser. Remember near the end, when Jean said something about excluding Sandy from any suspicion when it comes to who might've turned her in? Well, this just lets you know exactly how dishonest Sandy was! There were several instances that I thought Sandy was a very peculiar, very very creepy girl. Like the scene when Jean Brodie runs into the classroom and shut the door in tears, she turns on the light, and who's standing there -- Sandy!!

Clearly Jean Brodie just distracts you all from the true villain -- That being Sandy! She was not a well-meaning girl. This, to me, makes her a vindictive and bad girl. It seems popular to claim that the character of Jean Brodie is the perfect human study of narcissism and so many negative qualities of the human condition. But if you guys are so interested in character study, I think you're focusing on the wrong character -- especially if you want to find the villain. clearly, even the author of the novel seems to be a bad judge of character (if it is possible to even judge a character), because even the author, according to what I've read from people who know the book, intended Jean Brodie to be the questionable not so good person, and for Sandy to be the one who finally ended up with a "good" head on her shoulders. But I would argue that there is nothing "good" about Sandy. She did one of the worst things that a person can do in any relationship, she betrayed trust! Miss Jean Brodie trusted her! My disdain for Sandy has nothing to do with whether or not Jean Brodie deserved trust, but rather the fact that if Sandy didn't in her heart believe in what Jean Brodie stood for, or any of the things that she said during their conversations together, then she should not have led Jean Brodie to believe otherwise. It is her dishonesty and deception that make her the villain in my opinion, regardless of whether or not Jean Brodie is worthy or good -- Jean Brodie's attitude does not erase Sandy's premeditated betrayal. Anyone who thinks Sandy is a good person needs to think again.

I know that Miss Jean Brodie is a fictional person, but I feel sort of sorry for her. Because there are so many amateur psychologists on these boards claiming how bad she is, claiming how flawed she is, and claiming how she is the perfect representation of an imperfect person questionable morals, sometimes even almost evil within her -- some people have said some horrible things about her! But, again, if you all want to claim a good character analysis, you're doing a pretty poor job of it. Because if you really study to her character, you would realize that she isn't bad but rather mistaken, a bit foolhardy, and the little too careless at times. Now, when I say careless, I don't mean that she had no care in her heart. I mean that she was wrong about where she placed her loyalty and her priorities were a bit lopsided. But the thing that is important to remember and the very thing that separates her from true badness is that she doesn't realize the harm that she causes her "girls". She seems completely unaware of it. Again, this further shows her rose-colored glasses point of view and how she does have a romanticized view of not only the world, but those around her as well. She doesn't think of how they could get hurt. In her mind, they are Brodie girls, and as long as they follow what she teaches, she truly believed that they'll be okay. For everyone who says that she has no feelings and didn't care, I just have to wonder why you insist on lying to yourself like that? How could you come to that conclusion? She makes it clear during several points in the movie that she does care about her girls -- even if she does have a mistaken way of showing it. You can't claim she doesn't care, just because her version of caring is different from yours. And this brings me to another point: I am truly disturbed at how many people try to blame the character of Miss Brodie on the death of the character of Mary McGregor. The only thing Miss Brodie was doing was encouraging her girls to have passion and to stand up for what they believe in. It is not her fault that Mary McGregor went and got killed shortly after listening to Brodie's speech. Miss Brodie should not be blamed for what another girl did. The only thing Brodie did was inspire, she didn't make the girl do that. Heck, she didn't even suggest that the girl do that! To those of you who say that she did, you're reading too much into it. She only wanted her girls to do what they believed in -- yes, even if it meant fighting in the war. But that didn't mean that she wanted any of them to die -- get real! She should not be responsible for the actions of someone else. And if you listen to her speech, she didn't say anything objectionable, in fact she only spoke inspirationally. There was nothing wrong with what she said, but only what the girl did. Mary McGregor's death was not Jean Berti's fault. And the fact that so many people seem to say that it's Jean's fault only proves that people are out to hate Jean Brodie, for whatever reason. And it's irresponsible and irrational to do so, as it gives a completely false image of the character.

And as for everyone who says that Jean Brodie was trying to pimp out the 12-year-old girl to her would-be art lover, that's just ridiculous! She wasn't trying to pimp out a "12-year-old", she said clearly that "someday" Jenny would know great love, and be painted many times. Keyword: someday. She wasn't expecting the 12-year-old to have an affair at that very moment! It seems like the people who criticize Jean Brodie will find anything to criticize her with -- even irrational arguments! I mean, come on! Be serious! She clearly meant that Jenny would be a great lover in the future -- the future!! And given the time, place, and circumstance, what was wrong with that? Some people really did believe in free love, and Jean Brody seems to be one of them.

As for everyone who seems to think that she was bad for playing "Providence" to her girls by predicting their futures, how is that bad?! It's like when a mother tells her daughter that she'll make a great wife and mother herself someday -- or that she will be a great mother someday. The only thing she was doing is giving her students something to work towards, and letting them know, in her own way, that she believes in them and their unique potentials as she saw it. Really, it's clear that you all misunderstand her terribly! She was just giving her students something to work towards, and letting them know that she saw great promise in them -- even if she was mistaken as to what exactly that great promise was. And, let's be clear, if any of those girls diverted from how she thought they would become, it isn't like she would've been angry, it isn't like she would've tried to put a stop to it. She would have just been surprised, that's all. Again, she had very little self-awareness and she lacked adequate insight. These contributed to her mistaken outlooks on life, and to her other flaws, but they make her a tragically innocent character, not a "bad" one. I do wish she was a little less bossy, but now I'm picking at straws...

And as for her questionable politics, many people back in that time had similar politics. Jean Brodie was flawed, she was arrogant at times, she was even downright ridiculous -- yes -- but she was not bad. Sandy, on the other hand, she was... she really was bad.

When understood in the right way, Jean Brodie really is a likable--- even if ridiculous---woman. Sandy, on the other hand---plegh!!