>> I'd think that Enid a) being an extrovert, b) being from a large family and c) being from a communal-minded community* would have more to do with her skills than "she's a werewolf; werewolves have good social skills." *Assuming that the werewolf community is fairly prosocial and teaches these skills.<<
I agree that extroversion is a prevailing aspect. We don't know if there are introverted werewolves, but if there are, I suspect it's uncommon. We do know that being a "lone wolf" is generally considered undesirable and Enid especially hates the idea of it. This implies that werewolf society leans communal. That doesn't necessarily mean they all have large families, but a bunch of primally motivated communal people are likely to lean in that direction.
So while the traits could occur outside of werewolves, I think that confluence probably prevails within their culture. If they want to have some focus rather than just relying on instinct, they'll need education.
>>Another potential problem: Enid decided to be friends and decided to do it on her own terms...and then blamed Wednesday for it not going well. If that pattern continues, it will end very badly.<<
I agree. Look at it from Wednesday's perspective...
* She arrives tired and cranky from a long car ride. * The room is physically and emotionally uncomfortable for her to be in, so she has to make a major cleaning effort just to make her half marginally habitable, and try to ignore the grating irritation of the other half. * Her hyperactive roommate, who Wednesday doesn't know at all, insists that they are friends, keeps trying to get her attention, and wants to touch her. * Enid also keeps doing things without being asked, expects that Wednesday will somehow "just know" to do a bunch of other things also without being asked, and then pouts and flounces when Enid doesn't get what she wants. * Nor does Enid have any idea how exhausting her social demands are for Wednesday to perform -- even something as "simple" as apologizing to Thing. There go all of Wednesday's spoons for today and tomorrow. O_O (Though to be fair, Wednesday doesn't realize it costs Enid spoons to articulate things that a fellow Hint friend would simply intuit.)
I'd be looking for quiet corners of the school to hole up in rather than inhabit a room under those circumstances.
>> Maybe one of her friends will begin 'translating' the social stuff for her.<<
Or at least point her to useful books.
When I first encountered actual friends in a new high school, we realized very quickly that we needed to work on certain things or one of us was going to toss another down the stairs. We also realized that we needed some new interactive skills to get able to do things together. We decided it was worth the effort, so we did those things, and it worked. But we hadn't needed them before, so we had to stop and think about it. Wednesday and Enid both need new skills for each other, but they are not thinking about it. That is a problem.
>> Too bad that she's probably a bit young for a social secretary...<<
I don't see age as a limit. It'd help.
>> actually I can imagine her trying to get Eugene to handle her social stuff, and then it wouldn't quite work and <<
That'd be a disaster, because he is a nerd, and nerds typically don't have great social skills. Certainly Eugene doesn't. Enid would be great at that, but she and Wednesday would have to figure out a lot of other stuff first.
>> someone else has to step in to teach him a bit of assertiveness (and maybe point out that Wednesday should buy him some fudge or something as a thank-you).<<
Those are good ideas. Wednesday absolutely needs to learn about favor-trading or some other means of rewarding people she wants as friends or allies. It's like plugging in a lamp, it doesn't run without an energy source.
>>Reminds me of the whole setup of Brave - Silk Hiding Steel mother who can't effectively communicate with her daughter who is a bit of a tomboy and prefers Dad, who is oblivious of all the social stuff his wife does...<<
Very astute.
I think part of the problem with Wednesday and Morticia is that, as Wednesday got older, Morticia started trying to teach her things and give her social responsibilities -- only to find that Wednesday's perceptions and traits are totally different, not suited to that at all. This frustrates both of them.
Conversely, Wednesday seems more in tune with her father, who taught her about things like surviving treachery. So I wonder if he's got the "how to manage allies" skills, which he could present to Wednesday.
Then again, she is most enthusiastic about Uncle Fester -- she actually smiled when she saw him, as contrasted with her surly greeting of Thing -- which makes me suspect he's the "fun uncle" who does wild things with her and doesn't expect much if any actual work.
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dancing_serpent
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2023-03-27 08:41 am (UTC)*Assuming that the werewolf community is fairly prosocial and teaches these skills.<<
I agree that extroversion is a prevailing aspect. We don't know if there are introverted werewolves, but if there are, I suspect it's uncommon. We do know that being a "lone wolf" is generally considered undesirable and Enid especially hates the idea of it. This implies that werewolf society leans communal. That doesn't necessarily mean they all have large families, but a bunch of primally motivated communal people are likely to lean in that direction.
So while the traits could occur outside of werewolves, I think that confluence probably prevails within their culture. If they want to have some focus rather than just relying on instinct, they'll need education.
>>Another potential problem: Enid decided to be friends and decided to do it on her own terms...and then blamed Wednesday for it not going well. If that pattern continues, it will end very badly.<<
I agree. Look at it from Wednesday's perspective...
* She arrives tired and cranky from a long car ride.
* The room is physically and emotionally uncomfortable for her to be in, so she has to make a major cleaning effort just to make her half marginally habitable, and try to ignore the grating irritation of the other half.
* Her hyperactive roommate, who Wednesday doesn't know at all, insists that they are friends, keeps trying to get her attention, and wants to touch her.
* Enid also keeps doing things without being asked, expects that Wednesday will somehow "just know" to do a bunch of other things also without being asked, and then pouts and flounces when Enid doesn't get what she wants.
* Nor does Enid have any idea how exhausting her social demands are for Wednesday to perform -- even something as "simple" as apologizing to Thing. There go all of Wednesday's spoons for today and tomorrow. O_O (Though to be fair, Wednesday doesn't realize it costs Enid spoons to articulate things that a fellow Hint friend would simply intuit.)
I'd be looking for quiet corners of the school to hole up in rather than inhabit a room under those circumstances.
>> Maybe one of her friends will begin 'translating' the social stuff for her.<<
Or at least point her to useful books.
When I first encountered actual friends in a new high school, we realized very quickly that we needed to work on certain things or one of us was going to toss another down the stairs. We also realized that we needed some new interactive skills to get able to do things together. We decided it was worth the effort, so we did those things, and it worked. But we hadn't needed them before, so we had to stop and think about it. Wednesday and Enid both need new skills for each other, but they are not thinking about it. That is a problem.
>> Too bad that she's probably a bit young for a social secretary...<<
I don't see age as a limit. It'd help.
>> actually I can imagine her trying to get Eugene to handle her social stuff, and then it wouldn't quite work and <<
That'd be a disaster, because he is a nerd, and nerds typically don't have great social skills. Certainly Eugene doesn't. Enid would be great at that, but she and Wednesday would have to figure out a lot of other stuff first.
>> someone else has to step in to teach him a bit of assertiveness (and maybe point out that Wednesday should buy him some fudge or something as a thank-you).<<
Those are good ideas. Wednesday absolutely needs to learn about favor-trading or some other means of rewarding people she wants as friends or allies. It's like plugging in a lamp, it doesn't run without an energy source.
>>Reminds me of the whole setup of Brave - Silk Hiding Steel mother who can't effectively communicate with her daughter who is a bit of a tomboy and prefers Dad, who is oblivious of all the social stuff his wife does...<<
Very astute.
I think part of the problem with Wednesday and Morticia is that, as Wednesday got older, Morticia started trying to teach her things and give her social responsibilities -- only to find that Wednesday's perceptions and traits are totally different, not suited to that at all. This frustrates both of them.
Conversely, Wednesday seems more in tune with her father, who taught her about things like surviving treachery. So I wonder if he's got the "how to manage allies" skills, which he could present to Wednesday.
Then again, she is most enthusiastic about Uncle Fester -- she actually smiled when she saw him, as contrasted with her surly greeting of Thing -- which makes me suspect he's the "fun uncle" who does wild things with her and doesn't expect much if any actual work.