Ahhh Tibbikins...
All right, you fans of Tibby (he does look quite cute in those John Lennon glasses), let's get him out of our system!
Henry Wilcox says: "lack of education makes people very casual." That is to say, UNeducated people are indifferent, apathetic, uncaring, flippant. Then, his conviction is that those with education are careful, thorough, concerned. ( Read more... )
Henry Wilcox says: "lack of education makes people very casual." That is to say, UNeducated people are indifferent, apathetic, uncaring, flippant. Then, his conviction is that those with education are careful, thorough, concerned. ( Read more... )
Although Tibby is educated, Oxford and all, he is "apthetic" towards what is happening most of the time. I think what Henry says applies to most people, like Jacky who obviously does not care about much except herself and maybe Leonard, but does not apply to Tibby at all. I think the reason he does not care about the whole business with the Wilcoxes much is because he was not told anything. After that, when the Basts got involved with this whole Wilcox business, he did not care as well because he did not know the Wilcoxes as well as Helen, Margaret, Leonard, practically everyone else (important) in the book.
Even though he does not show much concern about this thing, he still does care about Helen as shown when Helen goes to visit him at Oxford and asks him to transfer 5000 dollars to the Basts. His reaction was relatively big as compared to his previous reactions to other things that happened, like Margaret's scolding of him, and Helen's affair with Paul at the beginning.
Tibby is right in the middle. He is like the Wilcoxes because he is rich and educated.
At the same time, he is also similar to Leonard because he is caught up in this whole matter without wanting to. Leonard does not want to be in this altogether as he said that he would never call at the Schlegel's place again, and wanted to get out of the wedding because he thought he was causing too much trouble. He also refused the help of Helen with the 5000 dollars. Maybe, all these are done out of his male pride, but his desire to get away from all these and try to find a job and settle down makes me think that he does not want to be caught up in this. Tibby shows that he does not want to be part of it because he intially refuses to help Helen transfer the money to the Basts, and did not really appear to be interested in Margaret's marriage to Henry, nor the Wilcoxes anymore.
Tibby also constantly improves himself just like Leonard through his Chinese grammar books, and Leonard through his reading.
But Tibby is, also, unlike both the Wilcoxes and Leonard because he is able to see things from an unclouded view, perhaps due to his uninvolvement. For example, he does not discriminate against the poor like Henry, but does not blow things out of proportion like Leonard when he goes to visit the Schlegels, and during the umbrella incident.
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Firstly, Leonard had an affair with Helen. Being noble obviously does not mean having an affair with someone else while you are already married.
Secondly, Tibby is able to keep himself cool and collected most of the time. Leonard felt "hot with stupid anger" when Margaret talked to him with absolutely no intent of making him feel angry ot insulting him. While, Tibby did not burst out in fits of anger when Margaret chided him for not being a good host, he just went and played host when Leonard called the next time. Also, he did not burst out in outrage when Helen asked him to transfer money. I think being cool and collected are both parts of being noble.
Thirdly, he did transfer the money even when he did not want to. He transferred the money as a favour for Helen. This goes against his own views but he did it anyway because he was noble enough to trust Helen even when he thought the idea was outrageous.
Tibby's hair is so cute! :D
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