Biographical sketch
Amelia Peabody is first introduced in the novel '' Crocodile on the Sandbank'', set in 1884. She is the spinster daughter of a reclusive scholar who left her to deal with practical issues such as shopping and administering the household while he spent time in his office. He nurtured her scholarly interest, while the rest of her immediate family dismissed them both. Following his death, Peabody's devotion to her father was rewarded with her being named sole beneficiary of his substantial fortune of over £500,000 (over £30 million in 2006 values). Partly in order to escape the attention of numerous fortune-hunting suitors and relatives begging for money, she embarks on a tour of classical sites, beginning inPersonality
Amelia Peabody is presented as a head-strong, confident woman who capably ran her father's household and bullied local merchants in the course of bargaining. It is quickly established that she has no patience with "helpless" women who play on their femininity to manipulate others into doing their will; i.e., "swooning, weak-minded females", according to Emerson. When home in England, she is a strong supporter of and is occasionally involved in the Suffragette Movement. She is a proponent of rational dress, and often refuses to wear a corset. (See '' Deeds of the Disturber'' for a notable exception.) With the introduction of the Manuscript H fragments in '' Seeing a Large Cat'' the reader is introduced to her family's loving perceptions of her, which includes recognition of her extraordinary stubbornness, and utter conviction that she is right, even when she contradicts herself in the assertion. This is dealt with in good humor and affection by her family. Amelia is also addicted to romance (although she denies it vehemently), much more sentimental than she admits to and, despite her disdain for weak-willed women who employ impractical fashion, vain enough to go to great lengths to color her graying hair and hide her efforts particularly from Emerson. At the core of her personality is her deep love for her husband (and his for her), as well as the mutual respect they share for one another.. A favourite expression of hers is "Another shirt ruined..." because Emerson regularly bursts out of his shirt, either in the course of an adventure or in the throes of passion. The relationship between Amelia and Emerson may best be described as 'Brontean'; the story of the handsome but rough-mannered hero tamed by the right woman plays out according to classic Romantic formula. She extends this view to her family and acquaintances, often imagining relationships that are not there, while totally missing those that are, until she is shocked by the revelation of who has proposed to whom. Amelia's dress and mannerisms are frequently the cause of comment and wonder from outsiders. In earlier books in the series it is established that her favorite ruins to explore are pyramids. She usually carries one of her collection of parasols, which she uses as discreet, or not so discreet, weapons (including a sword-parasol). Her other usual accessory is her belt, later partially replaced with a vest with many pockets. It contains: "Pistol and knife, canteen, bottle of brandy, candle and matches in a waterproof box, notebook and pencil, needle and thread, compass, scissors, first-aid kit and a coil of stout cord (useful for tying up captured enemies)." ('' He Shall Thunder in the Sky'', Chapter 2) Though she carries a small pistol, she is a terrible shot and rarely makes an effort to improve her skill, laughing off Emerson's suggestions that she could do more harm than good. Unfortunately, on more than one occasion she has come close to harming a member of the family while wielding the pistol, rarely blaming herself for the near miss (e.g. her shooting at Ramses and an assailant in '' The Ape Who Guards the Balance''). Because her family is frequently involved in stopping criminal activity, and she has successfully deduced facts of numerous cases, she views herself as an expert in such matters, to the point of denigrating truly competent law enforcement officers. And because some of the plots they have uncovered were in fact complex, she tends to make all solutions, even those not involving crime, complex and even outlandish while missing the obvious. Joined with her stubbornness, this tendency to over-analyze a problem frequently leads to her holding an incorrect belief far longer than is safe for her or her family. Another feature of the novels is the egalitarian theme, with Amelia and her family being very close to the family of their original Egyptian ''reis'' (foreman) Abdullah, to the extent that there is a marriage between Amelia's English niece and Abdullah'sAmelia's age
Amelia's age is initially given as 32 in '' Crocodile on the Sandbank'', set in 1884. In a 1994 article, Elizabeth Peters discussed the obstacle this presented: ''"If I had intended ''Crocodile'' to be the first in a series, I probably wouldn't have been as specific about dates. Not only did Amelia inform the reader of her age (curse her!), but historical events mentioned in the book tied it to a particular year. As the series continued, there was no way I could get around this, or fudge the date of Ramses' birth, or keep him and his parents from aging a year every twelve months."'' According to this timeline, Amelia would be seventy years old in the eighteenth book, '' Tomb of the Golden Bird'', set in 1922–23. In '' The Hippopotamus Pool'', however, the Introduction contains what is supposed to be an excerpt from "''The National Autobiographical Dictionary'' (45th edition)", in which Amelia herself states that she was her late twenties at the time of her first visit to Egypt. The statement is footnoted, and the footnote provides specific instructions not to question the discrepancy (pp. xii and xvi.). In '' Seeing a Large Cat'', Emerson's age at the time they married is given as 29, making him three years younger than his wife. The latest chronological mention of Amelia is in the compendium '' Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium'', which mentions her taking a souvenir from her visit to Egypt in 1939, as war is looming and she was uncertain that she would ever return. Her age is given as 87, which would be correct according to the original timeline.Pronunciation
In an interview with Diane Rehm, Peters discussed the correct pronunciation of "Peabody," which she had intended to be pronounced "PEA-buh-dee" (piːbʌdi) in the style of upper class English andSee also
* Amelia Peabody series * List of characters in the Amelia Peabody series * Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway seriesReferences
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peabody, Amelia Female characters in literature Fictional archaeologists Fictional amateur detectives Fictional detectives Fictional feminists and women's rights activists Fictional female scientists Fictional historical detectives Fictional writers Characters in the Amelia Peabody novel series Literary characters introduced in 1975 Characters in American novels of the 20th century Characters in American novels of the 21st century