Amelia Peabody

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Amelia Peabody Emerson (c. 1852-after 1939) is a fictional character in a series of mystery novels, set in Victorian Egypt and England, written by author Elizabeth Peters. As of 2006, there have been 18 novels spanning a thirty-eight year period from 1884 to 1922. Peabody is married to Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson and has one biological child, Walter "Ramses" Peabody Emerson, who provides a parallel voice in many of the later books.

Contents

1 Pronunciation
2 Biographical sketch
3 Personality
4 Amelia's Age
5 Archaeological Inspirations
6 Sources
7 See also

Pronunciation

In an interview with Diane Rehm, Peters discussed the correct pronunciation of "Peabody," which she had intended to be pronounced "pea-buh-dee," not "pea-body."¹ By contrast, in the audio versions of the books—including those recorded by voice actress Barbara Rosenblat, whom Peters has praised for her accurate pronunciation—Amelia's surname is pronounced "pea-body."

The difference in nationality between the Emersons and their creator is sometimes revealed through the use of American terms like "railroad," spelling differences, etc.

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 is 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 would-be suitors and relatives begging for money, she embarks on a tour of classical sites, beginning in Italy and moving on to Egypt with the eventual aim of visiting Palestine. While in Rome, she meets her future friend and companion, Evelyn Barton-Forbes (later also to become her sister-in-law). In Egypt, the pair encounters the Emerson brothers, Radcliffe and Walter. Evelyn later marries Walter, and Amelia marries Radcliffe, accepting his proposal by teasing that it was the only way that she could engage in Egyptology without causing a scandal.

Radcliffe is known by his surname, "Emerson", as he hates his first name, which was his mother's maiden name (as he also has no fond feelings for his mother). He refers to Amelia by her first name only when he is annoyed with her.

Peabody's first (and only) child, Walter, was born in 1887. Although it is stated that she was medically unable to have more children, the cause is never fully explained. Walter quickly became known as "Ramses", after Emerson remarked that he was "swarthy as an Egyptian and arrogant as a pharaoh."

Following the birth of their son, the Emersons initially settle in Kent, from where Emerson commutes to a job lecturing in Egyptology at university in London. Despite Amelia's suggestions that he resume seasonal digs in Egypt, Emerson insists on staying England with his family while Walter is too young to travel.

Peabody and Emerson return to Egypt at least once without Ramses (The Curse of the Pharaohs) in 1892 before deciding to bring him with him on their annual digs (The Mummy Case), beginning in the 1894-95 season. Amelia's desire to explore pyramids is countered by Emerson's refusal to be diplomatic with the Egyptian Service d'Antiquites, resulting in their firman (permit) to excavate at Mazghuna, a minor pyramid field southwest of Cairo.

It is while the Emersons are excavating at Mazghuna that they first encouter an enigmatic individual that Amelia initially calls "The Master Criminal," but whose nom de guerre is Sethos. The family encounters Sethos again in the 1895-96 season while working at Dahshoor. Sethos is initially presented as a rival to Emerson for Amelia's affections, but becomes an important part of the Emerson's large circle of friends, allies, and acquaintances in later books.

Deeds of the Disturber describes events in the summer of 1896 that take place in England, and is the only installment in the series not to be set in the Middle East.

The Emerson family expands during the 1897-1898 season while on an archaeological expedition to Nubia. The family encounters a hitherto unknown civilization in a remote wadi in the desert (The Last Camel Died at Noon), becomes embroiled in turbulent politics, and discovers Nefret Forth, the daughter of a long-presumed dead explorer. Nefret returns to England with the Emersons and becomes their ward, and later their adopted daughter.

In 1898-99, Peabody and Emerson return to Amarna, where they first met—without Ramses—and again encounter Sethos, while Emerson is stricken with amnesia.

The family expands again in the 1899-1900 season when the family encounters David Todros, the son of Abdullah's estranged daughter and her Christian husband. David is living in a state of semi-slavery, working for a forger of antiquities. He is taken in by Evelyn and Walter Emerson as ward. David later marries Evelyn and Walter's daughter Amelia (known as Lia to avoid confusion with her aunt).

The Emerson-Peabodys are supported in their digs by an upper Egyptian family from a village called Atiya. The head of the family is Abdullah ibn al-Wahhab, Emerson's reis or foreman, who supervises their archaeological digs. Abdullah has several children, among them his youngest son, Selim, who, originally assigned as a bodyguard of sorts for Ramses (The Mummy Case), eventually replaces his father as reis.

Personality

Amelia's favorite ruin to explore is a pyramid. She usually carries one of her collection of parasols, which she uses as discreet weapons (including a sword-parasol). Her other famous accessoir 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)

She is extraordinarily stubborn, utterly convinced she is right, addicted to romance (although she denies it vehemently), and much more sentimental than she admits to. She is also deeply in love with her husband, and he with her, to the point that the Victorian "typographical euphemism" of three asterisks is used quite frequently to indicate that they had sex. 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.

Another feature of the novels is the equalitarian 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 niece and Abdullah's grandson. Following Abdullah's death, Amelia begins to see him in dreams, where he gives her warnings and advice, further illustrating how close they were. Amelia is a proponent of equality between the sexes, and brings up her adopted daughter, Nefret Emerson, accordingly. Amelia also has no patience with "helpless" women who play on their femininity to manipulate others into doing their will. She is a proponent of rational dress, and often refuses to wear a corset. (See Deeds of the Disturber for a notable exception.)

Her name among the Egyptians is "Sitt Hakim", or Lady Doctor.

The novels are intended as both parody (mostly of the adventure novel, such as written by H. Rider Haggard) and comedy.

Amelia's Age

Amelia's age is initially given as 32 in Crocodile on the Sandbank. 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."²

According to this timeline, Amelia would be seventy years old in the eighteenth book, Tomb of the Golden Bird. 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.

The latest chronological mention of Amelia is in the compendium Amelia Peabody's Egypt, 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.

Archaeological Inspirations

Most of the archaeological achievements attributed to the Emerson-Peabodys were, in reality, accomplished by many of the archaeologists who pass through the novels as supporting characters. For example, the excavations that Emerson and Walter are undertaking at Amarna in 1884 (in Crocodile on the Sandbank) are based on those conducted by Sir William Flinders Petrie in 1891. Peters has indicated that the character of Radcliffe Emerson is based in part on Petrie, whose meticulous excavation habits were legendary and set a new standard for archaeological digs.

In other instances, fictional accomplishments are ascribed to Amelia and Emerson. For example, the tomb of the 17th Dynasty Queen Tetisheri, whose discovery and excavation form the basis of the plot in The Hippopotamus Pool has, in fact, never been found. Most scholars suggest that the tomb - assuming that it still survives - would be found in the general area where the Emerson-Peabodys discover it. The intact Old Kingdom burial found in The Falcon at the Portal is also fictional; in fact, no intact burials from the Old Kingdom period have ever been found.

Sources

¹[Elizabeth Peters interview on the Diane Rehm Show, May 29, 2001]

²"Series Characters: Love 'em or Leave 'em," by Elizabeth Peters, The Writer (v. 107, No. 4, p. 9 - April 1994)

[Amelia Peabody.com] official Web site