Saturday, November 12, 2005

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

- How do you know?
- About what?
- What you were saying... about how sexual intercourse happens on the spur of the moment.
- Because it happened to Teenie that works in my father's shop, when she was out walking with her boyfriend. They had to get married.
- You'd think the urge would have passed by the time they'd got their clothes off.
- Yes. That's what I can't understand. People take their clothes off in front of each other. It's so rude. They're bound to be put off their passion.
- Do you think Miss Brodie ever had sexual intercourse with Hugh of Flanders field before he fell?
- I don't know. I don't think they did anything like that. Their love was above all that.
- Well, Miss Brodie said they clung to each other with passionate abandon on his last leave.
- I don't think they took their clothes off though, do you?
- No. I can't see it.

Conversation between two Edinburgh schoolgirls in the excellent 1969 film version of Muriel Spark's ' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'