Vulnerabilty: The Orphanage

[pobble_reads]

I always struggle with the word vulnerable because (in my accent at least) it's not particularly phonetically spelled. It has helped me learn that it is means easily-wounded and is related to the word vulnerary which is used to describe herbs (etc) that are used to heal wounds. Feeling vulnerable feels a lot like being covered in emotional paper-cuts or having physic skin that is as fragile as tissue paper. Being vulnerable isn't the same as being wounded (although being hurt can make certainly make you more vulnerable in the future) but means that you are likely to be wounded more easily than others or hurt more seriously than some one else would be. There's been a lot of talk during this pandemic about "vulnerable groups" and "the extremely vulnerable" and we can identify factors that make someone vulnerable - things like age and existing illnesses. But being vulnerable to one kind of "wound" (say infection) doesn't necessarily mean we are vulnerable to others (say a tendency to depression) and we all definitely do through periods of being more or less vulnerable in different ways...
It's also useful to think about the protective factors that make us less vulnerable...
In this chapter Gobbolino is vulnerable because he is a kitten among humans and a relative stranger - but somehow like the stereotype of any cat he seems to land on his feet

9 Sentence Recap
The Farmer's Wife and Farmer are horrified by the chaos left by the Hobgoblin
The Farmer threatens to drown Gobbolino
Gobbolino runs away
He comes across a cottage full of crying children
There are three orphan brothers and a baby
They set off together to find a new home
Eventually they come to an orphanage
The Porteress welcomes them in
Gobbolino settles to work in the orphanage kitchen

3 sentence recap
Gobbolino is no longer welcome in the Farmhouse
He meets a family of orphans and they look for a new home together
They all move into an orphange

At the beginning of the chapter we see that Gobbolino is vulnerable to the Farmer's suspicions. We know the damage was caused by the Hobgoblin but initially the Farmer and his Wife don't. It's very understandable that they are angry but they could have asked Gobbolino about what had happened. Maybe they still wouldn't have trusted him after he let the Hobgoblin in? But because of his anger and his pre-existing suspicions the Farmer doesn't even give him a chance and immediately threatens violence. Gobbolino has no choice but to run away, saving his life but leaving him vulnerable to all the dangers of the road.
It's not really surprising in such an overwhelming situation that Gobbolino focuses just on his bad luck at being born a witch's cat rather than taking any responsibility for his poor judgement in letting the Hobgoblin in to the farmhouse. He is being unfairly judged for his difference and what the Farmer has seen of his magic and the consequences of the mistake are so big and so out of his control he isn't able to learn any kind of lesson about how to be a better kitchen cat if he ever gets the chance again.
When he first hears and then sees the orphan brothers he notices their vulnerability and wants to care for them: They were so young and innocent, he felt it his duty to find a father and mother for them as soon as possible. Having a role seems to make him forget his own vulnerability. Having people to look after seems to be good for Gobbolino - he's soon helping them pack, making sure the baby is safe and leading them down the road. Banding together for the journey probably does make both Gobbolino and the brothers a little less vulnerable but it also seems to make Gobbolino forget his own vulnerability and needs - which could be dangerous.
Gobbolino felt he would like nothing better than to stay with these happy-go-lucky children, but if he could first help them to find kind parents and a happy home he did not mind what became of himself
The orphanage is supposed to be - and fortunately is - a sanctuary for the vulnerable. The kind Porteress recognises the needs of both the children and of Gobbolino. She welcomes them in and provides them with shelter, safely and food - making them a lot less vulnerable. But even she recognises that it's not as ideal an environment as a loving, permanent home and hopes to find adoptive parents for the children. I think her commitment to her job must make her quite vulnerable to emotional ups and downs as she finds new families for the children she cares for.
She welcomes and values Gobbolino too - for him the orphanage can be an appropriate long term home. He can demonstrate his excellence at catching mice (I love the detail of him transforming himself into a piece of Stilton!) and help with childcare. It seems like the perfect place for him but even here he is vulnerable to the Cook's bad temper. He's always going to be smaller and less powerful than the humans around him - while the children will grow up and presumably become much less vulnerable (and then possibly more vulnerable again when they are elderly).

Mostly I'm left thinking of vulnerability as a continuum rather than a black and white category, it's even more multi-factoral than I originally thought (so is almost everything I use as a lens to look at the story!). It varies with time and place and circumstances, it can be obvious or more hidden, sudden or ongoing but there are some wounds that we are all vulnerable to and we each have a different combination of vulnerabilities.
Next time (hopefully next week - I'm gradually getting more into a routine again) I will be looking at Chapter 5: Gruel through the theme of Transformation.
As ever I'd love to know you thoughts and observations.