In Regards to Chapter 7 of
Nicola Griffith's The Blue Place
24 April 1999
Aud tells Julia she is doing this because she is Norwegian. It seems like such a non-sequitar answer. I think the clue to understanding this is with Julia's statement "You don't need the money." That is such an American thing to think about. Traveling around Europe where capitalism is not as deeply rooted as socialism, I saw that money was not such a prime motivating factor. People helped each other because they could. By saying "I'm Norwegian," Aud was not so much saying where she was coming from as where she was not coming from. She was simply saying "I'm not American; there are things that matter besides money."
And this seems to be a turning point in Julia and Aud's relationship. Formerly their relationship was business, but with the planned trip to Norway, it is set to become pleasure.
Perhaps going to Norway was a return to Aud's home, yes, but I would not call it "homeworld". It just seemed to me to be a convientent place to bring the story, complete with travel logs. Stories have included travel since long before science fiction and Norway did not seem that incredible a place.
It was odd that Aud should have to make an appointment with her mother who was called "Your Excellency" but then, in today's world it seems parents are increasingly busy and have limited time for their children. The idea of setting appointments to see your parents does not seem so far fetched, even though you have to wonder what family means in such a context.
As for the title, most of the world still uses titles. Even America still does, despite the fact we are more subtle about it. It does not strike me as odd that a Norwegian ambassador to England would be called "Your Excellency" although I should think it might be a bit odd for Aud to tongue the phrase, but then if she lived with it her whole life, it might not feel so odd for her.
It is true that within this world mothers often reinforce patriarchy. But this is to be expected. People do what they know and stay with the safe, familiar, and secure. And for many, women as well, patriarchy is a system that works. If it's not broken, you don't fix it.