Nancy Drew and Her Perfect Life

Regarding your article about Beth Caswell and her Nancy Drew Detective Club (“Nancy Drew’s Fans Have a Clue,” March 25): Forget Jungian analysis. The answer to Nancy’s decades of popularity lies in the fact that she symbolized the secret fantasies of teenage girls.

Nancy had a tall, handsome, successful--and widowed--father who had no visible romantic attachments with whom she might have to compete for his love. She received uncomplicated maternal warmth from the Drews’ devoted housekeeper. The high school football hero was her steadfast boyfriend. Her two best friends weren’t as pretty as Nancy. Her father gave her a generous clothing allowance. She had a cute roadster that never seemed to break down or be broken into.

In addition, she had an exciting extracurricular life, putting herself in jeopardy to solve other people’s problems and mysteries, thereby allowing her to enjoy her gifts by feeling useful instead of merely lucky. As the old song said, who could ask for anything more?

LINDA PALMER

Los Angeles