Eight sons? My immediate reaction is: NO. During WWII? I can only imagine what a monster of a mother I would have turned out to be. Actually, trying to imagine myself as any sort of mother induces an adamant, standing-stones-on-a-hilltop-sized NO.

Runt of the Litter Syndrome does tend to cross over into the spectrum of survival strategies. It's interesting how often runts, given time, physically outgrow their runtiness but remain emotionally stuck in dead-last position. It means they can spend their lives struggling to prove themselves. Or constantly creating a ruckus to remind everyone they're there.