by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone, the heroine is neither a great warrior nor a powerful ruler but the humble daughter and servant ...
Read More »Robin Hood: Man of Merriment | A Literature Guide for Homeschool Parents & Children
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | Robin Hood and his band of loyal yeomen who lived in the greenwood of Sherwood Forest enjoyed “the merriest of merry lives” in the days of Henry II and Richard the Lionhearted, a period in medieval history celebrated as “merry old England.”
Read More »A Heroic Burglar: Meeting Bilbo Baggins from ‘The Hobbit’ | A Literature Guide for Homeschool Parents & Children
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | Bilbo, a simple hobbit who enjoys the contentment of his modest home and its cozy comforts, has no great aspirations, seeks no glorious adventures, and has no fantasies about a more perfect life.
Read More »Hero in a Strange Land: The Energy & Life of Bishop Latour
This article is part of a series on Favorite Characters in Literature. We hope that it may inspire children and adults alike to become acquainted, or re-acquainted, with some of ...
Read More »Samuel Johnson: The Extraordinary Truth-Lover & Friend
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | Although Dr. Samuel Johnson is not a fictional character in a novel, he is the subject of a great biography. The preeminent man of letters in the eighteenth century, Dr. Johnson accomplished extraordinary feats of writing.
Read More »The Hidden Grandmother: Divine Providence in ‘The Princess & the Goblin’
In George Macdonald’s children’s classic 'The Princess and the Goblin', Princess Irene meets a grandmother when she goes exploring...
Read More »Living the Sacred Heart: The Loving Brother in Hopkins’ “Brothers”
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | John (Jack), the younger brother, has been selected for one of the roles while his older brother Henry (Harry) attends his younger brother’s debut as an actor. However, more than one drama is occurring on the stage that night.
Read More »Little Men: Cultivating Virtues in the Good Old-Fashioned Way
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | All good parents are teachers, and all good teachers have the virtues of good parents. in 'Little Men', the founders of Plumfield Academy, Father and Mother Bhaer incorporate all the virtues of family life into their school and govern with both motherly love and fatherly discipline.
Read More »Gentleness over Violence: Shakespeare’s Fairies Oberon and Puck
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | Oberon, king of the fairies, and Puck, the “merry wanderer of the night” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, are lighthearted, fun-loving, playful spirits...
Read More »Heaven on Earth: Diamond in ‘At the Back of the North Wind’
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | In George Macdonald’s children’s classic of fantasy literature' 'At the Back of the North Wind', Diamond travels to the back of the North Wind where he receives heavenly glimpses of a beautiful, pure world of abounding joy, laughter, and mirth.
Read More »The Perfect Daughter: Cordelia from Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | Cordelia, however, cannot lower herself to pretend, dissemble, or exaggerate. Her simple answer to her father’s request for a proof of love is the simple, eloquent, honest truth:
Read More »How Huckleberry Finn Lives Moral Excellence in a Violent World
This article is part of a series on Favorite Characters in Literature. We hope that it may inspire children and adults alike to become acquainted, or re-acquainted, with some of ...
Read More »The Inspiration of Don Quixote: 5 Ways to Keep Knighthood Alive Today
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | Don Quixote one day feels inspired to emulate the knights of old and restore the ideals of chivalry, honor, truth, courtesy, and service that his own age has relegated to the past.
Read More »Defying Convention: Elizabeth Bennet’s Hunt for a True & Happy Marriage
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | A “proper match/marriage” meant a gain in a woman’s economic status and social respectability. She no longer had to feel financially dependent on her family or embarrassed by the stigma of old maid.
Read More »Chesterton’s Father Brown: The Detective of Truth
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | Father Brown is never fooled—either by appearances, theories, half-truths, or disguises. He is not fooled because he uses both faith and reason in his thinking while others attempt...
Read More »Penelope: Odysseus’ Wife as a Model for Heroic, Noble & Faithful Women
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | A devoted wife, loving mother, prudent woman, and noble queen, Penelope portrays greatness as much as her heroic husband Odysseus...
Read More »6 Ways Mr. Knightley is the Ideal of Manhood and Chivalry
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakgian | As his name implies, Mr. Knightley epitomizes the gentleman, a man whose manners, conduct, and treatment of all human beings reflects honor, courtesy, chivalry, and thoughtfulness.
Read More »The Wind in the Willows: How Mr. Rat Revives the Simple Pleasures of Life
by Dr Mitchell Kalpakagian | Mr. Rat from the 'Wind in the Willows' is the happiest person, the best of friends, the most hospitable of hosts, and a wise man.
Read More »David Copperfield: How Dickens Humanizes a Heartless World
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | In Dickens’ David Copperfield, an autobiographical novel narrated by David based on many events in Dickens’ own life...
Read More »The Essence of Hospitality: Baucis & Philemon’s Miraculous Pitcher
by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 'A Wonder Book' portrays this elderly couple as the essence of hospitality in a story entitled “The Miraculous Pitcher.”
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