It's a Classical Life

My daughter was recently given an Inquiry Task for school on leaders. She had to identify a leader, examine their life, and then evaluate what made them a good leader.   This and recent articles I have seen on Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee year celebrations got me thinking. Who are some of our favourite lady leaders in classic British Literature? What makes a good leader? How were women leaders in a time when they weren't necessarily expected to be? As we approach International Women's Day (March 8), why not share your own favourite fictional lady leader - British or otherwise?  I have chosen my top five, and here they are in no particular order. 1. Miss Marple  How could I not begin with this wonderful creation of Agatha Christie's? She is quintessentially English, with her Victorian lace, twinkling China-blue eyes, classic manners and keen, British wit. Yet despite her deceptive appearance, even Sir Henry Clithering ex-Commisioner of Scotland Yard had "come to think ...

I consider myself lucky to have a number of older women in my life who are my mentors, my confidantes and my friends. These include my mother, my stepmother, my mother-in-law and two close friends I have made through teaching. All have been in my life for a number of years and seen me through good times and bad. I have only recently come to appreciate the role that they have played in my life: accepting me as I am, offering advice and guidance when asked, sharing values, ideals and interests (especially in literature and history), amongst other things. Not all of them fulfil each of these roles, but as a whole, they keep me on a good path. It got me thinking about the role of older women in literature, well in recent literature anyway. I thought the role of older women in ancient literature would probably be another post all of its own! I know that many Christian women look to the Scripture Titus 2 for guidance on how to graciously mentor younger women, but there are some wome...

Part of my little Victorian literature collection I started this month on Instagram participating in what is lovingly called #victober. This tag celebrates the diverse and rich history, literature and society of the Victorian era during the month of October. I started the month by reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, then followed that with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (the latter is not technically a Victorian novel, but it is certainly imbued with many facets of Victorian ideals, values and social norms.) It has been a while since I have done a History post, and thought I would love to revisit Victorian Britain in a bit more detail here on the blog. I hope to explain here some of the history of this time that has influenced those books, artists and poets that we know and love from this time. There is a lot to love about this time, but there is also a lot that might shock or sadden our modern...

Who is Jane Eyre? Ask her and she will tell you, for she knows exactly who she is. Don't ask Mr Rochester, because he has his own, blinkered view of her. Don't ask Mr St. John Rivers, because he doesn't understand her either, or recognise her for her true worth. Ask Jane; she will tell you that she will not be swayed by the opinions of others, nor will she conform or try to be someone she is not.  These days when I read or reread a book, I do it with the mind of not only entertainment but also, as a source of influence or inspiration. How can the book help me to live a more refined life? A classically, simple life full of pleasure, contentment and overall satisfaction. For these are my goals: to be satisfied with how I am living my modest, modern life;  and by having true confidence in who I am and what I believe  without being swept away by societal trends and the current zeitgeist. As I read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre  it didn't take me long to see what aspect o...

 I recently posted on Instagram that after reading George Orwell's rather chilling yet devastating classic Nineteen Eighty-Four I retreated back to Agatha Christie for some comfort reading. There were a few comments from fellow readers about the authors or series that they classify as 'comfort reading.' What is it about certain books that whisk us away to a place of comfort and familiarity? Why do we return to these books time and again; whether it be during times of hardship, adversity, loneliness or general need to escape? For me, I particularly like books where the characters maintain a positive and courageous outlook whilst facing adversity. This, in turn, brings me comfort and as all classics tend to do, remind me that many have suffered before and it all depends on how we face this suffering. My comfort reads are not usually heavy, intense reads, but rather ones that relax my mind and uplift my mood. Here is a list of some of my favourite comfort reads: Little Women -...

LEISURE What is this life, if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like stars at night. No time to turn at Beauty; glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.                              W.H. Davies  This stirring poem by Welsh poet W.H. Davies was first published in 1911 yet its message, I believe, is still just as important today. I have talked about past-times on the blog before but having read Sense and Sensibility last month, I wanted to look in a bit more detail at some of the leisure activities that these early Victorian women got ...