Why We Girls Love Heroes :)

This post could alternately be titled "A Few Thoughts on What Makes a Man Great", (from a girl's perspective) or "How to be a Hero" if you're a guy and want to know. ;)
So I've been seriously thinking the past few days, "Why is it that all women love the heroes in the Jane Austen/ Charles Dickens novels?"
Just yesterday at a picnic Daniel looked on in amusement as my friend and I slightly ranted over our dear Mr. Thornton (Richard Armitage) being cast as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit. Poor fellow. From a BBC hero to a dwarf. ;)
But in all seriousness, I have been taking a deeper look at what makes attracts us to these fictional men. I can assure you it is not because they are perfect men. Not at all. Mr. Thornton is first seen raving mad at a dangerously irresponsible mill-worker. But you learn to love the man's character as you come to understand his life so far and his vision for the future.

And contrary to popular belief, I do not love these characters solely because they are nice-looking. I have great interest in characters, because I love to write. So I look far deeper than outward appearances when I give my approval to someone, be he fictional or not. So back to the topic of this post. Why do we love a hero?
I will list the things I have thought of, and see if you agree with me.

• A hero is a gentleman. Believe me when I say that I prize this quality *very* highly among young men, or men of any age. Once a perfect stranger held the door of a restaurant open for a friend and I while we were still half-way across the parking lot. He waited till we were all the way through to close it. We didn't know the fellow, we will never seen him again, and yet by standing there and treating us as if we were worth taking care of, he made my week. :) Think Mr. Knightley asking poor, slighted, Harriet Smith to dance after a very ungentlemanly character insults her...
• • 

• A hero is honourable. Think of all the great guys in the movies--they treat women with respect, purity, and honor. They would sooner lose their fortunes than their reputations. I think of Mr. Clennam of Little Dorrit who voluntarily goes to debtors prison because he will not run away from the bankruptcy he accidentally brought upon his business partner.

• A hero treats every woman with respect, not just his sweet-heart. This is one of the most endearing traits in a hero. I think of Mr. Knightley sitting in between Miss Bates and her mother appearing to be having just as much fun as if his seat-mate was Emma Woodhouse. It's easy for a guy to be on his best behavior when he is trying to win a woman's heart, but to be just as deferential and sweet to an old maid who talks your ear off? True character.
• A hero is a real man. None of your soft-handed, pussy-footed video-gamers, please. The hero sort is a hard worker, or at the very least educated and productive. He is never a time-waster and a good-for-nothing. :)
• A hero never selfishly pushes his own agenda, but wisely instructs the woman he loves because he loves her and cares for well-being. He'd never make a woman feel guilty for not marrying him, or convince her to do anything she didn't feel was right. I think of the scene in Bleak House where Dr. Woodcourt proposes to Esther Summerson. She refuses and he accepts that, but gently points out that he thinks she is headed in the wrong direction. You can tell he's not saying that for his own means, but because he is genuinely concerned about Esther's happiness. :)
• A hero has a side to him that can be hard for the heroine to accept. He shows her her own follies without masking it, in an effort to protect and urge her on to better things. :) Anyone wanna say "Gilbert Blythe"? ;)
• A hero can have made mistakes, but needs to have risen above them. Like poor Edward Ferrars- engaged to a girl for five years who was only after him for his money and soon ditches him for his rich brother. It all ended rather well for Edward, actually. :)
  
• A hero makes sacrifices for others, even if it means he loses everything he is himself. And this is the last and best. Every fictional hero's sacrifice brings a glow to our hearts and tears to our eyes, and yet it is but a vague shadowy copy of what our Lord Jesus did for us. His wooing and winning of His errant people, His sacrifice for us is the greatest romance, the greatest novel, the greatest ending of all time. :)

So I hope everyone enjoyed this post! :) I merely pointed these things out so that we as girls could think about the things that really make a man what he is, and so that any young men who chance to read this could have an idea of why we girls swoon over heroes so often. :) And so as not to seem like I'm preaching to the guys out there, everyone stay tuned for the sister-post, "How Can We Become Heroines" :) -Rachel

Love of Literature Review Series: Gone With The Wind

Okay everyone! I know I have missed several weeks of my "Love of Literature Review Series" but now we are back on track! This week's review is on "Gone With The Wind By Margaret Mitchell:

Oh boy. Where should I start? Okay. Let me briefly describe this book to you: The much loved chronicle of a selfish Southern belle's life during the Civil War. Those are the mildest terms I can use to describe this book. I cannot go further. You see, I did something entirely unusual and stopped reading it in the middle! Many years ago, as a girl of 11 or so, I tried to read the book, and since I couldn't understand very well, I never finished it then. So recently, I decided that I'd take another whack at it. After all, so many people I knew loved the book! My grandmother had stayed up 24 hours reading it as a young girl! I hoped to find some redeeming quality in the book by the end of the first few chapters...Chapter 4...nope....5? nope....6? nope....and by the time Rhett Butler's (The "hero" mind you) handkerchief was seen in the possession of a "bad woman", I simply couldn't stomach it anymore, and put the book up. This is a different review, because generally I love books, but this one I was terribly disappointed in. So let me highlight some of the main problems in this novel:

The problems:

1. Scarlett O'Hara herself: She is an A number 1 first class flirt! Selfish, willful, bitter, disrespectful....the only attractive thing about her person is her outward appearance, and this she knows all too well...add vanity to the list, will you?

2. Rhett Butler: Let me put it to you in one-word descriptions...they are quite correct: rogue, cad, wicked, vain, flirt, reprobate, wayward, crafty, ungentlemanly, wily, EW! He made me so mad throughout the book, because of the way he treated all the women- disrespectfully and as if they were his playthings if he wished. A most vile man.

3. Scarlett's relationship with Ashley Wilkes. Basically, she loves Ashley, but out of tradition, he marries his cousin Melanie. Scarlett, in revenge, marries someone she doesn't love at all, even views with contempt, becomes a widow in 2 months, and ever after as far as I got, burns with a passion for Ashley who is off to war, even though she lives with his wife...I mean seriously? That was another main issue I couldn't stomach in the book.

4. Scarlett's waywardness: She is so willful and disrespectful, and is constantly bringing disgrace upon her father's household, and herself, though Rhett convinces her little by little, the old ways are worth nothing.

The Virtues:

Melanie Wilkes: This is a girl it is easy to love because she is so opposite Scarlett's personality, and Scarlett hates her. Melanie is the only woman Rhett Butler half-way respects, and she is the proper wife for Ashley. I only wish I knew what happens to them! :/

The truth: Like it or not, there is some truth in this book: Scarlett and Rhett have a conversation at one point that goes something like this: "You sir, are no gentleman!" "You are right. And you miss, are no lady." Agreed. Then, there are several instances where the author acknowledges the "slow fade" principle. After laying waste to several traditions and customs (very good ideas some of them) Scarlett finds it easier and easier to continue on in that path.


Those were the only two redeeming qualities I found in the book so far! I would NOT recommend this book to any self-respecting person, or at least, as far as I got in the book....what do you all think, if you have read it? Do the characters reform at all? I just couldn't stand it any longer so I stopped reading! :) -Rachel

Plot: *** (as far as I got, the plot was interesting if nothing else.)
Characters: **** (Well, if you are judging strength of characters, they are all memorable.)
Morals: * (Sorry anyone who loves the book! :) Maybe if I had finished it they redeem themselves! ;)

Book Quote Quiz

Alright Everyone! We decided that we might as well have a book quote quiz! Everyone does movie quotes, but very few challenge themselves to a quiz built upon real literature! :) So here we go! These are all from fairly widely read books, all published during the late 1800's through the early half of last century. If that doesn't help you I don't know what will! :P Let's get going!

1. "That's the rose you put in the birthday cake, and next week we'll have a fresh one in another jolly little cake which you'll make me. You left it on the floor of my den the night we talked there, and I've kept it ever since. There's love and romance for you!" - Polly touched the little relic, treasured for a year, and smiled to read the words, "My Polly's Rose" scribbled under the crumbling leaves."

2. "Oh, beg pardon, my dear. Where was I? Oh, yes. Well, the funny thing about me is--all right, Mary, I won't laugh if I can help it!--That whenever my birthday falls on a Friday, well, it's all up with me. Absolutely U.P."

3. "She sat down on her old high chair and drained her mug as though she had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. Then she drew a deep breath and said, "There's nothing as good as our milk anywhere in the world."

4. "Not me." he said, grinning. "I never ketched cold since I was born. I wasn't brought up nesh enough. I've chased about th' moor in all weathers same as th' rabbits does. Mother says I've sniffed up too much fresh air for twelve year' to ever get to sniffin' with cold. I'm tough as a white-thorn knobstick."

5. "I paddled over to the Illinois shore, and drifted down most half a mile doing it. I crept up the dead water under the bank, and hadn't no accidents, and didn't see nobody. We got home all safe."

6. "Why, it's not in reason that you should like our sort of victuals, though I've no doubt you'll put a bold face on it. All the same, while I'm cathing of them, if you two could try to light the fire-- no harm in trying! The wood's behind the wigwam. It may be wet. You could light it inside the wigwam, and then we'd get all the smoke in our eyes. Or you could light in outside, and then the rain would come and put it out. Her's my tinderbox. You won't know how to use it, I expect."

7. "Betsy and Tacy had played store lots of times. The piano box had been first one kind of store and then another, the summer before. It had been a millinery store, full of hats made from maple leaves, and it had been a lemonade store, where they sold lemonade. Now it became a sand store, on account of the fresh new sand."

8. "Oh, Aunt Polly, I never saw anything so perfectly lovely and interesting in my life. I'm so glad you gave me that book to read! Why, I didn't suppose flies could carry such a lot of things on their feet, and-"

9. "He was a very old Indian. His brown face was carved in deep wrinkles and shriveled on the bones, but he stood tall and straight. His arms were folded under a gray blanket, holding it wrapped around him. His head was shaved to a scalp-lock and an eagle's feather stood up from it. His eyes were bright and sharp. Behind him the sun was shining on the dusty street and an Indian pony stood there waiting. "Heap big snow come," this Indian said."

10. "But it is nice to be praised and admired, and I can't help saying I like it"... "That is perfectly natural, and quite harmless, if the liking does not become a passion, and lead one to do foolish or unmaidenly things. Learn to know and value the praise which is worth having, and to excite the admiration of excellent people by being modest as well as pretty..."

I FORGOT TO PUT COMMENT MODERATION ON, SO PLEASE BE HONORABLE AND SCROLL DOWN REALLY FAST TO THE BOTTOM TO POST YOUR ANSWERS!!!! :P
There you go! Have fun! No google-searching by the way! :) -Rachel and Sarah

By Leanna's Request

Hey guys! Leanna won our contest earlier this weekend, so she asked me to post about Scotland. As most of you know, I love that country! (Although I have small hopes of ever getting there! :)

She entreated me not to do any research though, so I have compiled a list of the to 10 reasons I love Scotland....



1. The Accent! I can think of no accent I would rather listen to! So eloquent and lilting! I think of Rashleigh Osbaldistone in Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy who was ugly, but they said that a girl could fall in love with his voice if she had never seen him. I would love to marry someone who, if not Scottish could at least do a fine impression of the accent for me! :)



2. Their vocabulary- who can resist smiling at expressions like "ding me daft", "bonny lass" "gang gyte" "wee bairn" and so many others!



3. The history! So many, many things have happened on Scottish soil! And they have the best names for their historical people! Bonny Prince Charlie, Mary: Queen of Scots, etc.



4. The spiritual heritage: Have any of you read about the Scottish Covenanters! I am fascinated by that group of hard-headed faithful men!



5. The heroes: Who needs a better role-model for men than William Wallace? (Unless you wanted to imitate John Smith or someone equally as great and godly!) William Wallace was a giant literally and morally! If a young man wants someone to be challenged by, just look him up, and listen to the talk Little Bear Wheeler does on him! But watch out! He had the worst death I've heard of in many a day! :( Very sad. I think I almost cried when I listened to the story of it!



6.The landscape: Have you ever wanted to see heather? I do! I echo Emily Dickenson's idea that though she had never seen the moor, she knew just what heather looked like. I've never seen a picture of it, but I can nearly smell it in my imagination I have such a clear mental idea of it! :)

Then the highlands! Such a wild and romantic landscape, if rather foreboding in places!



7. The national costume. Who can beat plaid? I find it very pretty, though, if you are to wear a kilt, be sure you are a VERY manly looking man, like Angus Buchan or someone of that sort! :)



8. Shortbread and tea! I like shortbread, and I wonder if they invented the pretty shortbread pan I have?



9. The names of places there: all over Great Britain they have the most poetic names for places!

Like Stratton-upon-Avon (or something equally cute like that)



10. Their names: I have grown to have a great fondness for Scottish names like Ian, Angus, Duncan, Mary, Jenny, Elana, Fiona, Ellen, etc. (And according to my Baby name book Rachel is a favorite in that wonderful country! :)



Oh! I have a numer 11: Their music!!!! The old ballads and songs are the most beautiful imaginable I feel! And the dancing! That makes 12 I guess!!! Sorry! :)



So now, I hope you know why I am so intrigued by Scotland! The only thing that would slightly frighten me would to swim in Loch Ness! ;)

Who knows but there might be some lone Pleseasaurus (sp?) left in there or something!

Okay! So much for my part of this post! Now Sarah wants to post something!



Hey Everybody! Sorry I haven't been posting stuff recently.
Okay, as some of you know, we've been watching Emma (and even since before that,) I've been wanting to make a book for my hopechest of a collection of riddles! So, I don't really want to surf the internet for riddles, I would much rather do it in a more quaint, and old-fashioned way.
Now, if any of you can contribute one of these puzzling rhymes, I would appreciate it. So just leave a comment if you can, and I'll use it in my book! :)
Thanks! I just thought this would be a fun and interesting collection to do!
-Sarah