Teach Your Daughter to Determine a Man's Worth by Reading the Classics
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There are good men in the world, and there are bad men in the world where women are concerned. And yes, it is that black and white; at least it is in a classic novel.
The good men you will find between the covers of these books can love deeply, honor, cherish, and value a woman, while the bad men can not.
While we aren't always told why the character becomes base in the novels, in real life, we know that callous men are usually born from some trauma in childhood; emotional or physical abuse on one hand or excessive indulgence and praise on the other.
“Everything depends on upbringing. ”
Both extremes will produce a man with a heart open only to himself, who usually has misogynistic tendencies lurking underneath his infinite charm.
Ironically, an exceedingly charming personality is a trait many deceitful men possess, making good, naiive women susceptible to them.
Therefore, the first rule is to raise your daughter to beware of charming men!
The tragic heroines in our stories usually learn this lesson too late after falling victim to an unscrupulous man who wreaks havoc on their life.
Some heroines survive the tragedy; others throw themselves under trains.
“You’ve not only dried up my tears; you’ve dried up my soul.”
As a homeschooler, you can read and discuss the classics with your daughter. As you discuss them, point out the character traits of the good men vs. the not-so-good men.
Analyze how the tragic heroine fell under the spell of the unprincipled man, and drill it into your daughter to recognize the difference between how a good man will treat a lady and how a bad man will treat her.
And teach her to listen to her own heart. The heart is wise and will often tell us things the mind may prefer not to know.
“It was the fault of destiny!”
When she comes across both honorable and dishonorable men in life, as she is bound to do, she'll be better equipped to tell the difference.
Some good novels to begin with are Persuasion by Jane Austen, War and Peace by Tolstoy, The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, and Madame Bovary by Flaubert.
For example, in the novel Persuasion, after being charmed by her cousin, who is also a potential husband, Anne Elliot's good friend warns her about Mr. Elliot's true nature. To quote Jane Austen:
"Hear the truth, therefore, now, while you are unprejudiced. Mr. Elliot is a man without heart or conscience; a designing, wary, cold-blooded being, who thinks only of himself; who, for his own interest or ease, would be guilty of any cruelty, or any treachery, that could be perpetrated without risk of his general character. He has no feeling for others. Those whom he has been the chief cause of leading into ruin, he can neglect and desert without the smallest compunction. He is totally beyond the reach of any sentiment of justice or compassion. Oh! he is black at heart; hollow and black!"
Keep in mind that Anne Elliot was no dummy. She was bright and very insightful where other people's characters were concerned, and she thought Mr. Elliot was just about perfect. But she was fooled.
It's easy to be deceived by these kinds of men because they have mastered the art of seduction, and they know how to catch their prey. If you raise your daughter to beware of the signs that point to a man with a callous heart, if she encounters one, she will be less likely to end up a tragic character in the story of her life.
And that's just one more reason to read the classics.
Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.
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Elizabeth Y. Hanson is an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and a Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach with 20+ years of experience working in children’s education.
Utilizing her unusual skill set, coupled with her unique combination of mentors, Elizabeth has developed a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child. She devotes her time to helping parents get it right.
☞ Disclaimer: This is not a politically-correct blog.
