The Red Angel by G.K. Chesterton
The Red Angel is a novel by G.K. Chesterton that follows the story of a young man named John Hampden who becomes involved in a series of mysterious events surrounding a group of anarchists known as the "Red Angels." The book explores themes of morality, justice, and the nature of good and evil.
By G.K. Chesterton · First published 1908 · Genre: Essay, Philosophy, Literary Criticism · 1,576 words
First lines
I find that there really are human beings who think fairy tales bad for children. I do not speak of the man in the green tie, for him I can never count truly human. But a lady has written me an earnest letter saying that fairy tales ought not to be taught to children even if they are true. She says that it is cruel to tell children fairy tales, because it frightens them. You might just as well say that it is cruel to give girls sentimental novels because it makes them cry. All this kind of talk is based on that complete forgetting of what a child is like which has been the firm foundation of so many educational schemes. If you keep bogies and goblins away from children they would make them up for themselves. One small child in the dark can invent more hells than Swedenborg. One small child can imagine monsters too big and black to get into any picture, and give them names too unearthly and cacophonous to have occurred in the cries of any lunatic.
What this Textopian page supports
The Red Angel is listed on Textopian as a short story by G.K. Chesterton, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: G.K. Chesterton
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Essay, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Social Commentary, Humor
- Length: 1,576 words
- Structure: 1 section, 13 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Essay — The work is a reflective and argumentative piece discussing the impact of fairy tales on children, structured as an essay.
- Philosophy — The text explores philosophical themes about fear, imagination, and the nature of good and evil.
- Literary Criticism — The work critiques and analyzes the role of fairy tales and other literary works in shaping perceptions.
- Social Commentary — The text comments on societal attitudes towards children's literature and education.
Tags
mystery · detective · crime · suspense · thriller · murder · investigation · London · early 20th century · philosophy · human nature · moral dilemmas