Supervisors info:
Μαλαφάντης Κωνσταντίνος, καθηγητής Π.Τ.Δ.Ε, ΕΚΠΑ., Γαλανάκη Ευαγγελία,καθηγήτρια,Π.Τ.Δ.Ε.,ΕΚΠΑ.
Μπαμπάλης Θωμάς, καθηγητής, Π.Τ.Δ.Ε.,ΕΚΠΑ.
Summary:
Penelope S. Delta (1874-1941) established at the beginning of the twentieth century the modern Greek children’s literature, with pedagogical works inspired by Greek-centeredness. She made in her essays important observations on the educational process, while leading the educational populist movement and engaged in a fruitful dialogue with its protagonists. Her upper social origins and her distinctive culture allowed her to forge close relationships with prominent intellectuals of her time. In her correspondence with these persons, she unfolds her beliefs as well as those of her “partners” on a variety of educational, social, political and religious issues.
The present paper highlights the important issues that arise through Penelope S. Delta’s correspondence with intellectuals and literary figures of her epoque.
In 1905 she met Ion Dragoumis and entered the circle of the first militant generation of demoticists (exponents of demotic, contemporary Greek language) Alexander Pallis, Argyris Eftaliotis, Yannis Psycharis and Petros Vlastos. In 1907 she met in Frankfurt Manolis Triantafyllides, who would bring her in touch with the younger generation of demoticists, educators and writers, with the circle of Alexander Delmouzos and Dimitris Glennos. She later collaborated with them on the publication of the Bulletin of the Educational Group (Ekpedeftikos Omilos) that joined in 1910. Through her letters she dealt as equal to the leading theoretical representatives of demoticism on linguistic, educational, and aesthetic issues.
We follow her dialogue with leading writers, such as Kostis Palamas, Argyris Eftaliotis and Stratis Mirivilis. She not only deals with linguistic, educational and literary issues, but also comments with deep concern on issues regarding society and the dramatic historical events. Of particular interest is her –at times austere– criticism on literary works.
The paper unfolds the ideas that Delta exchanged in her correspondence with political men who were the protagonists of historical developments and political change in modern Greece. On social, political and national issues she corresponds with Konstantinos Demertzis, prominent lawyer and politician, with Finance Minister Alexander N. Diomedes, with Venizelos MP, Ioannis Athanassakis and finally with, her close friend, Eleftherios Venizelos himself.
Penelope Delta’s correspondence with Metropolitan Trebizond Chryssanthos, is particularly interesting. Chryssanthos provided her with information on her book The Life of Christ (1925). It is on this occasion that the letters they exchange illuminate Delta’s relationship with religion and her attitudes towards complex and demanding issues of Christian Orthodox faith.
The present paper seeks to demonstrate that the body of Penelope Delta’s correspondence with the variety of issues they address, the length of time they cover, especially with important personalities, provide a great deal of evidence for understanding figures and historical events during a whole era and may well provide the starting point for extensive and thorough research.
Keywords:
Penelope Delta, letters, society, literature, pedagogy.
