Björnson, in his masterly character delineations, seldom produces portraits. He gives the reader suggestive glimpses often enough and of the right quality and arrangement to produce a full and vigorous conception of his characters. His female parts are especially well done. His characters present themselves to the reader by unique thinking and choice expressions. Students should analyze _The Father_ for this phase of character building. Note also the simplicity of the words, sentences, paragraphs, and complete story arrangement, the author's originality of story conception and expression, his short, passionate, panting sentences, the poetic atmosphere that sweetens and enriches his virile writing, and the correct, religious pictures he paints of his beloved northland. After having read a number of selections from Björnson, students will see that he has a wonderful breadth of treatment for every imaginable subject. He is so universal in his choice of subjects that Lemaître in his _Impressions of the Theatre_ half-humorously and half-ironically puts these words in Björnson's mouth, "I am king in the spiritual kingdom," and "there are two men in Europe who have genius, I and Ibsen, granting that Ibsen has it." GENERAL REFERENCES _Adventures in Criticism_, A.T.Q. Couch. _Essays on Modern Novelists_, William Lyon Phelps. "Björnsoniana," _Dial_, January 16, 1903, pp. 37-38. "Prophet-Poet of Norway," _Cosmopolitan_, April, 1903, pp. 621-631. "Three Score and Ten," _Dial_, December, 1902, pp. 383-385. COLLATERAL READINGS _Lectures_, Volume I, John L. Stoddard. _The Making of an American_, Chapters 1, 7, and Jacob Riis. _Myths of Northern Lands_. Guerber. _Synnove Solbakken_, Björnson. _A Happy Boy_, Björnson. _The Fisher Maiden_, Björnson. _The Bridal March_, Björnson. _Magnhild_, Björnson. _A Dangerous Wooing_, Björnson. _The Eagle's Nest_, Björnson. _The Bear Hunter_, Björnson. _Master and Man_, Leo Tolstoi. _The Doll's House_, Henrik Ibsen. _The Minister's Black Veil_, Nathaniel Hawthorne. _The Ambitious Guest_, Nathaniel Hawthorne. _The Beeman of Orn_, Frank R. Stockton. _A Branch Road_, Hamlin Garland. _Mateo Falcone_, Prosper Mérimée. _The Death of the Dauphin_, Alphonse Dadoed. _The Birds' Christmas Carol_, Kate Douglas Wiggin. _Tennessee's Partner_, Bret Harte. THE GRIFFIN AND THE MINOR CANAAN[1] _By Frank R. Stockton (1834-1902)_