Blog Master List by Charity Bishop

Dive deeper into topics of interest with me, from articles on the Tudors to Jack the Ripper and Alfred Hitchock!

Jump to the Section That Interests You:

Short Stories ♥ Historical Articles ♥ Fact Vs. Fiction ♥ Blogathon Entries & Movie Analysis ♥ Misc.

Short Stories:

A Christmas on Baker Street

On Christmas Eve, young Wiggins braves the London snow to help Sherlock Holmes solve a deadly case and discovers a warmth he never expected at 221B Baker Street.

Brooms, Beasts, and Broken Spells: A Witch’s Tale

A darkly magical retelling of Beauty and the Beast, where a mad scientist’s castle hides secrets only a witch’s curse can reveal.

Death and the Child

On the night of Christ’s birth, Death himself bears witness to the infant who will one day conquer him and change the fate of all mankind.

Hadar and the Child: A Christmas Story

A young servant girl in Bethlehem helps a poor couple give birth in a stable and witnesses a moment of divine wonder that changes her forever.

Out of the Tomb: A Resurrection Story Through Mary Magdalene’s Eyes

After the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene wrestles with grief, memory, and faith. As dawn breaks, she returns to the tomb to anoint Yeshua’s body only to find it empty. In this tender retelling of resurrection morning, “Out of the Tomb” captures the sorrow, wonder, and awe of the first witness to the risen Christ.

Historical Articles:

The Art of Power: How Henry VII Used Storytelling to Secure His Throne

How did Henry VII use art, theater, and divine symbolism to legitimize his rule, and what can that teach us about storytelling today? Discover how medieval allegory shaped history, faith, and even Shakespeare.

Catherine of Aragon: A Legacy of Faith and Feminism

A powerful reflection on England’s first queen consort, her unshakable faith, her feminist legacy, and why her story still matters today.

Jack the Ripper and Dr. Bell: Connecting Crime and Literature

A look at the brilliant Victorian physician behind Sherlock Holmes, and his fictional second life in The Giftsnatcher, where science and supernatural secrets collide in 1880s Edinburgh.

Jack the Ripper Theories: From Historical Fact to Fiction

Explore the truth and fiction behind the world’s most infamous unsolved murders, featuring royal conspiracies, hidden suspects, and the real-life inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.

The May Day Riots: The Day Tudor London Almost Ran Red With Blood

A violent night, a king’s fury, and a dramatic royal pardon. Uncover the true story of the May Day Riots and the political crisis they nearly caused.

**Reverend John Harper: Titanic’s Last Evangelist**

Meet the real-life minister who gave his life so others could find eternal hope amid the icy waters of the Titanic.

Revisiting Mary Tudor: Facts vs. Propaganda

Uncover the truth behind Queen Mary I’s vilified reputation, the Protestant propaganda that shaped her legacy, and why history remembers her (unfairly) as England’s bloodiest monarch.

Sir Thomas Lovell: Henry VII’s Silent Weapon

Sir Thomas Lovell may not be a household name, but behind the scenes of Henry VII’s court, he pulled all the strings.

Titanic’s Tragic Voyage: Thomas Andrews’ Courage and Sacrifice

From the shipyard to the Atlantic, Thomas Andrews gave Titanic her strength and her humanity.

Fact. Vs. Fiction:

The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl may be a lush Tudor drama, but its historical inaccuracies are staggering. From rewriting Anne and Mary’s roles to distorting Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, here’s a detailed fact-check of what Hollywood got wrong.

The Spanish Princess

In this historical review, I fact-check the show’s most dramatic claims, from Catherine in armor to Margaret Tudor’s fury, and explain the real politics behind the 1513 war with France and Scotland.

The Tudors

Did Cardinal Wolsey really try to become pope? Did Catherine confront Anne Boleyn? And what about those secret conclaves and misused rosaries?

The White Princess

The White Princess abandons Tudor history for spectacle, anachronism, and faux feminism.

Blogathon Entries & Movie Analysis:

3:10 to Yuma: Morality, Redemption, and the Western Frontier

In 3:10 to Yuma, Dan Evans and outlaw Ben Wade face moral trials in the Old West. The remake adds shades of grey, exploring integrity, redemption, and the nature of good and evil.

**Arwen in The Lord of the Rings: Sacrifice, Love, and Courage**

Arwen’s journey in The Lord of the Rings showcases love, sacrifice, and courage. Peter Jackson’s films give her a powerful, expanded role, deepening her story and her bond with Aragorn.

Baby Face (1933): Power, Scandal, and a Woman Who Refused to Apologize

Baby Face scandalized Hollywood by letting a woman seize power without apology and dared to ask if survival must be a sin.

Barbara Stanwyck’s Mary Carson: The True Villain of The Thorn Birds

Mary Carson is the true force of The Thorn Birds: a jealous, defiant matriarch whose ambition and brutal honesty expose the cost of false morality.

Be Too Awesome to Die: Anthony Andrews’s Moriarty in Hands of a Murderer

Anthony Andrews’s Moriarty is so charismatic in Hands of a Murderer that he outshines Sherlock Holmes.

Between Gods and Ghosts: Why We Love Cats in Myth, Legend, and Fantasy

Cats walk between worlds, from ancient Egypt to fairy tales to fantasy novels. Why do they fascinate us so deeply and what do they bring to our stories?

Crimson Peak, Gothic Romance, and the Idolatry of Self-Criticism

Crimson Peak is more than a chilling Gothic ghost story; it is also a meditation on imperfection, idolatry, and redemption. In this analysis, I explore how Guillermo del Toro’s imagery of a decaying mansion, destructive obsession, and self-loathing mirrors the Christian struggle with sin and the ultimate freedom found only in Christ’s love.

**In Defense of James Norrington: Pirates of the Caribbean’s Most Underrated Hero**

James Norrington wasn’t a villain; he was one of Pirates of the Caribbean’s smartest, kindest, and most tragic characters.

Emma (1996): Why Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley Make Each Other Better

Emma is less a romance than a story of influence; how Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley sharpen, correct, and improve one another.

Facing the Monster Within: Anthony Andrews as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Anthony Andrews delivers a chilling performance as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, forcing viewers to confront the monster that may lurk within us all.

**Frank Langella’s Dracula (1979): Romantic Anti-Hero or Seductive Monster?**

Langella’s Dracula blurs the line between monster and romantic anti-hero, leaving audiences to question power, desire, and control.

Frankenstein, Gothic Symbolism, and the Perils of Human Ambition

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is more than Gothic horror. It is a story of abandonment, creation, and the perils of playing God. In this analysis, I explore how the novel reflects Shelley’s personal tragedies, her feelings of neglect, and the timeless moral warnings embedded in Gothic literature.

From Heroine to Hypocrite: Why I Hate Elena Gilbert on The Vampire Diaries

Elena Gilbert started out as the heart of The Vampire Diaries: selfless, loyal, and morally grounded. But somewhere along the way, she stopped being the heroine and became something else entirely. Explore the pivotal moments when Elena’s choices became toxic, hypocritical, and even cruel, ultimately dismantling the very qualities that once made her admirable.

Kylo Ren and Redemption: Why Ben Solo’s Arc Was Always the Point

Kylo Ren is a villain defined by doubt, guilt, and longing, and Ben Solo’s redemption proves that returning to the Light comes at a terrible cost in Star Wars.

In Praise of Silliness: Anthony Andrews as the Ideal Schoolmaster in Rosemary & Thyme

Anthony Andrews portrays the kind of teacher little boys need (firm, fond, and delightfully indulgent of silliness) in Rosemary & Thyme.

Lark Rise to Candleford: Finding Home in People, Not Places

Laura Timmons learns that home is not just a place; it’s the people who love and support you, even as life pulls you in different directions.

Last Night in Soho and the Danger of Loving a Beautiful Lie

Last Night in Soho turns nostalgia into a trap, revealing how fantasy, bias, and moral absolutism can distort the truth.

**Lex and Lana: Why Lexana Was Smallville’s Most Tragic Love Story**

Lex and Lana pushed each other to grow in Smallville, making Lexana’s rise and devastating fall one of the show’s greatest tragedies.

Lorna Doone (2000): Love, Virtue, and Forgiveness in a Period Drama

Lorna Doone tells a story of love, virtue, and forgiveness. John Ridd’s unwavering goodness and Lorna’s gentle courage create a period drama that inspires hope and moral integrity.

Love, Free Will, and Witchcraft in Bell, Book and Candle

Kim Novak’s Gillian Holroyd is an unlikable, fascinating witch whose journey in Bell, Book and Candle turns romance into a study of free will.

Lured (1947): Lucille Ball in a Chilling Film Noir

Lucille Ball shines in a suspenseful film noir as a dance hall girl tracking a mysterious serial killer. Stylish, tense, and full of 1940s flair.

Masks and Martyrdom: Faith, Identity, and Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel

Behind Sir Percy Blakeney’s foolish façade lies a powerful meditation on identity, sacrifice, and faith in Anthony Andrews’s The Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Meaning of Aloysius: Faith, Innocence, and Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited

Sebastian Flyte’s teddy bear, Aloysius, is more than an eccentric detail… it’s a powerful symbol of innocence, faith, and spiritual suffering in Brideshead Revisited.

**Mist on the Moor: Basil Rathbone and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)**

Basil Rathbone’s 1939 Hound of the Baskervilles captures fog, fear, and deduction in what remains the finest Holmes film adaptation.

**Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca: Gothic Villain or Grieving Spinster?**

Is Mrs. Danvers truly evil or just a loyal, grieving woman taking revenge for the loss of someone she loved? From sinister sabotage to fiery finales, this deep dive explores her character through the lens of gothic literature, the spinster trope, and modern adaptations. Whether villainess or tragic heroine, Mrs. Danvers remains one of fiction’s most unforgettable women.

Nightmare Alley and the Femme Fatale You Were Never Meant to Know

In Nightmare Alley, Lilith Ritter isn’t just a femme fatale; she’s the unseen force that turns Stanton Carlisle’s ambition into ruin.

Nosferatu (2024): Robert Eggers’ Gothic Masterpiece of Death, the Maiden, and the Absence of God

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024) is a dark and mesmerizing retelling of the vampire myth steeped in Gothic symbolism, occult horror, and Christian undertones turned on their head.

Obsession, Illusion, and the Cost of Being Loved in Vertigo

Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a haunting study of obsession, illusion, and the destructive cost of being loved for a fantasy.

Oscar and Lucinda: A Tragic Romance of Eccentricity, Faith, and Fate

Oscar and Lucinda are two lovable eccentrics whose compulsions draw them together and whose silence and faith tear them apart.

**The Redemption That Was Lost: Basil Rathbone as Karenin in Anna Karenina (1935)**

Basil Rathbone brings depth and dignity to Karenin in Anna Karenina (1935), even as Hollywood censorship erases the character’s redemptive heart.

Redemptive Love in Moulin Rouge: A Christian Reflection

Moulin Rouge is more than a musical; it’s a story of redemption, sacrifice, and the power of love to transform. This reflection explores the film’s deeper Christian themes and symbolism.

Scarlett O’Hara and the Cost of Romantic Delusion in Gone with the Wind

Scarlett O’Hara survives war and ruin, but her fixation on illusion over reality costs her love, happiness, and Rhett Butler.

Sleepy Hollow: Supernatural Detectives Across Time

Ichabod Crane awakens two centuries later to team up with Abbie Mills in Sleepy Hollow, blending supernatural mystery, historical secrets, and thrilling detective work.

A Tangled Web of Deceit: Anthony Andrews in Columbo Goes to the Guillotine

Anthony Andrews shines as a brilliant con man whose web of lies unravels under Columbo’s quiet scrutiny in Columbo Goes to the Guillotine.

**“What Have I Done?”: Basil Rathbone as Pontius Pilate in The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)**

Basil Rathbone’s Pilate in The Last Days of Pompeii is a rare, compassionate portrayal of a man haunted by his role in Christ’s death.

**Why Dracula Endures: Gothic Symbolism, Temptation, and Faith**

Dracula is a tale of temptation, corruption, and faith. In this analysis, I explore the novel’s religious symbolism, its warnings about feminism and godlessness, and its ultimate message of redemption and the victory of faith over evil.

**Why the 2006 Jane Eyre Finally Makes Rochester Worth Loving**

The 2006 Jane Eyre finally shows why Rochester is worth loving and why Jane’s moral choice to leave him hurts so deeply.

**Why Rey Is Not a Mary Sue: Star Wars’ Fierce Female Hero**

Rey is not a Mary Sue, but a strong, emotional Star Wars heroine who defines herself, resists corruption, and chooses her own destiny.

**Why Maverick Still Works: The Perfect Western for People Who Don’t Like Westerns**

Maverick is the perfect western for people who don’t like westerns: witty, character-driven, and full of charm, gambles, and hi-jinks.

The Wolfman as a Tale of Duality: Jekyll and Hyde Revisited

In The Wolfman, Laurence Talbot’s doomed transformation reveals Gothic horror at its most poignant: the struggle between good intentions and uncontrollable evil. Like Jekyll and Hyde, it wrestles with duality, but here salvation only comes through sacrifice and love, a reflection of humanity’s search for redemption.

Victor Hugo’s Gospel: Exploring Grace and Judgment in Les Misérables

Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is more than a story of crime and punishment. It’s a deeply spiritual exploration of grace, legalism, redemption, and the struggle between mercy and law. Discover how two men represent two very different visions of justice and what that reveals about God.

Misc:

What Kind of Clutterbug Are You?

Tired of traditional organizing methods that just don’t stick? You might be using the wrong system for your personality. Based on The Clutter Connection by Cassandra Aarssen, this post explores the four Clutterbug types (Ladybug, Bee, Butterfly, and Cricket) and how understanding your type can finally help you conquer clutter in a way that feels natural. Take the quiz, learn your style, and embrace organizing that works with who you are, not against it.

Titanic Reexamined: The Truth Behind the Film’s Most Controversial Portrayals

James Cameron’s Titanic is known for its sweeping romance and stunning accuracy, but not every portrayal was fair. In this article, I revisit the real people behind the film’s “disgraced heroes,” including First Officer William Murdoch, Second Officer Charles Lightoller, Captain Smith, and the indomitable Margaret Brown. Did the movie get their stories right or rewrite history?