Under the Oak Tree is a book about marriage and family. The story opens with a wedding, but then jumps three years into the future. Maximilian hears her husband Riftan’s footsteps as he comes home to ask for a divorce. He is rumored to want to marry a princess instead. Maximilian’s father is furious. Her father calls her ugly.
Anatol
Anatol is owned by Riftan Calypse, who built thick walls and other defenses around his castle. He lives there with his wife Maxi and nearly 100 servants. The castle has countless knights and is well protected.
Riftan
Riftan was a young prince who would have gotten any beautiful princess to court him, but he chose a plain princess who had a stutter instead. Maxi pleaded with him to reconsider, but he left for a campaign without saying a word. He never wrote to her in his absence, and Maxi was unsure whether Riftan was even considering her as a future wife. She hid her face in her hands, and she heard a sullen voice.
Maximilian’s inferiority complex
In the novel, Maximilian suffers from an inferiority complex. She has been abused by her father since early childhood, and her father’s abusive behavior affects her social life and self-image. Maximilian is pale and shy, and has freckles on her face, which many would view as a sign of a plain or geeky personality. She is also unable to talk without stuttering and is constantly concerned that other people will judge her. As a result, she is unable to speak with ease, and she often flinches when her father raises his voice.
The church as a community of conversation
The church as a community of conversation is an important practice in the Christian tradition. It is central to the Roman Catholic and ecumenical councils of the first millennium, and it is also crucial to the Protestant Reformation. Huldrych Zwingli, for example, argued that a church should practice “The Rule of Paul,” a practice of congregational worship rooted in the habit of conversation and sharing. Even the early Anabaptists embraced conversation as an important part of their worship.
Kim Soo-ji
The webtoon adaptation of Kim Soo-ji’s Under the Oak Tree is a hit in Korea. The story follows a young noblewoman named Maximillian, who was raised by an abusive father. She was confined to her room most of her life and was told that she was worthless. This has left her with a very weak will and zero self-confidence.