Achilles Alexandrakis
Encyclopedia
Achilles Alexandrakis is a fictional character
from a 1912 novel, Mr Achilles, by Jeannette Lee.
Alexandrakis is a Greek immigrant who owns a fruit stall on Clark Street, Chicago
. Proud of his heritage, he always wonders why nobody asks him about Greece
.
Betty Harris, daughter of a Chicago millionaire
, attempts to find her way home alone from her music lesson one day, and wanders to Alexandrakis' fruit stand. An inquisitive child who is intrigued by what she has learned of Greek history and culture, Betty questions Alexandrakis about Greece, and they strike up a friendship.
One day, Alexandrakis notices Betty being ushered into a car by two strange men. The following day's newspaper is headlined with the kidnapping
of a child whose wealthy parents lived on Lake Shore Drive
. From the photo. Alexandrakis recognizes young Betty and calls the police. Her grateful parents invite him to their mansion where, before a group of prominent Chicagoans, Alexandrakis is finally able to lecture on his beloved Greece.
Mr Achilles is descriptive of both Chicago's socially prominent and poor immigrant classes.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from a 1912 novel, Mr Achilles, by Jeannette Lee.
Alexandrakis is a Greek immigrant who owns a fruit stall on Clark Street, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Proud of his heritage, he always wonders why nobody asks him about Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Betty Harris, daughter of a Chicago millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
, attempts to find her way home alone from her music lesson one day, and wanders to Alexandrakis' fruit stand. An inquisitive child who is intrigued by what she has learned of Greek history and culture, Betty questions Alexandrakis about Greece, and they strike up a friendship.
One day, Alexandrakis notices Betty being ushered into a car by two strange men. The following day's newspaper is headlined with the kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
of a child whose wealthy parents lived on Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue , Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S...
. From the photo. Alexandrakis recognizes young Betty and calls the police. Her grateful parents invite him to their mansion where, before a group of prominent Chicagoans, Alexandrakis is finally able to lecture on his beloved Greece.
Mr Achilles is descriptive of both Chicago's socially prominent and poor immigrant classes.