According to “Definition of a Gryphon,” gryphon is variant of griffin, which is the more popular way of spelling the term. As if a gyphon was not yet unique enough, the author if this short story chose to use the least popular version of spelling as well. This is yet another symbol of how truly one-of-a-kind Miss Ferenczi is. In literature gryphons are often “…used to denote strength and military courage and leadership,” (Oliver).
Miss Ferenczi commands a room with ease, and she does so with a class she is not familiar with. She shows greater leadership than even the natural leader of the 4th grade class, Mr.
Hibler, whom she is substituting for. Miss. Ferenczi is described as a curious dresser, progressive thinker, and picky eater. Every person has their quirks, but Miss Ferenczi stands strong when others misunderstand her. She is both courageous and bold enough to be true to herself, even when it calls for her to break “normal” behaviors, and even when she is criticized for doing so. Intelligence is another characteristic that a gryphon and Miss Ferenczi share. “[A griffin’s physical appearance] indicates a combination of intelligence and strength,” (Stefan Oliver).
A theme in this short story seems to be the wild stories Miss Ferenczi tells her 4th grade students. She weaves wild tales, and nonetheless on questionable subjects. Miss Ferenczi even purposefully convinces the 4th grade students that six multiplied by eleven will occasionally produce sixty-eight; she calls this a “substitute fact,” (248).
The Essay on Miss Ferenczi in “Gryphon” by Charles Baxter
... gryphon when Miss Ferenczi talks about the Egyptians. The magical creature is half lion half bird, which represents Miss Ferenczi herself in this story. ... that we never lack, and the teacher in Gryphon changes her fourth grade students, help them wonder and reach out ... a rich and fascinating world. Charles Baxter introduces Miss Ferenczi into the fourth grade class of Five Oaks community in a ...
One might argue that Miss Ferenczi’s methods are unorthodox, but a wise mind will spot that Miss Ferenczi is only making an effort to teach the children how to think critically while still utilizing their imaginations.
