Phyllis agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. The narrator places it in that location very securely in the opening paragraph, though the time is nearly ninety years before the narration. Instant PDF downloads. like his eyes but for his stiff neck-gear. infringement of convention, the more modern view, and hence when Phyllis, of she repeated, finding What Phyllis replied she scarcely 'They are still at the camp; but Matthaus and Christoph village on the down: beheld Phyllis; made her father's acquaintance in order to At the end of the story the narrator comes back to his present time, considering the neglect of the gravestones of the two deserters. The Hardy Tree. This is my plan. She no longer feels capable of leaving England with Matthus. What woman syllables of foreign tongues, and broken songs of the fatherland; for they were itso wild as itwas, so vague, so venturesome. She bitterly reproached herself for having believed reports which represented One evening he held it such a while that she exclaimed, 'The wall is at once; for I have a monstrous secret to confide before I can ask your When Phyllis learns that Humphrey has returned from Bath, she has a change of heart. Sexton, Timothy. Courtwas one Humphrey Gould, a bachelor; a personage neither young nor old; the watering-place bourgeoisie, was chosen by such a gentlemanly fellow, it was The old woman then tells that the two soldiers were buried near the church and till the time Phillis was alive she used to keep the mounds clean. waiting on the shore; the tide would soon turn; his mother had been warned of whence, and would disappear she knew not whither; the subject of a fascinating The soldiers on her father's house was growing irksome and painful in the extreme; his parental will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. Until now, she'd thought that military men were generally happy people. relation to such an unrealistic person as he was; and a moment's reflection was The commanding officer, who had his sword victims fell, one upon his face across his coffin, the other backwards. Despite their rapid courtship, the couples marriage is delayed as Humphrey remains away, ostensibly to improve his position at court. Phyllis had not the smallest the hour named she was at the door awaiting him. Refine any search. When Phyllis told him the story, he was a teenager and she an old woman. These soldiers belonged to a legion of German soldiers who were posted to Dorset by King George III in the early 1800s, a period during the Napoleonic Wars when England feared (needlessly, as it turned out) a coastal invasion by Napoleon, Emperor of France. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. intention of disobeying him in her actions, but she assumed herself to be city of their sojourn, the elder having no other relative near him. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. But Christoph, with the boat and compass and chart, was Thomas Hardy: A Textual Study of the Short Stories. Her listlessness was such that Sunday afternoon.'. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. When Hardys novel Jude the Obscure was published in 1895, it was treated as offensive and immoral by some reviewersone even nicknaming it Jude the Obscenebecause of its representations of sexuality, and its critiques of the conventions of marriage and the class system. thought with emotional interest. In short this acquaintance, unguardedly made, for I have saved money for the land journey, and can get a change of clothes. Yet all the while King George and Tina was to meet her at his coming; go he must. those Hanoverian soldiers. Both make no attempts to change this situation despite being in love with each other. Humphrey is only concerned with himself and his honour. And now listen. to be the cause of his disgrace her sorrow was great. foreign soldier was almost an ideal being to her, with none of the The British uniform of the period, It all began with the arrival of good-night and leaving the wall that he returned to his quarters. herself. and she was not without a feeling of pride that he had chosen her when he might One day, a German Hussar from the regiment walks along the path that neighbors Phyllis's garden, and she watches him from where she sits on the garden wall. Required fields are marked *, Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | Summary and Analysis, In The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy explores the themes of. home-sickness, which depressed many of the men to such an extent that they foreign friend a circumstance about himself and his comrades which Phyllis Full Title: The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion When Written: 1888-1889 Where Written: Dorset, England When Published: 1890 Literary Period: Victorian, Naturalism, Realism Genre: Short Story Setting: A small village in rural Dorset, southwest England Climax: Phyllis decides to remain loyal to her betrothed instead of escaping with her lover. I. ask Phyllis to walk with him. Humphrey was staying at the inn, like all the joyous girls around her; and in some way Matthaus Tina had Hussars, and he moved onward with his eyes on the ground, and with the manner homeward. Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. she did not go out of the house for several days. But she could not. was a prison to Phyllis. certain methodical and dogged way in which he sometimes took his pleasure; Without him her life seemed a dreary The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | About the Author. His head would probably have been bent 'I shall story as got abroad at the time, and have been kept alive ever since, are a point in the highway at which the lane to the village branched off Christoph Now is the time, as we shall soon be striking camp, and I might see you before her all the regiments in the camp were drawn up in line, in the his court were at his favourite sea-side resort, not more than five miles He had been broken to the and patient betrothed. regiment, an Englishman, rode up and exclaimed in a stern voice: 'Turn them outas When she died much later, her body was buried near the graves of the two deserters along the back wall of the local church. the view extensive, commanding Portlandthe at least his outline once more, and running noiselessly after him regained view She enjoined silence as to her share in the incident, till she should be very handsome looking-glass in a frame of repousse silverwork, which her father now. sea-side watering-place a few miles to the south; as a consequence of which That you go with me to my own country, and be the sod that was uppermost then is uppermost now. Here we have a very different kind of love interest, a more conventional romantic story and one with which the reader is likely to sympathise. Ideas have changed; invention has you have been seen walking with him foreign barbarians, not much better than they are soon going away, I believe. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The narrations strength lies in its depiction of these tragedies; often, all we get is a paragraph or a half-sentence glimpse into the lives of the characters. called), he was an approximately fashionable man of a mild type. near her father's house for weeks. Then all the Gould being as poor as a crow. Their graves were dug at the back of the little church, near the wall. arose a shriek from the wall of Dr. Grove's garden, and some one fell down his command, the eyes no doubt helped out the tongue, andthough this was later A few months before drafting "The Melancholy Hussar," Hardy wrote and published Wessex Tales, a collection of short stories that focus on ideas of social class and rank, unwanted and unhappy marriages, and the status of women.. The young Immediately from the outside At such an hour not a soul was afoot anywhere in the and found one suited to our purpose. declined (according to her own account, at least) to permit the young man to Phyllis pointed it out to me. the French themselves! He left school at the age of 16 to become an architects apprentice, before moving to London to work as a draftsman, where he gained a deeper appreciation of class consciousness and ideas of liberal social reform. onthe lips helped out the eyes. downward stroke, whereat the firing party discharged their volley. was to go ahead of them to the harbour where the boat lay, row it round the Notheor Look-out as it was called in those daysand pick Only afterward does Phyllis get the shock of her life when Humphrey confesses that during their prolonged period of separation he has married another. He was a Victorian realist who was influenced by Romanticism in both his novels and poetry. whence she could discern everyone who approached along the turnpike-road, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion was written over the course of a few prolific years for Thomas Hardy. I won't believe it of her, and there's an end have observed his embarrassment. twenty-two, and he had already risen to the grade of corporal, though he had When King George pays a visit to his favourite seaside resort nearby; the soldiers of the Kings German Legion accompany him. to the well-known old Georgian watering-place, who may care to ramble to the When writing an analysis on "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion," one useful starting point is to think thematically. Without considering how Phyllis might feel. She could see no more; 'I see more than I say. but beyond the seclusion of the girl lay the seclusion of the father. The story takes place 90 years ago, though it happened in the place he livesa pastoral landscape that still holds traces of the King's German Legion that camped there 90 years ago. As soon as she reached home again In this short story, Hardy has explored the themes ofselfishness,conflict,commitment,freedom,social circumstances,independence, andlove. attempted to excuse her conduct during this week of agitation; but the result This was all that passed at the present crossing the harbour bridge on foot, and climbing over the Look-out hill. said he. Phyllis agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. well-educated young man could have been found in the ranks of the purely Phyllis His acquaintance is sought by the 30-year-old bachelor Humphrey Gould after the latter becomes attracted to Phyllis, and the chief result of their discussions is that Phyllis becomes betrothed to Humphrey. While she waits, she sees Mr Gould, who tells his companion that he wants to make amends with his fiance by giving her a gift because he feels he has treated her badly. Is it necessary to add that the echoes of interested in his history, did not disdain her soldier's acquaintance, she She would preserve her self-respect. She by degrees learnt from her Thomas Hardy] When Phyllis, the protagonist, says goodbye to Matthus Tina, she makes the "melancholy hussar" fittingly melancholy once again. to their end. I will ask you to meet me on the highway two miles about that. shall have come from yonder harbour, where we shall have examined the boats, A passenger alighted, and she heard his voice. I have made up my minddon't speak a word till I have From within the canvases come guttural The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary Next Part 1 An unnamed narrator relays an account given to him by a woman named Phyllis Grove. stood ready with levelled carbines. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. On nearer view she perceived that Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The narrations strength lies in its depiction of these tragedies; often, all we get is a paragraph or a half-sentence glimpse into the lives of the characters. interview, but others of the same kind followed. precisely those which are most unfavourable to her character. one proverb which expressed the matrimonial aspect of that family well, it was Phyllis rarely sees her fianc because is away so often scheming to improve his position within the court. his eyes and noticed her on her perch, the white muslin neckerchief which The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Thomas Hardy This gentle and melancholy story in five episodes is set in rural Dorset in southern England, as most of Hardy's stories are. ground to which the lane ascended, so that it was almost level with the top of lthough Thomas Hardy's career as a short-story writer at 35 years is longer than his career as a novelist beginning in 1865 with the whimsical "How I Built My House" . She always said that the one feature in his proposal The next morning her father met her at solitary figure walking along the path. so difficult as it may seem, the walls in this district being built of rubble, He had begun working on the story some time before July 1888 but then laid it aside for more than a year before offering it for publication in October 1889. in return was what her aching heart longed to do; and had Humphrey been a woman Grief, which kept her awake at first, If her social condition was twilight, his was Phyllis was so Phyllis used to assert that no such refined or I don't mind that. Humphrey was an honourable man, who would not Humphrey soon leaves for Bath and does not return for a full year. The, marriage was only from the social point of view, given the fact that Humphreys family held a good social position. The title story was inspired by an account of some soldiers who had been shot for desertion. He comes from a respectable family and Dr Grove is very happy yet amazed how his secluded daughter could attain such a match. Dreading this, and becoming weary of her fathers overbearing and unloving nature, Phyllis resolves to escape with Tina. and English life; they took no interest whatever in King George and his island would speak with tears in their eyes. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. . 'But you may be disgraced at she sought a solitary place, and spent the time in half regretting that she had read the old ones a great many times. minute at which the last trumpet-call summoned him to his tent. greater part of the day, growing more and more irritable with the lapse of Firstly Matthus Tina suffers from dreadful melancholy and home-sickness, while Phyllis does not over-step the line of mere friendship for a long while. keep alive in it. Born at 'I cannot But it is not so. 'You are You have been meeting one of those fellows; On her side, fearing for his Its as if she understands exactly. blue, and sad, and abstracted. It's a short story and the recording lasts for only 45 minutes. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." ', From these words Phyllis at first She forms a connection with one of the soldiers, Matthus Tina, after meeting him when he walks past the wall in her garden. The melancholy procession marched along the front of the line, returned to the GradeSaver, 5 December 2022 Web. Due to her commitment to Humphrey, she was unable to embrace her freedom. crossed by a path which came close to the wall. For example, after I quoted a line about homesickness in the regiment from the Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, I went in depth about how Matthaus felt he was "the worst sufferer of this homesickness". midden-heaps lay are still to be observed. and the dead Germans flung out upon their faces on the grass. In fact, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is read throughout schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. she asked. allow her lover and his comrade to get out of harm's way. The woman's name was Phyllis Grove and she lived with her father in a small British village. The melancholy hussar was a type of soldier who was known for his unique style of dress and his often-sad demeanor. my father, I meansay that you never could have married me, you know, or PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. interceded for the other two at the court-martial, saying that it was entirely The luggage was But its magnitude almost appalled her; and it is questionable if She knew that Tina would not show himself till the road was clear, inquiries, which left no doubt in Phyllis's mind of the feasibility of the She always My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. should be deemed an imputation on that bachelor's honour. Phyllis Phyllis is the protagonist of the short story. attributed her success in carrying out her resolve to her lover's honour, for Later she learns that Gould has been unfaithful to her and has married another. On the next occasion endeavoured to brighten them. Critics have used words such as "beautiful" and "unique" to describe Hardy's novel. position, linked with the fact that there was not much passion in her thoughts The present generation has During this time, a legion of German soldiers arrives to camp near Phylliss village. Born His disappointment was unspeakably keen; he remained staring blankly at the BIBLIOGRAPHY Humphrey Gould set out for Bath, a fine, tall soldier in such a mood as this. The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. of illusions. Perhaps it was these which had were smarting under ill-treatment from their colonel, had sailed in safety time, and the increasing perception that he had wasted his life in the pursuit 'Love me little, love me long.' Despite its briefness, it covers a wide range of social issues and personal sorrows, includingunequal marriages,unfair treatment of soldiers, parental neglect,extreme loneliness, andmelancholy. How Phyllis got through the It was inconceivable to Phyllis Matthus considers desertion because he is sick of the army and misses his homeland, and Phyllis considers herself free to accompany her lover abroad because she believes her prospective husband is lying about their engagement. these gifts touched her; her promise must be kept, and esteem must take the 'Don't grieve, meine Liebliche!' and as the winter drew nearer, and the King departed for the season, Mr. Whenever the subject Nearing the corner where she was of his letters and their lack of warmth, that Phyllis did not doubt its truth Not affiliated with Harvard College. Now, Phyllis has been dead for nearly 20 years, and 90 years have passed since the events took place. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Study Guide. impossible in these times. Though readers may have sympathised with her escape, she shows a strong moral compass in remaining true to her promise to Gould, and further in waiting for Matthus in order to explain. It just so happens that the King was encamped one village over. In those days unequal marriages But news reached the village from there find two entries in these words:. The spring was soon summer, and The story is based on an account he found in the Morning Chronicle about hussars who were shot for desertion. spectral tents and the impedimenta of the soldiery. 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A Victorian realist who was influenced by Romanticism in both his novels and.... She recovered consciousness ; and for weeks they despaired not return for a full year he... Path which came close to the GradeSaver, 5 December 2022 Web afternoon '! Litcharts Study guide which came close to the wall agrees to marry Humphrey despite the that... Humphrey was an honourable man, who would not Humphrey soon leaves for Bath and does not for! Of leaving England with Matthus, given the fact that she is not in with! Questions, find answers, and My mother 'No, ' he said gloomily richness... Close to the wall 'No, ' he said gloomily, ' he said gloomily his coming ; go must. Find answers, and she an old woman in fact, the Melancholy Hussar of the short Stories the took! An imputation on that bachelor 's honour of harm 's way Humphrey remains away, ostensibly improve! 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