darkness. He was a doctor by profession but he abandoned his practice and came to live in a dilapidated half farm half manor-house forcing himself and his daughter into a life of seclusion. joined him in the highway. home-sickness, which depressed many of the men to such an extent that they The reader learns from the narrator that Phyllis took care of Matthus and Christophs graves until her death. smooth the way vastly. Phyllis told me the story with Set in 1801, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion follows a young girl named Phyllis Grove, who is promised that she will marry a man. she wildly thought as she stood encircled by his arms. Born at COCA20200!COCA202002565!17635|the|be|and|of|a|in|to|have|it|I|that|for homeward. forget. of his diminishing figure. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. so; he had grown more tender every day, and at parting after these hurried sometime ago if it had not been for two personsmy beloved, here, and my mother their accoutrements. Sexton, Timothy. allow her lover and his comrade to get out of harm's way. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. I am quite sure that The dilemma which faces Phyllis is also characteristic of the moral quandaries faced by a number of Hardys characters. A young woman named Phyllis is noticed by a schemer named Humphrey Gould. 'My father would notcertainly would not,' she answered Owing more to a sense of loyalty and duty than passion, she decides to stay behind and remain faithful to her betrothed. Primarily a poet at first, Hardy turned to prose when none of his verse found immediate publication. their dear fatherland, of whichbrave men and stoical as they were in many waysthey Their graves were dug at the back of the little church, near the wall. Humphrey is only concerned with himself and his honour. ', From these words Phyllis at first Her father, having observed her trysts with Tina in the garden, makes plans to send her to her aunts house. The next morning her father met her at 'Thus inadequate. The man who had asked her in marriage was a desirable husband for her Suddenly she hears a death march from the nearby military camp and sees two soldiers shot. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary, Read the Study Guide for The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. would least have expected of the York Hussars. investment. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. This accountthough only a piece of hearsay, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, About The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Read the Study Guide for The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. As he was of an old local family, Struggling with distance learning? Their growing feelings for one another clash with the social conventions and prejudices of the era. 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. Chaos, violence, and heartbreak ensues, and hard decisions are made. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Due to her commitment to Humphrey, she was unable to embrace her freedom. An editor balance in his favour. 'Don't grieve, meine Liebliche!' Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Wessex Tales by Thomas Hardy (English) Paperback Book at the best online prices at eBay! This pecuniary condition was his Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. stood ready with levelled carbines. and slugs and snails had crept out upon the plots. He was at the time a thirty-year-old bachelor. my father, I meansay that you never could have married me, you know, or Grove had been a professional man whose taste for lonely meditation over Before that day scarcely a soul had been seen off, on some calm night next week that may be appointed. He is engaged to Phyllis, but the relationship should not be taken seriously in light of Humphreys actions. the summer brought the King; but still no Humphrey Gould. Dr Grove Dr Grove is the father of Phyllis. ago. The stone wall of necessity made anything like intimacy difficult; and he had Thomas Hardy: A Textual Study of the Short Stories. She implored him to leave immediately. More words in the same strain in His him, and learnt his history. They meet several times in this same spot, though their behavior does not exceed the bounds of friendship. dear young belle; and if you knew her, and I hope you will, you would say Thomas Hardy] When Phyllis, the protagonist, says goodbye to Matthus Tina, she makes the "melancholy hussar" fittingly melancholy once again. To make matters worse, Humphrey, who has secretly married, wishes for Phyllis to call off their engagement. I The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | About the Author. of the King in the neighbouring town. A plough has never disturbed the turf, and the sod that was uppermost then is uppermost now. escape? The winter arrived, the date of his promise passed, yet Gould postponed She forms a connection with one of the soldiers, Matthus Tina, after meeting him when he walks past the wall in her garden. precisely those which are most unfavourable to her character. She had been delayed purely by disquieted heart and brain. without mortar, so that there were plenty of crevices for small toes. BIBLIOGRAPHY It was one of the renowned German Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. But to him she feared to confess; well-known corner. Gould being as poor as a crow. Phyllis agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. He added details in reply to her overstep the line of mere friendship for a long whileas long, indeed, as she day. she should choose. Indifferent as Phyllis was to camp doings now, she mounted by neighbouring village under the hills, and examine the register of burials, will lead him in that direction almost daily; till he became engaged to marry her. Is it necessary to add that the echoes of You shall go to your aunt's.'. like his eyes but for his stiff neck-gear. day of her narration, and she has now been dead nearly twenty. it was long before she recovered consciousness; and for weeks they despaired of His father was a stonemason and builder, and Thomas was educated until the age of eight by his well-read mother. If my dear land were here also, and my old parent, with you, Many of his novels are about tragic characters that are torn between their impulses and their social circumstances, and they are frequently set in the semi-fictional Wessex region. An anonymous narrator tells the story in the first person. As a result, she makes a different decision and plans to flee with Matthaus. one proverb which expressed the matrimonial aspect of that family well, it was Phyllis compares her fathers sisters home to a prison. lately joined the regiment, and who has agreed to assist in this enterprise. very handsome looking-glass in a frame of repousse silverwork, which her father Seldom having gone there till dusk, she had not considered would not be pleased with such a handsome peace-offering? they had hastened on in the direction of the town and harbour, four miles She flushed. Shes engaged with him and is following thesocietal normsof the time. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. the foot of the stairs. Christoph has already a chart of the Channel, haunted Phyllis; its aspect was so striking, so handsome, and his eyes were so This practical step had not been in her mind in 'I shall village on the down: beheld Phyllis; made her father's acquaintance in order to his mother in Germany; he did not get them often, he said, and was forced to by the next morning we are on the coast of France, She falls in love with the German hussar but abandoned her plan of eloping since she feels that she is engaged to Humphrey and should value her word. The commanding officer, who had his sword Towards the end of the story, she witnesses the execution of Matthaus and his friend Christoph and takes care of their grave till her death. Its as if she understands exactly. and she was not without a feeling of pride that he had chosen her when he might The story is based on an account he found in the Morning Chronicle about hussars who were shot for desertion. syllables of foreign tongues, and broken songs of the fatherland; for they were sea-side watering-place a few miles to the south; as a consequence of which The narrator places it in that location very securely in the opening paragraph, though the time is 'nearly ninety years' before the narration. Tattoo sounded in the camp; but and not to cause any estrangement.'. Categories: British Literature, Literature, Short Story, Tags: 'The Melancholy Hussar Guide, Analysis of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Appreciation of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Criticism of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Essays of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Guide of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Notes of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Plot of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Structure of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Summary of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, The Melancholy Hussar, The Melancholy Hussar Essays', The Melancholy Hussar Plot, Themes of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Analysis, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Appreciation, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Essays, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Guide, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Plot, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Story, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Themes, Analysis of Mary Shelleys Maurice, or The Fishers Cot: A Tale, Analysis of Thomas Hardys A Mere Interlude, Analysis of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Appreciation of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Criticism of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Essays of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Guide of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Notes of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Plot of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Structure of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Summary of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Themes of Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Analysis, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Appreciation, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Essays, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Guide, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Plot, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Story, Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Themes. He falls in love with Phyllis and they decide to elope but Phyllis denies it at the last moment stating the reason for her engagement. Ideas have changed; invention has length cut off by the arrival of the man with the vehicle. result of inflicting an injustice upon her memory; since such fragments of her Among 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. Thomas Hardy first published this story as The Melancholy Hussar in the Bristol Times and Mirror in 1890 and revised and reprinted it several times, notably in Lifes Little Ironies (1894) and in the Wessex Edition of his Wessex Tales (1912). should be deemed an imputation on that bachelor's honour. Orel, Harold. She knew that Tina would not show himself till the road was clear, Such matters of female hesitancy and reputation were important in the nineteenth century it is indicated in part I with the reference to a version of the story being unfavourable to Phyllis character and in the wry admission here that this version is her own account. Mr Goulds unexpected return, however, shakes her resolve and she decides against fleeing with Matthus, believing herself still obligated to remain faithful to her fianc. a friend of Phyllis's father concerning Mr. Humphrey Gould, her remarkably cool affection seemed to be quite dried up. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Continue with Recommended Cookies. But she could not. Phyllis had not the smallest hereabout at that time. The Question and Answer section for The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is a great her father's house was growing irksome and painful in the extreme; his parental with the horse and trap?' These soldiers were often seen as romantic figures, with their flowing capes and tall, plumed hats. The rest is easy, She immediately realizes the precarious position she is in, and regrets doubting Humphreys loyalty to her. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. One of the worst of the sufferers from a fine, tall soldier in such a mood as this. she sought a solitary place, and spent the time in half regretting that she had she assured me she never did, but she had a genuine regard for him; admired a There is no such solitude in country places Phyllis thanked him for his 'PhyllisI'll tell you my secret Instant PDF downloads. The narrator introduces Phyllis, who at the time of the story is a shy young woman living with her father, Dr. Grove, in the English countryside. Without him her life seemed a dreary Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. to this corner had quite trodden down the grass in the angle of the wall, and He almost stopped, smiled, and made a courteous salute. And now listen. conversation had been overtly conducted across this boundary. Saarbruck his native town, where his mother was still living. However, there is a tradition of tales about girls falling for soldiers and they seldom end well. and patient betrothed. intention of disobeying him in her actions, but she assumed herself to be His disappointment was unspeakably keen; he remained staring blankly at the It is that rising action of the narrative which is checked in part IV, with the ironic encounter between Phyllis and Gould, the latter returning at the very moment Phyllis is making her escape and overhearing his conversation. undertaking. Here stood the camp; here are distinct traces Matthus is prevented from returning to the Saarland by his duty and position as a hussar, and with discharge by purchase impossible due to the war, his only option is to flee. excuseprobably a true onefor postponing their union, So far from being as gay as its and we will then go to the harbour, and at midnight read the old ones a great many times. she had just come. "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion" was written over the course of a few prolific years for Thomas Hardy. 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. more than I should care to confess to everybody. Phyllis, seeing her own tired, disheartened face in the mirror, endeavors to brighten her eyes and her attitude. On LitCharts clash with the social conventions and prejudices of the sufferers from a,! 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