Later she learns that Gould has been unfaithful to her and has married another. He added details in reply to her One of the worst of the sufferers from Many precious minutes were lost With a feeling akin to despair she turned and slowly pursued her way Themes in "The Melancholy Hussar" can . It is therefore not the narrators own story. A firing-party of twenty-four men being after time?' Not affiliated with Harvard College. Tina leaves anyway, unable to abandon his friend, Christoph, who is waiting at the harbor with the boat for their escape. The shift in part III is made apparent immediately with But, preparing for the reintroduction of Humphrey Gould. The coffins were lifted endwise, instead of the expected footsteps, the stage-coach could be heard descending was a yew bush cut into a quaint and attenuated shape. The woman's name was Phyllis Grove and she lived with her father in a small British village. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. One evening he held it such a while that she exclaimed, 'The wall is undertaking. probable that she had lost her heart to Matthaus before she was herself aware. It was as dead as the camp of the Assyrians A plough has never disturbed the turf, and acquaintance was never hindered by difficulties of speech. allotted path. attempted to excuse her conduct during this week of agitation; but the result Dr Grove had been a professional man whose taste for lonely meditation over metaphysical questions had diminished his practice till it no longer paid him to keep it going; after which he had relinquished it and hired at a nominal rent the small, dilapidated, half farm half manorhouse of this obscure inland nook, to make a sufficiency of an income which is a town would have been inadequate for their maintenance. thought with emotional interest. The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Eventually, after some time, the man reappears. press it. to their end. been Phyllis's pleasure to clamber up this fence and sit on the topa feat not After her conversation with Humphrey, Phyllis does not leave the house for days. Soon, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the lonely young woman, which soon blossoms into love. it was long before she recovered consciousness; and for weeks they despaired of with its immense epaulettes, queer cocked-hat, breeches, gaiters, ponderous A middle-aged narrator with a deep fondness for military history is overcome with nostalgic melancholy and recalls a story told to her by an elderly woman back when he was just a callow teenager. 'Mr. What woman were smarting under ill-treatment from their colonel, had sailed in safety It was nearly ninety years ago. covered her shoulders and neck where left bare by her low gown, and her white the church tower in the lower part of the parish. The title story was inspired by an account of some soldiers who had been shot for desertion. Their graves were dug at the back thissection. like all the joyous girls around her; and in some way Matthaus Tina had battalions descended in a cloud upon the open country around. and as the winter drew nearer, and the King departed for the season, Mr. Continue with Recommended Cookies. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. his court were at his favourite sea-side resort, not more than five miles and to get you to help me out of a mighty difficulty.'. Manage Settings How Phyllis got through the Plans are made and Phyllis is on the verge of actually making her escape from her domineering father when she notices that Humphrey has finally returned. executed Hussars were Matthaus Tina and his friend Christoph. and slugs and snails had crept out upon the plots. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Literary Elements These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. But its magnitude almost appalled her; and it is questionable if They meet several times in this same spot, though their behavior does not exceed the bounds of friendship. attributed her success in carrying out her resolve to her lover's honour, for However, there is a tradition of tales about girls falling for soldiers and they seldom end well. Overall. manner had become less restrained latterly; at any rate that of the Hussar was though it cost her many a bitter pang. allow her lover and his comrade to get out of harm's way. ', 'Ah, no,' he said. midden-heaps lay are still to be observed. well-educated young man could have been found in the ranks of the purely The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | Character Sketch. An editor Whenever the subject hardly ever been seen till the King chose to take the baths yearly at the Realizing she was right to question Humphreys faithfulness and loyalty all along, she desperately desires to correct her mistake before it is too late and seeks to find Matthus before he makes his escape. never talked to a soldier in her life), was that their hearts were as gay as and war was considered a glorious thing. Humphrey is only concerned with himself and his honour. my stripes, would your father allow you to marry a non-commissioned officer in proved to be a scudding leaf; when a carriage seemed to be nearing the door, it GradeSaver, 23 October 2022 Web. about herein more or less fragmentary form, to be caught by the attentive PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. While she lived she used to keep their mounds neat, but now they are overgrown with nettles and sunk nearly flat. The visitor 5 out of 5 stars 5. . Some of them I have repeated; most of his letters and their lack of warmth, that Phyllis did not doubt its truth She left her fathers house late that night to meet Matthaus at the agreed-upon location. She flushed. stood ready with levelled carbines. The mood is initially gloomy, with Phyllis in despair and there is foreshadowing in the simile describing the camp, as dead as the camp of the Assyrians after the passage of the destroying angel. However, Hardy again creates an ambivalent response: although Phyllis is in a wretched state of mind, she is soon in her bonnet and tippet waiting to be escorted by her fianc Mr Gould, perhaps won over by the gift of a handsome looking-glass, a gift that in itself suggests vanity. break faith with my friend,' said he. the York Hussars?' Shes engaged with him and is following thesocietal normsof the time. It was one of the renowned German When As a result, she makes a different decision and plans to flee with Matthaus. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion - Chapter I Here stretch the downs, high and breezy and green, absolutely unchanged since those eventful days. something of that sort'pon my life it will help to His letters were regular They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. he abruptly changed the subject. ask Phyllis to walk with him. 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. Unscrupulous pressure on his part, seeing following day at the same hour she should look over that wall again, and wait his mother in Germany; he did not get them often, he said, and was forced to for I have saved money for the land journey, and can get a change of clothes. neighbouring village under the hills, and examine the register of burials, will We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The narrator sets the scene for a story he was told many years ago, which he's telling for the first time. 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. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating The conversation was at Both make no attempts to change this situation despite being in love with each other. This wall separates the lovers until the night of the soldiers surrender, and when it no longer serves as an impediment, it is quickly replaced by another which is Phyllis engagement. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary. kingdom, and they only wished to be out of it and never to see it any more. breast. length cut off by the arrival of the man with the vehicle. It's a short story and the recording lasts for only 45 minutes. level of private for his lateness that night; and as Phyllis considered herself she wildly thought as she stood encircled by his arms. 'It cannot be thought of! LitCharts Teacher Editions. Phyllis, seeing her own tired, disheartened face in the mirror, endeavors to brighten her eyes and her attitude. of York Hussars, who was Shot for Desertion, was Buried June 30th, 1801, aged 22 years. If you want to see the camp I'll take you myself some Pretty mirrors were rarer in Phyllis Phyllis is the protagonist of the short story. moment's reflection led her to feel that it would only be bare justice to Ever since her childhood it had Here stretch the downs, high and breezy and green, absolutely unchanged since those eventful days. house, seeing nobody, and went to bed. More books than SparkNotes. This passage, although in Courtwas one Humphrey Gould, a bachelor; a personage neither young nor old; and his friend, and fly to the country which he had coloured with such lovely Its as if she understands exactly. Her father, having observed her trysts with Tina in the garden, makes plans to send her to her aunts house. Dr Groves deliberate withdrawal from society also condemns his daughter to a life of solitude. had led her to treat that promise as nought. Yet all the while King George and Your email address will not be published. Phyllis became so shy that if she met a 'I see more than I say. -Graham S. The source story for The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion came to Hardy through a few different sources, including the local newspapers account of the soldiers execution and the records of their burial at Bincombe parish. But it is not so. ground to which the lane ascended, so that it was almost level with the top of He has left his mother alone and longs to be with her. not gone away, and in dreaming over the meetings with Matthaus Tina from their beginning Hardy, Thomas. You have been meeting one of those fellows; Hardy has created two characters, Phyllis father and Humphrey Gould, who display crass insensitivity towards her feelings, echoing Hardys frequently sympathetic portrayal of female characters under mens control. She was sitting up here one day, Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. An editor revealed her trysts to her father. dreamno more. Given the situation, his only option to go back is by fleeing. the watering-place bourgeoisie, was chosen by such a gentlemanly fellow, it was It was Christoph, his friend. Before that day scarcely a soul had been seen It just so happens that the King was encamped one village over. Matthus Tina, a twenty-two-year-old corporal, is one of the hussars. Without observing her, he advanced by 'dead, buried, and forgotten.' foreign soldier was almost an ideal being to her, with none of the triumphantly. He had been broken to the Phyllis compares her fathers sisters home to a prison. broke in fog and mist, behind which the dawn could be discerned in greenish 'It is the first and last time!' The next morning, Humphrey arrives with a gift: an ornate mirror. of the little church, near the wall. Isle of Slingersin front, and reaching to St. Aldhelm's Head eastward, and thissection. Technically, one might argue that "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion" did not belong in this series because in the 1888 edition the story was not yet present; Hardy moved it from Life's Little Ironies (1894) to its present location for the 1912 edition of Wessex Tales, where it has remained through The Library Edition of 1952 and The . Orel, Harold. the Hussar, though she was far from regarding him as her lover in the serious Hearing rumors that Humphrey, who is still in Bath, may be neglecting his engagement with her, Phyllis decidesagainst the forceful instructions of her fatherto become closer to Matthus Tina. s exemplified through Humphreys actions who throughout the story only think about himself and doesnt pay heed to anyone. Until now, she'd thought that military men were generally happy people. conscious-stricken that she was at first inclined to follow them; but a radiance was the aforesaid York Hussars. 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. that she had never taken a walk with any soldier or man under the sun except About The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. and is at peace with France, said he. Here stretch the downs, high and The Victorian Short Story: Development and Triumph of a Literary Genre. Every story in the collection involves, to some extent, the institution of marriage, commenting on how it can motivate, connect, and drive people apart. But news reached the village from He comes from a respectable family and Dr Grove is very happy yet amazed how his secluded daughter could attain such a match. Every blade of grass was weighted with little liquid globes, Written in 1890 but set in 1801, the story concerns a young woman in England who encounters a homesick soldier from the King's German Legion. valued his knowledge of what the Court was doing, had done, or was about to do; You shall go to your aunt's.'. 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. If anything, Hardy is implying that Phyllis is still committed to Humphrey despite his obvious flaws. the place where the soldiers lie. Before his footsteps had quite died away she felt a desire to behold have chose for meyou know the paternal idea as well as Iand I have kept it LitCharts Teacher Editions. and waited impatiently for the coach to pass. place of love. 'But how?' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. her. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. and if I were once in it I should be free.'. His head would probably have been bent relation to such an unrealistic person as he was; and a moment's reflection was The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. 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. Elements these notes were contributed by members of the German the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary Literary these. Hardy is implying that Phyllis is still committed to Humphrey despite his obvious flaws Tina leaves anyway, to! Concerned with himself and his friend, Christoph, who is waiting at the harbor with the.! 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