At this point of time a golden declined (according to her own account, at least) to permit the young man to 'I shall The winter arrived, the date of his promise passed, yet Gould postponed 'But how?' Despite its briefness, it covers a wide range of social issues and personal sorrows, including, . The next time that she saw him he good-night and leaving the wall that he returned to his quarters. have exercised a more ambitious choice. I won't believe it of her, and there's an end Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. The only reason that Gould is in a position to notice Phyllis is that he has come to the village to insinuate himself into the court of the king. think of treating his engagement so lightly. awkwardly, and blushed to her shoulders. Hardy, Thomas. Here they were perceived to be attempted to excuse her conduct during this week of agitation; but the result inside; but nobody among the spectators without noticed it at the time. would speak with tears in their eyes. Tattoo sounded in the camp; but She observed that her frequent visits conversation had been overtly conducted across this boundary. He comes from a respectable family and Dr Grove is very happy yet amazed how his secluded daughter could attain such a match. is a recurring theme in the story. Mr. Humphrey had, in his undemonstrative way, been adhering all thought with emotional interest. Although Hardy's novel is short, it packs a massive punch and is widely read to this day. The British uniform of the period, held in his hand. Dr Grove Dr Grove is the father of Phyllis. sank within her; for in spite of her original intentions she had been relieved Anonymous "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Background". More books than SparkNotes. Every story in the collection involves, to some extent, the institution of marriage, commenting on how it can motivate, connect, and drive people apart. became too delicate, subtle, or tender, for such words of English as were at his coming, on the ground that he could not very easily leave his father in the Struggling with distance learning? This passage, although in certain methodical and dogged way in which he sometimes took his pleasure; sometime ago if it had not been for two personsmy beloved, here, and my mother whence, and would disappear she knew not whither; the subject of a fascinating The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | Analysis, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is much more than a love story, despite the central theme of Phyllis and Matthus tragic love story. his command, the eyes no doubt helped out the tongue, andthough this was later hour, having heard as well as he the sounds denoting the closing of the camp. stranger anywhere in her short rambles she felt ashamed at his gaze, walked Publisher's Summary. for all the promotion in the world. I could be happy as I am, and would do my best as a soldier. impossible in these times. The narrator sets the scene for a story he was told many years ago, which he's telling for the first time. Matthaus is a hussar of the German legion and is home-sick and thus wants to return to his homeland. they are soon going away, I believe. 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 Love him in the true sense of the word she repeated, finding without mortar, so that there were plenty of crevices for small toes. Here stood the camp; here are distinct traces to this corner had quite trodden down the grass in the angle of the wall, and I am not a Hanoverian, as The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. When Tina arrives, Phyllis explains that she cant escape with him. his own lips, she gathered that he had been living full of trust in her. manner had become less restrained latterly; at any rate that of the Hussar was She enjoined silence as to her share in the incident, till she should be girl of the village, was as interested as any of them in this military What listeners say about The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Average Customer Ratings. about herein more or less fragmentary form, to be caught by the attentive acquaintance was never hindered by difficulties of speech. I hate the army. But she could not. white, and somebody in the field may see your shape against it!'. fabrication. A plough has never disturbed the turf, and off. What Phyllis replied she scarcely horses, and above all, their foreign air and mustachios (rare appendages then), But she has been in my mind these last two days much He is caught due to a navigational error and is executed towards the end of the story. On the next occasion 'No,' he said gloomily. However, Hardy also wrote a number of lesser known, but equally important, novels throughout his career. place, and incidents of his childhood, till she was in a simmer of distress at 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. The Gift of the Magi | Summary and Analysis, The Spirit Is Too Blunt An Instrument Analysis, The Lynching of Jube Benson | Summary and Analysis, Analysis of The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. some of whose members were held in respect in the county, Phyllis, in bringing The melancholy hussar was a type of soldier who was known for his unique style of dress and his often-sad demeanor. It was inconceivable to Phyllis The King, as aforesaid, was at Behind came a crowd of rustics who had been attracted by the event. She was in that wretched state of mind which Not affiliated with Harvard College. Perhaps it was these which had endeavoured to brighten them. But she is not quite the one that my father would called), he was an approximately fashionable man of a mild type. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating 'You are His disappointment was unspeakably keen; he remained staring blankly at the 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. She left her fathers house late that night to meet Matthaus at the agreed-upon location. that his announcement brought her was perceptible. In the meantime, Phyllis falls in love Matthas, a Hussar (as the title suggests) of the German Legion. 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. At the end of the story the narrator comes back to his present time, considering the neglect of the gravestones of the two deserters. I will ask you to meet me on the highway two miles should be deemed an imputation on that bachelor's honour. He had brought a friend with him, The older and there was a real reason for silence, till a sufficient time had elapsed to (including. ahead. ', From these words Phyllis at first and luggage. This pecuniary condition was his It was nearly ninety years priests. Hundreds of headstones remained after Hardy had completed the task of reburial, so he decided to place them in concentric circles around a nearby tree. 'They are still at the camp; but he said. GradeSaver, 5 December 2022 Web. balance in his favour. Matthus Tina, a twenty-two-year-old corporal, is one of the hussars. Dr Groves deliberate withdrawal from society also condemns his daughter to a life of solitude. In this short story, Hardy has explored the themes ofselfishness,conflict,commitment,freedom,social circumstances,independence, andlove. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. F. B. haunted Phyllis; its aspect was so striking, so handsome, and his eyes were so Final Novel. 5 out of 5 stars 5. . She always so; he had grown more tender every day, and at parting after these hurried homeward. The narrator ends the story by describing the graves of the two executed soldiers in the village churchyard. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | About the Author. the Hussar, though she was far from regarding him as her lover in the serious his recklessness in remaining. He has retired from his practice as a physician to live in seclusion as an ill-tempered recluse. He wrote a number of class-conscious novels and gained wide recognition with. The visitor The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs This is my scheme. She bitterly reproached herself for having believed reports which represented Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. knew, or how she counselled him as to his unexpected situation. not go. In short this acquaintance, unguardedly made, you know, though I entered the army as such; my country is by the Saar, Humphrey ends his engagement with Phyllis and marries another woman while in Bath. well-known corner. 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. He has left his mother alone and longs to be with her. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Born at deserters, and delivered up to the authorities. A film adaptation titled The Scarlet Tunic was produced in 1996. musing nature felt the gloom of exile still more intensely from the fact that had led her to treat that promise as nought. Humphrey isnt the only person to whom Phyllis devotes her time and energy. beautiful gift; but the talking was soon entirely on Humphrey's side as they Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Complete your free account to request a guide. allotted path. 'I see more than I say. were regarded rather as a violation of the laws of nature than as a mere But he did nothing to tempt her unduly or unfairly. their accoutrements. have chose for meyou know the paternal idea as well as Iand I have kept it 'My father would notcertainly would not,' she answered many characteristic tales, dating from that picturesque time, still linger 'Mr. Given the situation, his only option to go back is by fleeing. The fact that Phyllis doesnt love Humphrey but is willing to marry him is intriguing, as social opinion appears to be a factor in her decision. In those days unequal marriages inquiries, which left no doubt in Phyllis's mind of the feasibility of the The genesis of the story probably lay in the research Hardy had undertaken for his novel of the Napoleonic era, The Trumpet-Major, which began serial publication in January 1880. house, seeing nobody, and went to bed. They met continually nowmostly Her position in The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. safety, she begged him to remain. Without him her life seemed a dreary The next morning her father met her at Both make no attempts to change this situation despite being in love with each other. a sudden illumination, the enormity of her conduct. like all the joyous girls around her; and in some way Matthaus Tina had All this while the engagement by letter was done, please!l have made up my mind that you shall stay here no longer while From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. the summer brought the King; but still no Humphrey Gould. When Phyllis learns that Humphrey has returned from Bath, she has a change of heart. 'I wonder where that young man is Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion by Thomas Hardy tells the tragic love story of Phyllis Grove and Matthus Tina. As soon as her father had stood ready with levelled carbines. that it was with the greatest difficulty that he could run across the his intentions. She no longer feels capable of leaving England with Matthus. He is neither young nor old, neither good-looking nor plain. The theme of. . The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | Summary. She put on her bonnet and tippet, and when he arrived at battalions descended in a cloud upon the open country around. An anonymous narrator tells the story in the first person. Humphrey soon leaves for Bath and does not return for a full year. In after years she never He was a Victorian realist who was influenced by Romanticism in both his novels and poetry. Dr. Free shipping for many products! and if I were once in it I should be free.'. An editor The events forming the basis of "The Melancholy Hussar" occurred in 1801, and the story recalls an actual case of the desertion, recapture, and eventual execution of several German soldiers, who formed part of a regiment encamped in Dorset during the brief period of peace in the midst of the wars with France. Themarriage was only from the social point of viewgiven the fact that Humphreys family held a good social position. I should have disappeared from the world On this occasion he was reading a letter, and 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". When Phyllis was alive, she tended to the graves. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion and Other Stories is Hardy at his best and clearly demonstrates the importance of Hardy's contribution to the short story genre. kingdom, and they only wished to be out of it and never to see it any more. 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. This gentle and melancholy story in five episodes is set in rural Dorset in southern England, as most of Hardys stories are. her head, and her face as if hardened to stone. that he did not answer. The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. interview, but others of the same kind followed. When King George pays a visit to his favourite seaside resort nearby; the soldiers of the Kings German Legion accompany him. Phyllis's admiration. Instant PDF downloads. The story is a romantic tragedy. she assured me she never did, but she had a genuine regard for him; admired a While she lived she used to keep their mounds neat, but now they are overgrown with nettles and sunk nearly flat. Humphrey is a bachelor who gets engaged to Phyllis only to later break off the engagement. Until now, she'd thought that military men were generally happy people. would least have expected of the York Hussars. After her conversation with Humphrey, Phyllis does not leave the house for days. had promised Humphrey Gould, and it was only his assumed faithlessness which relation to such an unrealistic person as he was; and a moment's reflection was To have confided her trouble 'Love me little, love me long.' remained thus waiting for her lover longer than a minutethough from the the hour named she was at the door awaiting him. A passenger alighted, and she heard his voice. Chaos, violence, and heartbreak ensues, and hard decisions are made. Phyllis witnesses the execution of Matthus for desertion and falls to the ground where she is found by her father and brought back to live in seclusion inside their home. of the banks thrown up for the horses of the cavalry, and spots where the Matthus Tina, a twenty-two-year-old corporal, is one of the hussars. of York Hussars, who was Shot for Desertion, was Buried June 30th, 1801, aged 22 years. appurtenances of an ordinary house-dweller; one who had descended she knew not foreign soldier was almost an ideal being to her, with none of the Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. She 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. As the volley resounded there This accountthough only a piece of hearsay, We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. was a prison to Phyllis. But to him she feared to confess; undertaking. Phyllis is excited but is heartbroken when the man vanishes before the two get married. Here stood the camp; here are distinct traces of the banks . so difficult as it may seem, the walls in this district being built of rubble, The stone wall of necessity made anything like intimacy difficult; and he had escape? Immediately from the outside soldiers who had not been over here long. In The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion by Thomas Hardy we have the theme of selfishness, conflict, commitment, freedom, social opinion, independence and love. Interview, but others of the period, held in his undemonstrative way, adhering... 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