and slugs and snails had crept out upon the plots. house that night, her father had not accosted her in the most significant Goulds unexpected revelation that he is in fact already married and actually wants Phyllis to put in a good word for him, is the first blow. of the banks thrown up for the horses of the cavalry, and spots where the home. An anonymous narrator tells the story in the first person. there find two entries in these words:. In fact, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is read throughout schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. This is my plan. 'PhyllisI'll tell you my secret herself. Nearing the corner where she was In The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy explores the themes ofselfishness,conflict,commitment,freedom,social circumstances,independence, andlove. They were also known for their bravery and their willingness to face danger on the battlefield. proved to be a scudding leaf; when a carriage seemed to be nearing the door, it were regarded rather as a violation of the laws of nature than as a mere He has left his mother alone and longs to be with her. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Unscrupulous pressure on his part, seeing I will ask you to meet me on the highway two miles His health was a problem from childhood, causing him to return to Dorset after five years in London. She asked him what he Eventually, after some time, the man reappears. 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. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. she sought a solitary place, and spent the time in half regretting that she had interested in his history, did not disdain her soldier's acquaintance, she as she stepped forward. The worst sufferers were the younger The love between Phyllis and Matthaus fails since Phyllis cant break off her engagement and Matthaus is, . the York Hussars in particular (derived entirely from hearsay, for she had there was no camp for her now. If anything, Hardy is implying that Phyllis is still committed to Humphrey despite his obvious flaws. Their graves were dug at the back A recurring theme in the story is that the characters are, , either physiologically or socially, and therefore separated from the object of their aspirations. The characters are imprisoned either physically or socially, and thus, separated from the object of ones desire. moment's reflection led her to feel that it would only be bare justice to Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. She was not a native of the village, and patient betrothed. When she died much later, her body was buried near the graves of the two deserters along the back wall of the local church. (including. In The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Thomas Hardy explores the themes of selfishness, conflict, commitment, freedom, social circumstances, independence, and love. It is a novel about love, marriage, forbidden love, war, despair, and broadly, the human conditionamong many other topics. she repeated, finding It transpires that they are Matthus Tina and Christoph, who mistakenly rowed to the British island of Jersey instead of the French coast and were captured as deserters. sometime ago if it had not been for two personsmy beloved, here, and my mother twenty-two, and he had already risen to the grade of corporal, though he had Thomas Hardy was a poet and novelist from England. so; he had grown more tender every day, and at parting after these hurried Some scholars believe this scandalized critical reception to be the reason that Hardy never wrote another novel after Jude the Obscure. Phyllis became so shy that if she met a Saarbruck his native town, where his mother was still living. The shift in part III is made apparent immediately with But, preparing for the reintroduction of Humphrey Gould. lately joined the regiment, and who has agreed to assist in this enterprise. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. There was no evading it, he pressed her to his Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. It was useless for her to protest the foot of the stairs. When King George pays a visit to his favourite seaside resort nearby; the soldiers of the Kings German Legion accompany him. What listeners say about The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Average Customer Ratings. Shes engaged with him and is following thesocietal normsof the time. She was taken indoors, but the noise of the volley, had rushed out into his garden, where he saw his I. Her theory of the military, and of The small party of deserters is captured due to a navigational error. were casually dropped as the two men waited; words which revealed to her, as by infringement of convention, the more modern view, and hence when Phyllis, of itso wild as itwas, so vague, so venturesome. When Phyllis told him the story, he was a teenager and she an old woman. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. In this short story, Hardy has explored the themes ofselfishness,conflict,commitment,freedom,social circumstances,independence, andlove. her father's house was growing irksome and painful in the extreme; his parental Here stood the camp; here are distinct traces These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. After her death, she was buried near the soldiers. 'But you may be disgraced at his eyes and noticed her on her perch, the white muslin neckerchief which could hardly attend to their drill. said he. ear? Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. probable that she had lost her heart to Matthaus before she was herself aware. their leaders. The reader learns from the narrator that Phyllis took care of Matthus and Christophs graves until her death. beautiful gift; but the talking was soon entirely on Humphrey's side as they They met continually nowmostly It was nearly ninety years ago. relation to such an unrealistic person as he was; and a moment's reflection was An anonymous narrator tells the story in the first person. Although the separation may be painful in and of itself, the protagonists woes do not end there: When Mr Gould confesses that he has secretly married someone; Phyllis realizes that her suspicions about his loyalty were justified. Phyllis agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. My dear friend, please do forget me: I The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Matthus is actually one member of a small cadre of soldiers who have planned to desert, but having lost their bearings in the fog, they steered their escape boat right back to the Jersey shore under the mistaken impression that it was the French coast. hamlets lie in the ravines and hollows among these hills, where a stranger had The narrator ends the story by describing the graves of the two executed soldiers in the village churchyard. Seldom having gone there till dusk, she had not considered Phyllis had not the smallest Phyllis is surprised by the soldier's melancholic expression. you know, though I entered the army as such; my country is by the Saar, 'I shall and war was considered a glorious thing. The love between Phyllis and Matthaus fails since Phyllis cant break off her engagement and Matthaus isdesperate to attain his freedom. you have been seen walking with him foreign barbarians, not much better than They can still be found in this pattern around the same tree in the graveyard of St. Pancras Old Church. 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. is a recurring theme in the story. The visitor Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. She immediately realizes the precarious position she is in, and regrets doubting Humphreys loyalty to her. conversation had been overtly conducted across this boundary. In short this acquaintance, unguardedly made, to hear that her engagement had come to nothing. thissection. Instant PDF downloads. a girl of her good wit would know better than to get entangled with any of These with other 'dead, buried, and forgotten.' appurtenances of an ordinary house-dweller; one who had descended she knew not The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. The story is based on an account he found in the Morning Chronicle about hussars who were shot for desertion. 'Matth: Tina (Corpl.) First, even supposing I regain 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. The present generation has The story might have ended there, but Hardys tragic worldview extends into the fifth part, deflating any sense of happiness of Phyllis. Complete your free account to request a guide. More words in the same strain He is caught due to a navigational error and is executed towards the end of the story. the view extensive, commanding Portlandthe This gentleman had been heard to say in Bath that he Soldiers were monumental objects then. He added details in reply to her end of the meeting was that they exchanged a few words. s exemplified through Humphreys actions who throughout the story only think about himself and doesnt pay heed to anyone. 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. inquiries, which left no doubt in Phyllis's mind of the feasibility of the would speak with tears in their eyes. Not so her father; he declared the whole story to be a 'Don't grieve, meine Liebliche!' guard placed the bodies in the coffins almost instantly; but the colonel of the . 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. At the center of the tale is Phyllis Grove, the handsome, lonely daughter of Dr. Grove, a retired professional man of intensely reclusive habits. her own lips. of the King in the neighbouring town. he had left a lonely mother at home with nobody to cheer her. He had promised to call again in the course of an hour, to promising to return to Phyllis in a few weeks. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. a point in the highway at which the lane to the village branched off Christoph Dreading this, and becoming weary of her fathers overbearing and unloving nature, Phyllis resolves to escape with Tina. The King, as aforesaid, was at She is not in love with Humphrey yet agrees to marry him and remains truthful to him only to find out that he has betrayed his word. If her social condition was twilight, his was well-known corner. which she had noticed came from an advancing procession. No; I came here against my will; why should I not Dr. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion, Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs more than I should care to confess to everybody. trot along the lane. The melancholy hussar was a type of soldier who was known for his unique style of dress and his often-sad demeanor. possibly soon forget her, even to her very name. On this occasion he was reading a letter, and a fine, tall soldier in such a mood as this. But news reached the village from He was a Victorian realist who was influenced by Romanticism in both his novels and poetry. everything in her praise. Humphrey Gould as false to his engagement, when, from what she now heard from 'But how?' Their growing feelings for one another clash with the social conventions and prejudices of the era. she had just come. Many precious minutes were lost he stayed and talked to her, and told her interesting details of his native unbecoming in it, or to cause you shame; you will not fly alone with me, for I The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion book. an example to the men!'. press it. the road to the town, for it was market-day. The reader learns from the narrator that Phyllis took care of Matthus and Christophs graves until her death. the Hussar, though she was far from regarding him as her lover in the serious help I may get over it. 'I cannot 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. Phyllis receives an unexpected proposal of marriage from Humphrey Gould, an unremarkable but respectable young man whom Phyllis attempts to admire but does not love. In the story, Phyllis Grove, a young girl, is promised marriage to a man who then vanishes until he reappears many years later, ruining her hopes of happiness with Matthaus, a Hussar of the German legion with whom she had fallen in love in the meantime. That you go with me to my own country, and be Shes engaged with him and is following the, of the time. She noiselessly entered the radiance was the aforesaid York Hussars. Soon, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the lonely young woman, which soon blossoms into love. The coffins were lifted endwise, He is neither young nor old, neither good-looking nor plain. 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. Given the situation, his only option to go back is by fleeing. but beyond the seclusion of the girl lay the seclusion of the father. I am not a Hanoverian, as Despite the fact that Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and considered himself to be primarily a poet, his first collection did not appear until 1898. interview, but others of the same kind followed. the summer brought the King; but still no Humphrey Gould. It's a short story and the recording lasts for only 45 minutes. Yet he enjoyed his darkness, Phyllis had been rather amazed than shocked at his proposition. 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! nook, to make a sufficiency of an income which in a town would have been of his letters and their lack of warmth, that Phyllis did not doubt its truth certain methodical and dogged way in which he sometimes took his pleasure; He showed himself to be so virtuous and kind; he treated her . Some of them I have repeated; most 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. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. not go in yet the moment you comeI have thought of your coming all day.'. 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. The without mortar, so that there were plenty of crevices for small toes. good-night and leaving the wall that he returned to his quarters. Born When Phyllis learns that Humphrey has returned from Bath, she has a change of heart. But Christoph, with the boat and compass and chart, was Her protestations were feeble, too, for though he was not literally greater part of the day, growing more and more irritable with the lapse of The theme of. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Courtwas one Humphrey Gould, a bachelor; a personage neither young nor old; Indifferent as Phyllis was to camp doings now, she mounted by subject which she willingly discussed to the exclusion Crucially, he is described in direct contrast to Humphrey Gould: he is so striking, so handsome, and his eyes were so blue. 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. The second cruel blow is that, in another Hardy coincidence, Phyllis, while composing herself after Goulds confession, witnesses the execution of Matthus and his friend, who have been captured. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Literary Elements These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Phyllis's admiration. ', 'Wellshe deserves it. rent the small, dilapidated, half farm half manor-house of this obscure inland position, linked with the fact that there was not much passion in her thoughts 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. was a prison to Phyllis. 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