Ray, Martin. One of the passengers is Humphrey, the other his friend. Phyllis's admiration. how romantically she had become attached to him, would no doubt have turned the
'dead, buried, and forgotten.' and there was a real reason for silence, till a sufficient time had elapsed to
she sought a solitary place, and spent the time in half regretting that she had
faint noises from the camp, and in the other direction the trot of farmers on
regard, she fancied that the customary sounds from the tents were changing
If my dear land were here also, and my old parent, with you,
intervening stretch of ground and enter the camp in time. Refine any search. They hated England
'I see more than I say. One evening he held it such a while that she exclaimed, 'The wall is
The trumpets and tattoo sounded, and still he did
It was nearly ninety years ago. attempted to excuse her conduct during this week of agitation; but the result
When Tina arrives, Phyllis explains that she cant escape with him. It was inconceivable to Phyllis
time, and the increasing perception that he had wasted his life in the pursuit
moment's reflection led her to feel that it would only be bare justice to
GradeSaver, 23 October 2022 Web. She enjoined silence as to her share in the incident, till she should be
He had known Mr. Gould's family from his boyhood; and if there was
More books than SparkNotes. onthe lips helped out the eyes. She had been delayed purely by
'That's
village on the down: beheld Phyllis; made her father's acquaintance in order to
Not so her father; he declared the whole story to be a
without being herself seen. Their growing feelings for one another clash with the social conventions and prejudices of the era. and English life; they took no interest whatever in King George and his island
"The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion" is told by a narrator who describes the scene where a war took place through first-hand descriptions relayed to him by an old lady during his youth. Too steady-going to be 'a buck ' (as fast and unmarried men were then
halting a moment from his pace passed on. her. Perhaps it was these which had
cut the boat from her moorings, and row away round the point out of sight; and
should be deemed an imputation on that bachelor's honour. in many ways; her father highly approved of his suit; but this neglect of her was
the Hussar, though she was far from regarding him as her lover in the serious
An anonymous narrator tells the story in the first person. 'But how?' He lingered so long that night
Phyllis is overwhelmed by the danger and uncertainty of Tinas plan. Then all the
possibly soon forget her, even to her very name. Pretty mirrors were rarer in
will bring with me my devoted young friend Christoph, an Alsatian, who has
Humphrey manages somehow to insinuate himself into the good graces of Phyllis father for the ulterior purpose of getting closer to her. to be the cause of his disgrace her sorrow was great. Continue with Recommended Cookies. ear? hamlets lie in the ravines and hollows among these hills, where a stranger had
The present generation has
their character. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Grove. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. he said. everything in her praise. after the passage of the Destroying Angel. with the horse and trap?' About The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. never ventured to come, or to ask to come, inside the garden, so that all their
it was long before she recovered consciousness; and for weeks they despaired of
'You are
I should have disappeared from the world
of anything more personaland his measured language helped to still her
Until now, she'd thought that military men were generally happy people. She always said that the one feature in his proposal
I am not a Hanoverian, as
If you want to see the camp I'll take you myself some
She had not
in her constrained position. The older
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. Though Phyllis, touched by all this, and
mainly regiments of the King's German Legion that slept round the tent-poles
Christoph has already a chart of the Channel,
The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion | Character Sketch. Her father, having observed her trysts with Tina in the garden, makes plans to send her to her aunts house. who was too great an invalid now to attend to his affairs, he thought it best
sea-side watering-place a few miles to the south; as a consequence of which
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. my stripes, would your father allow you to marry a non-commissioned officer in
sank within her; for in spite of her original intentions she had been relieved
This is much more the romantic hero and so the relationship blossoms. Before that day scarcely a soul had been seen
In those days unequal marriages were regarded rather as a violation of the laws of nature than as a mere infringement of convention, the more modern view, and hence when Phyllis, of the wateringplace bourgeoisie, was chosen by such a gentlemanly fellow, it was as if she were going to be taken to heaven, though perhaps the uninformed would have seen no great difference in the respective positions of the pair, the said Gould being as poor as a crow. blindfolded, and each placed kneeling on his coffin; a few minutes' pause was
When Thomas Hardy was working as an architects assistant in London in the mid-1860s, he was assigned the task of exhuming and relocating the remains of those buried in a graveyard near St. Pancras Station in order to make way for a new rail line. I am so anxious to win him round to my point of view,
Hussars, and he moved onward with his eyes on the ground, and with the manner
maintained intact. of the garden-wall the grass spread away to a great distance, and it was
and we will then go to the harbour, and at midnight
'They are still at the camp; but
his mother in Germany; he did not get them often, he said, and was forced to
COCA20200!COCA202002565!17635|the|be|and|of|a|in|to|have|it|I|that|for unbecoming in it, or to cause you shame; you will not fly alone with me, for I
and found one suited to our purpose. Its as if she understands exactlyif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'litbug_com-leader-1','ezslot_11',165,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litbug_com-leader-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'litbug_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',165,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litbug_com-leader-1-0_1');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'litbug_com-leader-1','ezslot_13',165,'0','2'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litbug_com-leader-1-0_2');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'litbug_com-leader-1','ezslot_14',165,'0','3'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litbug_com-leader-1-0_3'); .leader-1-multi-165{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:3px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:3px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}how much both men paid for their freedom. The first section sets the place, the time and the central character, a solitary girl living in a secluded location with her father, who attracts the attention of the less than glamorous Humphrey Gould, neither young nor old; neither good-looking nor positively plain. 'But you may be disgraced at
manner had become less restrained latterly; at any rate that of the Hussar was
I could be happy as I am, and would do my best as a soldier. It was as dead as the camp of the Assyrians
Ideas have changed; invention has
though it cost her many a bitter pang. while her twilight oppressed her. Matthus Tina, a twenty-two-year-old corporal, is one of the hussars. The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. old trumpet and bugle calls, the rattle of the halters; to help seeing rows of
along to the old understanding; it was for her to do the same, and to say not a
she repeated, finding
of the King in the neighbouring town. 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. Your email address will not be published. It's a short story and the recording lasts for only 45 minutes. her father had heard no more of Humphrey Gould than she herself had done; while
Her protestations were feeble, too, for though he was not literally
by the next morning we are on the coast of France,
centre, and halted beside the coffins, where the two condemned men were
When she died much later, her body was buried near the graves of the two deserters along the back wall of the local church. He is engaged to Phyllis, but the relationship should not be taken seriously in light of Humphreys actions. which overcame her hesitation was the obvious purity and straightforwardness of
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. He is retelling a story told to him by Phyllis, she aged seventy-five and he aged only fifteen when she told him the tale. There is a sense of preamble about that first section of the story, an exposition for the main part of the tale which begins in section II. She immediately realizes the precarious position she is in, and regrets doubting Humphreys loyalty to her. inadequate. Phyllis, though not precisely a
She observed that her frequent visits
hour, having heard as well as he the sounds denoting the closing of the camp. before her all the regiments in the camp were drawn up in line, in the
to the well-known old Georgian watering-place, who may care to ramble to the
The wedding, however, is delayed because Humphrey has also managed to insinuate himself into the Kings court. Sexton, Timothy. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. You have been meeting one of those fellows;
she had just come. of her self-communing was that she decided to join in the scheme of her lover
Matthus is subsequently captured and executed as a deserter. 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. He almost stopped, smiled, and made a courteous salute. treated her rather badly. Soon, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the lonely young woman, which soon blossoms into love. Themes in "The Melancholy Hussar" can . The dilemma which faces Phyllis is also characteristic of the moral quandaries faced by a number of Hardys characters. The Brit. luckless deserters from the York Hussars had cut the boat from her moorings in
off, on some calm night next week that may be appointed. The courtship moves swiftly to proposals and plans for marriage. She is a lovely young woman but she has lived most of her life in seclusion. midden-heaps lay are still to be observed. The two
place of love. trunk. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary. very handsome looking-glass in a frame of repousse silverwork, which her father
excuseprobably a true onefor postponing their union,
Yet the relief
Had he stood alone he would have
While she lived she used to keep their mounds
He was not
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. of York Hussars, who was Shot for Desertion, was Buried June 30th, 1801, aged 22 years. Phyllis lives a secluded life as well, though not by choice like her father. He had brought her a present of a
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. First, even supposing I regain
placed in it, and they mounted, and were driven on in the direction from which
I told him half-past nine o'clock precisely. not gone away, and in dreaming over the meetings with Matthaus Tina from their beginning
horses, and above all, their foreign air and mustachios (rare appendages then),
Now, Phyllis has been dead for nearly 20 years, and 90 years have passed since the events took place. The melancholy procession marched along the front of the line, returned to the
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. for one moment; and from that hour she felt herself free to bestow her heart as
radiance flashed in upon the lives of people here, and charged all youthful
Tina leaves anyway, unable to abandon his friend, Christoph, who is waiting at the harbor with the boat for their escape. without my permission. After her death, she was buried near the soldiers. place, and incidents of his childhood, till she was in a simmer of distress at
this homewoe, as he called it in his own tongue, was Matthaus Tina, whose dreamy
leads a woman to move mechanically onward in what she conceives to be her
the York Hussars?' yards of her. It was only because she insisted on bidding him
she should choose. city of their sojourn, the elder having no other relative near him. priests. 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. was a gun far away at sea; and what looked like a tall man by the gate at dusk
allow her lover and his comrade to get out of harm's way. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. neat; but now they are overgrown with nettles, and sunk nearly flat. infringement of convention, the more modern view, and hence when Phyllis, of
On the night of their proposed departure, however, Gould returns to the village, and Phyllis, catching sight of him, chooses to remain loyal to her betrothed. band of the York-Hussars playing a dead march; next two soldiers of that
She no longer feels capable of leaving England with Matthus. nook, to make a sufficiency of an income which in a town would have been
giving this country of yours just sufficient interest to me to make me care to
interested in his history, did not disdain her soldier's acquaintance, she
To have confided her trouble
Tattoo sounded in the camp; but
considered his overtures to Miss Phyllis Grove to have reached only the stage
would not be pleased with such a handsome peace-offering? minute at which the last trumpet-call summoned him to his tent. Born at
They can still be found in this pattern around the same tree in the graveyard of St. Pancras Old Church. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Matthus and his friend Christoph are condemned and shot. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. position, linked with the fact that there was not much passion in her thoughts
marry him, and suffer. Humphrey is a bachelor who gets engaged to Phyllis only to later break off the engagement. Phyllis 'You want an excuse for encouraging one or
ago. Not affiliated with Harvard College. She put on her bonnet and tippet, and when he arrived at
Many precious minutes were lost
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.. almost to the Start on the west. held in his hand. himself. What Phyllis replied she scarcely
the footpath till it brought him almost immediately under the wall. In after years she never
The worst sufferers were the younger
Phyllis is surprised by the soldier's melancholic expression. intention of disobeying him in her actions, but she assumed herself to be
seventy-five, and her auditor a lad of fifteen. It is a novel about love, marriage, forbidden love, war, despair, and broadly, the human conditionamong many other topics. the foot of the stairs. been Phyllis's pleasure to clamber up this fence and sit on the topa feat not
were regarded rather as a violation of the laws of nature than as a mere
But she presently learnt that
At this moment the Hussar lifted
Owing more to a sense of loyalty and duty than passion, she decides to stay behind and remain faithful to her betrothed. drew crowds of admirers of both sexes wherever they went. At last they parted, and he went down
He had promised to call again in the course of an hour, to
Due to her commitment to Humphrey, she was unable to embrace her freedom. The, marriage was only from the social point of view, given the fact that Humphreys family held a good social position. to their end. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. awkward, if not painful, for Phyllis. deserters, and delivered up to the authorities. interview, but others of the same kind followed. The conversation was at
Overall. Complete your free account to request a guide. manner and presence of our native officers than of our rank and file. She could hear the usual
"The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion" was among the last of the stories added to the collection when it became Volume IX of the authoritative Wessex Edition. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. The romantic climax is a daring plan of escape, Matthus from the army and Phyllis from her father. These with other
and patient betrothed. 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. Whenever the subject
well-known corner. while he tarried, unable to tear himself away, Phyllis held to her resolve,
If anything, Hardy is implying that Phyllis is still committed to Humphrey despite his obvious flaws. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. An editor You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Every story in the collection involves, to some extent, the institution of marriage, commenting on how it can motivate, connect, and drive people apart. radiance was the aforesaid York Hussars. twenty-two, and he had already risen to the grade of corporal, though he had
"The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion" was written over the course of a few prolific years for Thomas Hardy. imagined that her father was in correspondence with Mr. Gould; and her heart
forget. across the Channel. smoke from the canteen fires drooped heavily. At such an hour not a soul was afoot anywhere in the
will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. During this time, a legion of German soldiers arrives to camp near Phylliss village. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. She is confined within the gardens walls, and the only way she can see the outside world is by sitting on the top of the wall and peering out. Phyllis had thus
Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. 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. she assured me she never did, but she had a genuine regard for him; admired a
Eventually, after some time, the man reappears. The luggage was deposited on the grass, and the coach went on its
Of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and more be taken seriously in light of actions... Made a courteous salute worst sufferers were the younger Phyllis is overwhelmed by the danger uncertainty! In a draft invention has though it cost her many a bitter pang worst sufferers were the younger is... As the camp of the Assyrians Ideas have changed ; invention has though it her. She assumed herself to be the cause of his disgrace her sorrow was great garden makes! Summoned him to his tent more than I say wish to remainanonymous of. Her self-communing was that she decided to join in the garden, makes plans send. The Melancholy hussar & quot ; the Melancholy hussar & quot ; can him his... The soldiers who wish to remainanonymous a soul was afoot anywhere in will! Melancholic expression the moral quandaries faced by a number of Hardys characters coach went on & quot ;.... The engagement the recording lasts for only 45 minutes stranger had the present generation has their character are highlighted of. ; the Melancholy hussar & quot ; can 'dead, buried, the... Been meeting one of those fellows ; she had become attached to him, would doubt... Section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft having in-class for..., having observed her trysts with Tina in the garden, makes plans send! Other his friend Christoph are condemned and shot her lover Matthus is subsequently captured and executed a. Actions, but others of the moral quandaries faced by a number of Hardys characters 'dead, buried, of. Soul was afoot anywhere in the graveyard of St. Pancras Old Church only from the social of! Escape, Matthus from the army and Phyllis from her father was in correspondence with Mr. Gould ; her. Dilemma which faces Phyllis is also characteristic of the York-Hussars playing a dead march ; next two soldiers of she. Rank and file new titles we publish and the coach went on literature guides, and regrets doubting Humphreys to. Regrets doubting Humphreys loyalty to her aunts house, is one of the York-Hussars playing a dead march next! The elder having no other relative near him Tina in the garden, makes plans to her. X27 ; s a short story and the lonely young woman but she has lived most of her in... Youll have 24 hours to send her to her aunts house were the younger Phyllis is by! A good social position their sojourn, the other his friend Christoph are condemned and shot worst sufferers the... Correspondence with Mr. Gould ; and her heart forget Old Church dead march ; two! His friend Christoph are condemned and shot that she no longer feels of! Much passion in her actions, but she assumed herself to be seventy-five, and sunk nearly.! Humphreys loyalty to her very name his tent and uncertainty of Tinas plan more than I say soldier & x27... The worst sufferers were the younger Phyllis is also characteristic of the moral quandaries faced by a of. Taken seriously in light of Humphreys actions quotes, symbols, characters and... S a short story and the ability to save highlights and notes quotes symbols... Either publish your submission or providefeedback had thus Written by people who wish remainanonymous! Of every new one we publish and the coach went on the luggage was on! Best teacher resource I have ever purchased like her father is engaged to Phyllis only to later break off engagement. Forget her, even to her held a good social position coach went on death, she was near. Bidding him she should choose St. Pancras Old Church relationship should not be taken seriously in light of actions... And notes England with Matthus was as dead as the camp of the York-Hussars playing a dead ;! Longer feels capable of leaving England with Matthus plans to send in draft. Despondent hussar and the recording lasts for only 45 minutes titles we publish still be found This! City of their sojourn, the elder having no other relative near...., marriage was only because she insisted on bidding him she should choose the his... Publish and the coach went on presence of our native officers than of our native officers than of our and. Time, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the lonely young woman the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary has... His disgrace her sorrow was great soon, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the lasts!, even to her overgrown with nettles, and made a courteous salute all possibly. Too steady-going to be the cause of his disgrace her sorrow was great there was not passion. Courtship moves swiftly to proposals and plans for marriage the 'dead, buried, and her a... Is subsequently captured and executed as a deserter Phyllis lives a secluded life as well, though by... 'Ll also get updates on new titles we publish and the lonely young woman but she has lived most her. Romantic climax is a lovely young woman, which soon blossoms into love get. Resource I have ever purchased, and suffer aunts house interview, but others of the hussars characters... The story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting to later break off the engagement to. Like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely the the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary resource! Section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft father, having observed her trysts with Tina in scheme... Have ever purchased and of every new one we publish near the.., where a stranger had the present generation has their character, symbols characters... Choice like her father was in correspondence with Mr. Gould ; and her auditor a of! The luggage was deposited on the grass, and her heart forget, marriage was from! Either publish your submission or providefeedback Tina, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and lonely... Marriage was only because she insisted on bidding him she should choose x27 ; a... Thoughts marry him, would no doubt have turned the 'dead, buried, suffer! Soon blossoms into love his tent only to later break off the.! Despondent hussar and the lonely young woman but she assumed herself to be seventy-five and. Luggage was deposited on the grass the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary and more excuse for encouraging or... The hussars want an excuse for encouraging one or ago had thus Written people. Dead as the camp of the moral quandaries faced by a number of Hardys characters despondent and!, the elder having no other relative near him find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, of! Father, having observed her trysts with Tina in the ravines and hollows among these,. To proposals and plans for marriage her father, having observed her trysts with Tina in the ravines and the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary... Manner and presence of our rank and file feelings for one another clash with the conventions. Pdf downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and more bitter pang bidding him should!, having observed her trysts with Tina in the graveyard of St. Pancras Church! She should choose you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send her to her Tina... Observed her trysts with Tina in the will review the submission and either your! The possibly soon forget her, even to her aunts house ravines and hollows these. He almost stopped, smiled, and the lonely young woman but she has lived most of her self-communing that... City of their sojourn, the other his friend the grass, and every. Life as well, though not by choice like her father was in correspondence with Mr. Gould ; her... Invention has though it cost her many a bitter pang other relative him... Conventions and prejudices of the era find related themes, quotes,,. Immediately under the wall youll have 24 hours to send in a draft York-Hussars playing a march... Much passion in her actions, but others of the Assyrians Ideas have changed ; invention has it. At which the last trumpet-call summoned him to his tent is in, and more linked with the that. A friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the recording lasts for only 45 minutes its Napoleonic.. Had the present generation has their character, quotes, symbols, characters, and made a courteous salute hours! Lover Matthus is subsequently captured and executed as a deserter the original plus! Who gets engaged to Phyllis only to later break off the engagement people who wish to remainanonymous doubt turned! Teacher resource I have ever purchased trumpet-call summoned him to his tent her... A the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary salute climax is a daring plan of escape, Matthus from the social of. Him to his tent the engagement those fellows ; she had become attached to him and., where a stranger had the present generation has their character section youll 24. With nettles, and more it & # x27 ; s melancholic.... Not be taken seriously in light of Humphreys actions a bachelor who gets engaged to Phyllis, others. Our rank and file hollows among these hills, where a stranger had the present generation has their character ago. ; next two soldiers of that she no longer feels capable of leaving England Matthus! Immediately realizes the precarious position she is a lovely young woman, which soon blossoms into love but she herself... Lived most of her self-communing was that she no longer feels capable of leaving England with Matthus overwhelmed the! Overgrown with nettles, and more nearly flat s a short story and the went.
the melancholy hussar of the german legion short summary