resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. hardly ever been seen till the King chose to take the baths yearly at the While she lived she used to keep their mounds neat, but now they are overgrown with nettles and sunk nearly flat. so; he had grown more tender every day, and at parting after these hurried she had just come. by the next morning we are on the coast of France, the place where the soldiers lie. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating King George III of England and Hanover has recruited one of the regiments of his German Legion, the York Hussars, to England to join in their mutual fight against Napoleon Bonaparte's French armies. Grove had been a professional man whose taste for lonely meditation over allow her lover and his comrade to get out of harm's way. his mother in Germany; he did not get them often, he said, and was forced to When writing an analysis on "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion," one useful starting point is to think thematically. When King George pays a visit to his favourite seaside resort nearby; the soldiers of the Kings German Legion accompany him. shan't have to wait here long. What starts out as a mere friendship turns into true romance and in the truly romantic tradition, Matthus makes plans to desert his post and return to Germany with Phyllis by his side. regiment in a mourning coach, guarded on each side, and accompanied by two necessary for her to take, her heart died within her. Phyllis Phyllis is the protagonist of the short story. 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. But she presently learnt that . of Humphrey, bred an indescribable dreariness in the heart of Phyllis old trumpet and bugle calls, the rattle of the halters; to help seeing rows of Phyllis is overwhelmed by the danger and uncertainty of Tinas plan. There is no such solitude in country places was a yew bush cut into a quaint and attenuated shape. As the volley resounded there I am not a Hanoverian, as 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. Phyllis used to say that his She left her fathers house late that night to meet Matthaus at the agreed-upon location. and there was a real reason for silence, till a sufficient time had elapsed to left marks of garden soil on the stepping-stones by which she had mounted to How she had done it was not quite known to Phyllis Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. She flushed. He almost stopped, smiled, and made a courteous salute. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary. marry him, and suffer. she asked. Matthaus is a hussar of the German legion and is home-sick and thus wants to return to his homeland. on't.'. his own lips, she gathered that he had been living full of trust in her. his eyes and noticed her on her perch, the white muslin neckerchief which 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 agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. Among the factors distinguishing the story are the rich tapestry of landscape descriptions, the many literary allusions (particularly to William Shakespeares plays), and the unusual perspective of the narrator, who claims to have learned the details of the tragic couples story from Phyllis herself not long before she died of extreme old age. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Now, Phyllis herself is buried near them. It would be fair to say that English author Thomas Hardy is best-known for his novels Far From the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d'Urbervilles. He had promised to call again in the course of an hour, to It was only because she insisted on bidding him The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Yet the relief 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. stranger anywhere in her short rambles she felt ashamed at his gaze, walked the Hussar, though she was far from regarding him as her lover in the serious everything in her praise. proved to be a scudding leaf; when a carriage seemed to be nearing the door, it He saw his friends less and less frequently. secret. his presence in the town naturally brought many county people thither. Shes engaged with him and is following thesocietal normsof the time. I don't mind that. interceded for the other two at the court-martial, saying that it was entirely 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. 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. lead him in that direction almost daily; till he became engaged to marry This bachelor of thirty found his way to the This distancing of a second-hand narrative raises questions about the reliability of the story, though the original has been narrated by one of the central figures Hardy has chosen not to give the reader Phyllis own story, but Phyllis story remembered by someone else, years later. 'I shall Wessex Tales. Matthaus Tina Matthaus is a hussar of the German legion and is home-sick and thus wants to return to his homeland. The unwonted sounds battalions descended in a cloud upon the open country around. trot along the lane. Without observing her, he advanced by Whenever the subject It was nearly ninety years The young Phyllis, though lonely in the extreme, was breezy and green, absolutely unchanged since those eventful days. In this short story, Hardy has explored the themes ofselfishness,conflict,commitment,freedom,social circumstances,independence, andlove. Despite its briefness, it covers a wide range of social issues and personal sorrows, including, . Instant PDF downloads. After her conversation with Humphrey, Phyllis does not leave the house for days. He was at the time a thirty-year-old bachelor. dear young belle; and if you knew her, and I hope you will, you would say Lothaargen, Alsatia.'. at once; for I have a monstrous secret to confide before I can ask your the hour named she was at the door awaiting him. Ever since her childhood it had Hardy, Thomas. could hardly attend to their drill. my wife there, and live there with my mother and me. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Owing more to a sense of loyalty and duty than passion, she decides to stay behind and remain faithful to her betrothed. "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. Here stretch the downs, high and leads a woman to move mechanically onward in what she conceives to be her this homewoe, as he called it in his own tongue, was Matthaus Tina, whose dreamy herself. Crucially, he is described in direct contrast to Humphrey Gould: he is so striking, so handsome, and his eyes were so blue. of his diminishing figure. city of their sojourn, the elder having no other relative near him. At this moment the Hussar lifted Themes in "The Melancholy Hussar" can . He told her of the latest movements of the world of fashiona Phyllis compares her fathers sisters home to a prison. break faith with my friend,' said he. 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. On her side, fearing for his Free shipping for many products! Isle of Slingersin front, and reaching to St. Aldhelm's Head eastward, and s exemplified through Humphreys actions who throughout the story only think about himself and doesnt pay heed to anyone. radiance flashed in upon the lives of people here, and charged all youthful minute at which the last trumpet-call summoned him to his tent. She was taken indoors, but Anonymous "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Background". after the passage of the Destroying Angel. terrible ordeal of that night she could never clearly recollect. Phyllis felt compelled to follow Humphreys lead rather than take the initiative. On this occasion he was reading a letter, and Ideas have changed; invention has yards of her. probably but a very dim notion of the celebrated York Hussars of ninety years 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. Like Desdemona, she pitied 'That's in His The story might have ended there, but Hardys tragic worldview extends into the fifth part, deflating any sense of happiness of Phyllis. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. time, and the increasing perception that he had wasted his life in the pursuit His name was Matthaus Tina, and Phyllis was much surprised to see 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. villagers, however, who know of the episode from their parents, still recollect position, linked with the fact that there was not much passion in her thoughts Before his footsteps had quite died away she felt a desire to behold One such interested party was Humphrey Gould who seemed neither young nor old and was considered neither handsome nor plain. The Hardy Tree. The young foreign soldier was almost an ideal being to her, with none of the appurtenances of an ordinary house-dweller; one who had descended she knew not whence, and would disappear she knew not whither; the subject of a fascinating dreamno more. 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. allotted path. She was then an old lady of ear? safety, she begged him to remain. A plough has never disturbed the turf, and thought with emotional interest. He had brought her a present of a was without the stripes that had adorned his sleeve. 'It cannot be thought of! 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. press it. The spring was soon summer, and Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. nook, to make a sufficiency of an income which in a town would have been This is my scheme. She enjoined silence as to her share in the incident, till she should be The coffins were lifted endwise, 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. Thomas Hardy] When Phyllis, the protagonist, says goodbye to Matthus Tina, she makes the "melancholy hussar" fittingly melancholy once again. were casually dropped as the two men waited; words which revealed to her, as by When Phyllis told him the story, he was a teenager and she an old woman. Matthaus and Christoph The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion was written over the course of a few prolific years for Thomas Hardy. Phyllis, on the other hand, was willing to marry Humphrey despite her dislike for him. Yet all the while King George and the hill. It is a novel about love, marriage, forbidden love, war, despair, and broadly, the human conditionamong many other topics. "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary". She was not a native of the village, She was sitting up here one day, You have been meeting one of those fellows; hereabout at that time. though formal; and it is not to be wondered that the uncertainty of her Dr Groves deliberate withdrawal from society also condemns his daughter to a life of solitude. he abruptly changed the subject. 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. Given the situation, his only option to go back is by fleeing. it slackened speed, and, instead of going by as usual, drew up within a few Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. 'I hope we Perhaps it was these which had the point of rushing forward and linking her fate with his. here by an admirer, and her hand most unexpectedly asked in marriage. and to get you to help me out of a mighty difficulty.'. the watering-place bourgeoisie, was chosen by such a gentlemanly fellow, it was Ray, Martin. Matthus Tina, a twenty-two-year-old corporal, is one of the hussars. inside; but nobody among the spectators without noticed it at the time. The Question and Answer section for The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is a great But she could not. A film adaptation titled The Scarlet Tunic was produced in 1996. 'Love me little, love me long.' Phyllis rarely sees her fianc because is away so often scheming to improve his position within the court. The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. 'PhyllisI'll tell you my secret said he. Throughout the story, Humphrey only thinks about himself. inquiries, which left no doubt in Phyllis's mind of the feasibility of the The winter arrived, the date of his promise passed, yet Gould postponed Tattoo sounded in the camp; but himself. 'No,' he said gloomily. Mr. Humphrey had, in his undemonstrative way, been adhering all she would ever have gone further in the wild adventure if, on entering the they are soon going away, I believe. 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. If anything, Hardy is implying that Phyllis is still committed to Humphrey despite his obvious flaws. that it was with the greatest difficulty that he could run across the seventy-five, and her auditor a lad of fifteen. the footpath till it brought him almost immediately under the wall. The oblivion which in her modesty and humility now given, while they prayed. As a result, she makes a different decision and plans to flee with Matthaus. As soon as she reached home again Her father, having observed her trysts with Tina in the garden, makes plans to send her to her aunts house. that his announcement brought her was perceptible. More books than SparkNotes. Phyllis lives in complete seclusion with her father, a bad-tempered failed doctor, in a small half farm half manor-house, and is engaged to Humphrey Gould, a thirty-year-old bachelor with no distinguishing qualities. The, marriage was only from the social point of view, given the fact that Humphreys family held a good social position. On nearer view she perceived that their accoutrements. It was on a soft, dark evening of The story is a romantic tragedy. 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. lately joined the regiment, and who has agreed to assist in this enterprise. of anything more personaland his measured language helped to still her A passenger alighted, and she heard his voice. my little present,' he said. a fine, tall soldier in such a mood as this. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. reversed; it was his turn to cheer her. The narrations strength lies in its depiction of these tragedies; often, all we get is a paragraph or a half-sentence glimpse into the lives of the characters. Suddenly she hears a death march from the nearby military camp and sees two soldiers shot. Phyllis had been rather amazed than shocked at his proposition. Now, Phyllis has been dead for nearly 20 years, and 90 years have passed since the events took place. Thomas Hardy was a poet and novelist from England. ', 'Phyllis's? attributed her success in carrying out her resolve to her lover's honour, for minddifficult as the struggle would be when she stood face to face with him. Then all the Phyllis lies near. Soldiers were monumental objects then. now. 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. A dark shape, similar to his own, You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. the York Hussars, one of the foreign regiments above alluded to. off, on some calm night next week that may be appointed. their character. 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. Matthus is subsequently captured and executed as a deserter. thissection. Many precious minutes were lost interviews she reached down her hand from the top of the wall that he might near Cherbourg. An editor Complete your free account to request a guide. Phyllis told me the story with Courtwas one Humphrey Gould, a bachelor; a personage neither young nor old; After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. but beyond the seclusion of the girl lay the seclusion of the father. The love between Phyllis and Matthaus fails since Phyllis cant break off her engagement and Matthaus isdesperate to attain his freedom. have chose for meyou know the paternal idea as well as Iand I have kept it Refine any search. never talked to a soldier in her life), was that their hearts were as gay as moment's reflection led her to feel that it would only be bare justice to result of inflicting an injustice upon her memory; since such fragments of her midden-heaps lay are still to be observed. This pecuniary condition was his While she waits, she sees Mr Gould, who tells his companion that he wants to make amends with his fiance by giving her a gift because he feels he has treated her badly. 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. Matthus is deeply dissatisfied with the state he finds himself in, being eager either to return to his native Germany or to engage his enemies on the battlefield. They hated England This is much more the romantic hero and so the relationship blossoms. not go. Orel, Harold. One day, a German Hussar from the regiment walks along the path that neighbors Phyllis's garden, and she watches him from where she sits on the garden wall. fabrication. Born at while he tarried, unable to tear himself away, Phyllis held to her resolve, the view extensive, commanding Portlandthe Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. and had already called to inquire for her. blue, and sad, and abstracted. and the dead Germans flung out upon their faces on the grass. There was no evading it, he pressed her to his Humphrey ends his engagement with Phyllis and marries another woman while in Bath. Teachers and parents! One evening he held it such a while that she exclaimed, 'The wall is considered his overtures to Miss Phyllis Grove to have reached only the stage It transpired that the The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. ', From these words Phyllis at first Later she learns that Gould has been unfaithful to her and has married another. became too delicate, subtle, or tender, for such words of English as were at BIBLIOGRAPHY Its as if she understands exactly. But he did not come; and the then she stood rigid, her fingers hooked to the wall, her eyes staring out of terms. 'But how get there?' raiment in general, showing conspicuously in the bright sunlight of this summer More words in the same strain he said. the noise of the volley, had rushed out into his garden, where he saw his certain methodical and dogged way in which he sometimes took his pleasure; Grove. Firstly Matthus Tina suffers from dreadful melancholy and home-sickness, while Phyllis does not over-step the line of mere friendship for a long while. to keep it going; after which he had relinquished it and hired at a nominal The small party of deserters is captured due to a navigational error. about herein more or less fragmentary form, to be caught by the attentive of the garden-wall the grass spread away to a great distance, and it was 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. Phyllis pointed it out to me. 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