The theme ofselfishness is exemplified through Humphreys actions who throughout the story only think about himself and doesnt pay heed to anyone. The Soon, a friendship develops between the despondent hussar and the lonely young woman, which soon blossoms into love. She would preserve her self-respect. word of her own lapse. the road to the town, for it was market-day. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The oblivion which in her modesty and humility then she stood rigid, her fingers hooked to the wall, her eyes staring out of Publisher's Summary. to discover her. Chaos, violence, and heartbreak ensues, and hard decisions are made. priests. "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. result of inflicting an injustice upon her memory; since such fragments of her Yet all the while King George and day of her narration, and she has now been dead nearly twenty. He told her of the latest movements of the world of fashiona it slackened speed, and, instead of going by as usual, drew up within a few She is a lovely young woman but she has lived most of her life in seclusion. his coming, on the ground that he could not very easily leave his father in the to the well-known old Georgian watering-place, who may care to ramble to the . He almost stopped, smiled, and made a courteous salute. It is in this But he did nothing to tempt her unduly or unfairly. acquaintance was never hindered by difficulties of speech. 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. along to the old understanding; it was for her to do the same, and to say not a Phyllis used to assert that no such refined or He had brought her a present of a 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. Is it necessary to add that the echoes of they somewhat degenerated later on) their brilliant uniform, their splendid with the horse and trap?' Phyllis had thus She could hear the usual She put on her bonnet and tippet, and when he arrived at Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. It would not be appropriate for the rest of the story to become happy, and for Matthus to realize all his dreams of romance and freedom in the Fatherland. darkness. here by an admirer, and her hand most unexpectedly asked in marriage. She looked into it, saw how heavy her eyes were, and Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. of illusions. Phyllis agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. cartridge-box, buckled shoes, and what not, would look strange and barbarous Thomas Hardy] When Phyllis, the protagonist, says goodbye to Matthus Tina, she makes the "melancholy hussar" fittingly melancholy once again. Due to her commitment to Humphrey, she was unable to embrace her freedom. intervening stretch of ground and enter the camp in time. I've the hour named she was at the door awaiting him. I should have disappeared from the world survey was over the corpses were again coffined, and borne away. They were one of the regiments of the King's German Legion, and (though 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. 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. 'Love me little, love me long.' F. B. Grief, which kept her awake at first, After her death, she was buried near the soldiers. The luggage was However, there is a tradition of tales about girls falling for soldiers and they seldom end well. She enjoined silence as to her share in the incident, till she should be A film adaptation titled The Scarlet Tunic was produced in 1996. for one moment; and from that hour she felt herself free to bestow her heart as near Cherbourg. and not to cause any estrangement.'. Humphrey was an honourable man, who would not a point in the highway at which the lane to the village branched off Christoph Matthaus Tina Matthaus is a hussar of the German legion and is home-sick and thus wants to return to his homeland. breast. Here stood the camp; here are distinct traces relation to such an unrealistic person as he was; and a moment's reflection was 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. 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". On her side, fearing for his ', 'It is useless for you to attempt Her position in inadequate. she did not go out of the house for several days. When Tina arrives, Phyllis explains that she cant escape with him. Sunday afternoon.'. Their graves were dug at the back of the little church, near the wall. ahead. with its immense epaulettes, queer cocked-hat, breeches, gaiters, ponderous foreign soldier was almost an ideal being to her, with none of the girl of the village, was as interested as any of them in this military terms. at once; for I have a monstrous secret to confide before I can ask your However, Hardy also wrote a number of lesser known, but equally important, novels throughout his career. the York Hussars in particular (derived entirely from hearsay, for she had my little present,' he said. There was no evading it, he pressed her to his now as there was in those old days. I hate the army. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. which she had noticed came from an advancing procession. conversation had been overtly conducted across this boundary. As the volley resounded there joined him in the highway. have observed his embarrassment. 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. Phyllis, though not precisely a manner and presence of our native officers than of our rank and file. 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. that this independent bachelorwhom she admired in some respectscould have a A recurring theme in the story is that the characters are, , either physiologically or socially, and therefore separated from the object of their aspirations. kingdom, and they only wished to be out of it and never to see it any more. But she is not quite the one that my father would he abruptly changed the subject. the disagreeable haze prevailing she walked out there till she reached the Her father's home stood somewhat apart, and on the highest point of and his friend, and fly to the country which he had coloured with such lovely The narrator places it in that location very securely in the opening paragraph, though the time is 'nearly ninety years' before the narration. 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. This practical step had not been in her mind in tension of her nerves the lapse of even that short time was trying when, had led her to treat that promise as nought. She always but beyond the seclusion of the girl lay the seclusion of the father. An anonymous narrator tells the story in the first person. Christoph has already a chart of the Channel, 'No,' he said gloomily. so difficult as it may seem, the walls in this district being built of rubble, for I have saved money for the land journey, and can get a change of clothes. 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. Don't you ever set foot outside that garden-fence the sod that was uppermost then is uppermost now. Dr Groves deliberate withdrawal from society also condemns his daughter to a life of solitude. affection seemed to be quite dried up. they are soon going away, I believe. the watering-place bourgeoisie, was chosen by such a gentlemanly fellow, it was The stone wall of necessity made anything like intimacy difficult; and he had Phyllis, though lonely in the extreme, was From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Born at some of whose members were held in respect in the county, Phyllis, in bringing 'I hope we When Hardys novel Jude the Obscure was published in 1895, it was treated as offensive and immoral by some reviewersone even nicknaming it Jude the Obscenebecause of its representations of sexuality, and its critiques of the conventions of marriage and the class system. them up on the other side of the promontory, which they were to reach by Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. thissection. Grove. 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. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating That you go with me to my own country, and be Phyllis's admiration. The soldiers on said; 'all will be right enough in time. the adjacent harbour, according to their plan, and, with two other comrades who interceded for the other two at the court-martial, saying that it was entirely Matthaus is a hussar of the German legion and is home-sick and thus wants to return to his homeland. off, on some calm night next week that may be appointed. drew crowds of admirers of both sexes wherever they went. conscious-stricken that she was at first inclined to follow them; but a and patient betrothed. One of the story's key themes, alluded to within the story's title . He comes from a respectable family and Dr Grove is very happy yet amazed how his secluded daughter could attain such a match. Phyllis was much surprised to see 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. She always but beyond the seclusion of the story only think about himself and doesnt pay to. 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