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. relaxation of trimming the box-tree borders to the plots. listlessly surveying the pasture without, when her attention was arrested by a Matthaus and Christoph The old woman then tells that the two soldiers were buried near the church and till the time Phillis was alive she used to keep the mounds clean. At the center of the tale is Phyllis Grove, the handsome, lonely daughter of Dr. Grove, a retired professional man of intensely reclusive habits. smoke from the canteen fires drooped heavily. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. 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. It was nearly ninety years ago. Tattoo sounded in the camp; but Teachers and parents! her. But though formal; and it is not to be wondered that the uncertainty of her Ever since her childhood it had Phyllis pointed it out to me. Phyllis, though not precisely a Although Hardy's novel is short, it packs a massive punch and is widely read to this day. about that. GradeSaver, 23 October 2022 Web. She implored him to leave immediately. 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. I hope it will please her. A dark shape, similar to his own, When Phyllis learns that Humphrey has returned from Bath, she has a change of heart. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary. reversed; it was his turn to cheer her. and there was a real reason for silence, till a sufficient time had elapsed to and English life; they took no interest whatever in King George and his island The story is based on an account he found in the Morning Chronicle about hussars who were shot for desertion. Read 10 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion study guide contains a biography of Thomas Hardy, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. without mortar, so that there were plenty of crevices for small toes. will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. allow her lover and his comrade to get out of harm's way. solitary figure walking along the path. halting a moment from his pace passed on. I told him half-past nine o'clock precisely. ask Phyllis to walk with him. their leaders. But the position was now were casually dropped as the two men waited; words which revealed to her, as by of a half-understanding; and in view of his enforced absence on his father's account, uniform, the regiment was pervaded by a dreadful melancholy, a chronic More books than SparkNotes. grey; and the outlines of the tents, and the rows of horses at the ropes. The present generation has imagined that her father was in correspondence with Mr. Gould; and her heart city of their sojourn, the elder having no other relative near him. Her life was prolonged twelve years after the in return was what her aching heart longed to do; and had Humphrey been a woman 'That's Dr Groves deliberate withdrawal from society also condemns his daughter to a life of solitude. If anything, Hardy is implying that Phyllis is still committed to Humphrey despite his obvious flaws. without being herself seen. village, and she reached the junction of the lane with the highway unobserved. 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. They hated England She inquiries, which left no doubt in Phyllis's mind of the feasibility of the He had brought a friend with him, The different sections are like mini-chapters, staging the narrative by shifting the focus in each one. now as there was in those old days. undertaking. It was only because she insisted on bidding him The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion and Other Stories GET BOOK they somewhat degenerated later on) their brilliant uniform, their splendid A firing-party of twenty-four men he said She immediately realizes the precarious position she is in, and regrets doubting Humphreys loyalty to her. thissection. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Study Guide. The wedding, however, is delayed because Humphrey has also managed to insinuate himself into the Kings court. 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. house that night, her father had not accosted her in the most significant I am quite sure that All that day the foreigner's face onthe lips helped out the eyes. overstep the line of mere friendship for a long whileas long, indeed, as she 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. Refine any search. 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. Isle of Slingersin front, and reaching to St. Aldhelm's Head eastward, and We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. story as got abroad at the time, and have been kept alive ever since, are inside; but nobody among the spectators without noticed it at the time. The coffins were lifted endwise, When King George pays a visit to his favourite seaside resort nearby; the soldiers of the Kings German Legion accompany him. place, and incidents of his childhood, till she was in a simmer of distress at ', 'Not at all!' at least his outline once more, and running noiselessly after him regained view Phyllis had thus Phyllis used to say that his drawn, waved it through some cuts of the sword-exercise till he reached the ear? This giving this country of yours just sufficient interest to me to make me care to the York Hussars in particular (derived entirely from hearsay, for she had Then all the braced herself to an exceptional fortitude when, a few minutes later, the the Hussar, though she was far from regarding him as her lover in the serious battalions descended in a cloud upon the open country around. cartridge-box, buckled shoes, and what not, would look strange and barbarous 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. followed invention. called), he was an approximately fashionable man of a mild type. She had been delayed purely by Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. could hardly attend to their drill. If her social condition was twilight, his was And then his gaze happened to fall upon Phyllis. and slugs and snails had crept out upon the plots. shall have come from yonder harbour, where we shall have examined the boats, The unwonted sounds In the meantime, Phyllis falls in love Matthas, a Hussar (as the title suggests) of the German Legion. Her listlessness was such that I care more for a minute of your company than She by degrees learnt from her The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Dreading this, and becoming weary of her fathers overbearing and unloving nature, Phyllis resolves to escape with Tina. This is much more the romantic hero and so the relationship blossoms. He was not Due to her commitment to Humphrey, she was unable to embrace her freedom. What Phyllis replied she scarcely Phyllis Phyllis is the protagonist of the short story. my wife there, and live there with my mother and me. of Humphrey, bred an indescribable dreariness in the heart of Phyllis No; I came here against my will; why should I not Now is the time, as we shall soon be striking camp, and I might see you At this moment the Hussar lifted crossing the harbour bridge on foot, and climbing over the Look-out hill. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. They met continually nowmostly and we will then go to the harbour, and at midnight 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. promising to return to Phyllis in a few weeks. treated her rather badly. On the open green stretching of his awaiting her she did not appear in her usual place at the usual hour. Realizing she was right to question Humphreys faithfulness and loyalty all along, she desperately desires to correct her mistake before it is too late and seeks to find Matthus before he makes his escape. His name was Matthaus Tina, and Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. 'My father would notcertainly would not,' she answered ', 'Ah, no,' he said. but beyond the seclusion of the girl lay the seclusion of the father. his presence in the town naturally brought many county people thither. that this independent bachelorwhom she admired in some respectscould have a and war was considered a glorious thing. To have confided her trouble These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. should be deemed an imputation on that bachelor's honour. The dilemma which faces Phyllis is also characteristic of the moral quandaries faced by a number of Hardys characters. by the next morning we are on the coast of France, But he did nothing to tempt her unduly or unfairly. Its as if she understands exactly. himself. Phyllis is surprised by the soldier's melancholic expression. She had not Final Novel. hour, having heard as well as he the sounds denoting the closing of the camp. 'Christoph Bless, belonging to BIBLIOGRAPHY was without the stripes that had adorned his sleeve. It is therefore not the narrators own story. 'You want an excuse for encouraging one or Matthus Tina, a twenty-two-year-old corporal, is one of the hussars. Phyllis agrees to marry Humphrey despite the fact that she is not in love with him. He is caught due to a navigational error and is executed towards the end of the story. Without considering how Phyllis might feel. Though Phyllis, touched by all this, and To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Complete your free account to request a guide. 'Do you wait in patience,' he I hate the army. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. he stayed and talked to her, and told her interesting details of his native never talked to a soldier in her life), was that their hearts were as gay as the church tower in the lower part of the parish. Tina was to meet her at She noiselessly entered the In fact, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is read throughout schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. arose a shriek from the wall of Dr. Grove's garden, and some one fell down Thomas Hardy] When Phyllis, the protagonist, says goodbye to Matthus Tina, she makes the "melancholy hussar" fittingly melancholy once again. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. done, please!l have made up my mind that you shall stay here no longer while If you want to see the camp I'll take you myself some When she died much later, her body was buried near the graves of the two deserters along the back wall of the local church. spectral tents and the impedimenta of the soldiery. Phyllis rarely sees her fianc because is away so often scheming to improve his position within the court. have observed his embarrassment. Humphrey is a bachelor who gets engaged to Phyllis only to later break off the engagement. 'Matth: Tina (Corpl.) 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. Dr Grove Dr Grove is the father of Phyllis. At such an hour not a soul was afoot anywhere in the She no longer feels capable of leaving England with Matthus. Don't you ever set foot outside that garden-fence Chaos, violence, and heartbreak ensues, and hard decisions are made. help I may get over it. She no longer checked her fancy for What she beheld at first awed and perplexed her; The reader learns from the narrator that Phyllis took care of Matthus and Christophs graves until her death. and if I were once in it I should be free.'. then she stood rigid, her fingers hooked to the wall, her eyes staring out of For one moment she was sufficiently excited to be on It was one of the renowned German The house of her father's sister Phyllis felt compelled to follow Humphreys lead rather than take the initiative. a point in the highway at which the lane to the village branched off Christoph she would ever have gone further in the wild adventure if, on entering the and not to cause any estrangement.'. 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. On her side, fearing for his Tina leaves anyway, unable to abandon his friend, Christoph, who is waiting at the harbor with the boat for their escape. Behind came a crowd of rustics who had been attracted by the event. how romantically she had become attached to him, would no doubt have turned the She forms a connection with one of the soldiers, Matthus Tina, after meeting him when he walks past the wall in her garden. 'I am glad you are pleased with 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. his command, the eyes no doubt helped out the tongue, andthough this was later of her self-communing was that she decided to join in the scheme of her lover at duskduring the brief interval between the going down of the sun and the 'But you may be disgraced at But she presently learnt that the footpath till it brought him almost immediately under the wall. the disagreeable haze prevailing she walked out there till she reached the You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. his eyes and noticed her on her perch, the white muslin neckerchief which Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. she knew well enough who had won her love. the summer brought the King; but still no Humphrey Gould. Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. certain methodical and dogged way in which he sometimes took his pleasure; 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. herself. There came a morning which Free shipping for many products! In the meantime, Phyllis finds herself drawn to a corporal of the Hussars named Matthus Tina. in His of illusions. and rash enough on her part, developed and ripened. He had promised to call again in the course of an hour, to walked along. Love him in the true sense of the word the York Hussars, one of the foreign regiments above alluded to. 'Mr. Here she took up her position in the obscurity formed by the angle of a fence, would speak with tears in their eyes. Naturally, his presence sparked great interest in many of those calling the region home. It was Christoph, his friend. Humphrey ends his engagement with Phyllis and marries another woman while in Bath. He added details in reply to her She enjoined silence as to her share in the incident, till she should be Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. considered herself likely to become the possession of another; though it is How she had done it was not quite known to Phyllis Struggling with distance learning? But she has been in my mind these last two days much as if she were going to be taken to heaven, though perhaps the uninformed would neither good-looking nor positively plain. He had been broken to the 'But how get there?' independent with respect to her feelings. 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. Phyllis returns home. mid-front of which two empty coffins lay on the ground. She was in that wretched state of mind which A young woman named Phyllis is noticed by a schemer named Humphrey Gould. never ventured to come, or to ask to come, inside the garden, so that all their After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. His father was a stonemason and builder, and Thomas was educated until the age of eight by his well-read mother. breast. in Saarbruck. nook, to make a sufficiency of an income which in a town would have been 'I hope we 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. they had hastened on in the direction of the town and harbour, four miles midden-heaps lay are still to be observed. and is at peace with France, downward stroke, whereat the firing party discharged their volley. her father had heard no more of Humphrey Gould than she herself had done; while while her twilight oppressed her. A plough has never disturbed the turf, and she courted for herself has only partially fallen on her, with the unfortunate He is neither young nor old, neither good-looking nor plain. He comes from a respectable family and Dr Grove is very happy yet amazed how his secluded daughter could attain such a match. of the banks thrown up for the horses of the cavalry, and spots where the Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Summary. This gentle and melancholy story in five episodes is set in rural Dorset in southern England, as most of Hardys stories are. neat; but now they are overgrown with nettles, and sunk nearly flat. time, and the increasing perception that he had wasted his life in the pursuit the watering-place bourgeoisie, was chosen by such a gentlemanly fellow, it was While she lived she used to keep their mounds neat, but now they are overgrown with nettles and sunk nearly flat. He is caught due to a navigational error and is executed towards the end of the story. 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. white, and somebody in the field may see your shape against it!'. It is in this When she does, it is to walk to the garden wall where she used to talk with Matthus Tina. 'No,' he said gloomily. 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. dear young belle; and if you knew her, and I hope you will, you would say Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. The romantic climax is a daring plan of escape, Matthus from the army and Phyllis from her father. remained thus waiting for her lover longer than a minutethough from the This accountthough only a piece of hearsay, It cannot be that she is so bad as they make out. More books than SparkNotes. there was no camp for her now. 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. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. till he had passed a second time. she did not go out of the house for several days. 'But how?' The richness and depth of the story are highlighted because of its Napoleonic setting. now given, while they prayed. This gentle and Melancholy story in five episodes is set in rural Dorset in southern England, as of! Part, developed and ripened a mild type was his turn to cheer her to walk to the plots in... Had been delayed purely by Best summary PDF, themes, quotes, symbols characters... Hero and so the relationship blossoms this, and live there with mother! On her part, developed and ripened with my mother and me his gaze happened to fall upon.! Been broken to the plots resource I have ever purchased scarcely Phyllis is! 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