Karl Swindlehurst Melancholy of the German Hussars

944 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Love in victorian literature

Karl Swindlehurst Melancholy of the German Hussars

I have currently been studying three short stories. The first of the

three short story’s The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is one

of seven stories from the “Wessex Tales” . The genre of this story

is generally based around love and issues and consequences related to

love, and also distresses the complications and coincidences within

the love story. The story itself has three main characters in which a

love triangle is formed. Phyllis, Humphrey and Mateus are the main

characters in which Phyllis was engaged to Humphrey through an agreed

marriage arranged by both Humphrey and her father. However that

engagement breaks down when Humphrey goes to Bath on a trip which

lasted longer than both Phyllis and her father had expected. In this

time Phyllis had meet a man named Mateus. Mateus was a corporal in

the German Hussars and both Mateus and Phyllis fall in love. The plot

is based around the love of Phyllis and Mateus and also how the plan

of Mateus going AWOL falling to pieces, and the build up to his death.

Mateus and Humphrey are entirely different to each other in a sense of

character looks, actions, and general attitude towards Phyllis. We

first get a description of Humphrey around line 56, “ Interests within

the Court - was one Humphrey Gould a bachelor a personage neither

young nor old; neither good-looking nor positively plain” The

description is detailed yet vague, it leaves very much to be desired,

“ neither young nor old” it’s very bland, imprecise James Hardy is

suggesting he is of middle age. In this short description we can

devise a brief image of Humphrey.

Around line 107 we are introduced with the interesting character of

Mateus. “ Her attention was arrested by a solitary figure walking

along the path” the introduction that James Hardy has chosen is

rather different to Humphrey maybe suggesting in an early stage in the

story that he is more important. “ It’s aspect was so striking, so

handsome, and his eyes were so blue and sad, abstracted.” The

description is of more beauty compared to Humphrey’s suggesting quite

obviously Mateus is the better looking man. The acquaintance of

Phyllis by both men were distinctively different. Humphrey approached

Dr. Grove Phyllis father for her hand in marriage, Humphrey having

come from a highly respected family Dr. Grove was overwhelmed, and saw

this as an great opportunity for his family. Mateus’ s meeting with

Phyllis differed to Humphreys. He was simply walking past and they

both noticed each other, on the whole a more romantic meeting.

Show More
Related

  • “The Spirit of 1914; Militarism, Myth and Mobilization in Germany” by Jeffery Verhey

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Spirit of 1914” gives a comprehensive examination of the opinions and feelings felt during the beginning of the Great War by the German people. This monograph goes into extensive detail on the complexity of the German nation’s reactions and response to the vast, “patriotic outbursts…which many contemporaries and historians categorized as “war enthusiasm.””(2) The content of the book also centers on how German unity was portrayed. “Conservative journals claimed that these crowds spoke for public opinion…what had transformed a materialistic, egotistical German “society” into an idealistic, fraternal, national German “community.””(231)Verhey challenges the myth that all Germans wanted to go to war in 1914 by methodically explaining each of the different regions, classes, and political parties’ reactions and responses. The argument of his work comes down to how well he is able to answer the questions of:

    Read More

  • The Disillusionment from Romantic Warfare in the Trenches of World War I

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    World War I is often regarded as the Great War. It was fought from 1914 until 1918 and it is considered to be the bloodiest war humankind has led so far. In merely four years a whole generation of young men was wiped out: approximately 16, 5 million lives were lost, even more were wounded, and the rest that had managed to survive was traumatized for life. One of the reasons why there were so many human casualties was the fact that World War I turned out to be the first trench warfare in history. The sense of permanent stalemate brought about great disillusionment from the romantic idea of warfare and the concept of the soldier was no more one/that of an honourable warrior but that of a victim.

    Read More

  • Victorian Sexuality in Stoker’s Dracula, LeFanu’s Carmilla, and Polidori’s Vampyre

    1689 Words  | 4 Pages

    Strongmore is described as alluring and seductive, making him appear as the sexual man that women of the Victorian Era tried to help to control their desires.Men were encouraged to repress their sexuality as well as women, and men who could not were permitted to see prostitutes.The young unmarried girl was the last person that a man should be seen with, but Strongmore violated this became a foil for young women desiring marriage.This story illustrated the fears of unrestrained sexuality and sedutive men who could ruin young girls, and both fears are embodied by Lord Strongmore.

    Read More

  • Christian Werthmuller's War Stories

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the beginning of history there has always been conflict and disagreement, which led to battle and confrontation. Ever since these hostilities have emerged, the problems that spark the conflicts and the battle itself have been illustrated in textbooks and plastered all over the internet, yet no one really takes the time to think of the many soldiers and people who risk their lives for our safety and freedom. To gain a tighter grasp on history and what these veterans have done for us, we interviewed army veteran, Christian Werthmuller, who participated in Black Operations, Operation Desert Storm, and the Iraq War.

    Read More

  • Fear and Hope in Marigolds

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    Not only does Collier use age to create depth of conflict, but she also uses Elizabeth’s attitude. The first conflict (the transition from childhood to adulthood) could stand by itself. If Collier had created an optimistic character it would not have allowed Elizabeth to have a struggle between fear and hope. By creating a pessimistic character, Collier shows that she is bitter and fearful. That is evident in her statement that her “hatred of [poverty] was still the vague, undirected restlessness of a zoo bred flamingo who knows that nature created him to fly free” (1).

    Read More

  • Franz Sigel: Battle Of Wilson's Creek

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is the story of Franz Sigel, a man from Germany that commanded both German and American forces. During the Civil War, he led troops supporting the Union. However, his blunders as a Commander caused the unfortunate repercussion of defeat. Notably, the battle of Wilson’s Creek was one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, and because of his actions on that day, his reputation was negatively impacted.

    Read More

  • Clarissa Dalloway

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel, Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway, a royal wife, shares almost similar views of the world with Septimus Warren Smith, a former soldier who fought in the World War I and now suffering from hallucination. These two characters share many things in common albeit the fact that they are not known to each other and they have not shared anything in their lifetimes. The novel is an in-depth “day-in-the-life” view of Mrs. Dalloway featuring what she thinks about her life, other people’s lives, her real feelings and the feelings of other people. She is told the story of a former World War I soldier and she takes her time to reflect in the man’s life and experiences. His life appears more like hers not in how they both live but their feelings, which is why I hold the view tha...

    Read More

  • Essay On All Quiet On The Western Front And Of The Horrors Of War

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many pieces of work display the assets that go along with war, and the works done by Erich Remarque in All Quiet On The Western Front and Francis Duggan with the poem Of the Horrors of War easily portrays the similarities and differences between the outlooks on war. All Quiet On The Western Front and Of the Horrors of War show the comparisons through skepticism and retribution, but displays the differences through the desire for peace. Disbelief and skepticism is evident in both works for there is mistrust between comrades and authority. In All Quiet On The Western Front, Tjaden holds a “special grudge against Himmelstoss, because of the way he educated him in the barracks… is still reserved and suspicious”, and the way he put another bedwetter with him

    Read More

  • The Presentation Of Relationships Within Three Short Stories By Thomas Hardy

    1509 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thomas Hardy considers the relationship between the two women and when they first meet and there is already a consistent amount of jealousy and competition between them.

    Read More

  • Essay On Cavalry In Ww1

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cavalry has been used for many years, including throughout the Civil War and World War 1. Through looking at the types of cavalry, the breeds of horses they used, and the success they had, one can see how important cavalry truly was to the Civil War. In addition, through exploring the uses of cavalry, the breeds of horses used, and the struggles that were faced, one can also learn of the difficulties cavalry experienced in World War 1.

    Read More

  • The Red Badge of Courage as a Naturalistic Work with Realistic Tendencies

    1669 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many characteristics in Crane’s novel that would more readily fit within the category of realism: the ordinariness of his characters, the use of dialect, the portrayal of protagonist Henry Fleming as a complex individual, the description of nature as disinterested in human affairs, and the positive ending of the story. Realism, often described as "slice of life" or "photographic" writing, attempts to portray life exactly as it is, without twisting it or reworking it to fit it into preconceived notions of what is appropriate or what is aesthetically pleasing. In this book, Crane relies on neither the oversimplified rationalism of classicist literature nor the emotional idealism of romantic prose. Instead, he offers realistic, believable characters with average abilities. The soldiers are presented neither as epic heroes nor as bloodthirsty killers; rather, their most noticeable trait is their overwhelming normalcy. The soldiers of Henry’s regiment curse, fight, and argue just like normal people. This down-to-earth, gritty, everyday style is characteristic of realism. A particular convention used by Crane in convincing the reader of his characters’ existence is dialect. The distinctive speech of the soldiers enhances the photographic effect of the novel, lending it authenticity. Another distinctive trait of realism is complexity of character – a trait readily evident in Henry Fleming. As he switches between cowardice and heroism, compassion and contempt, and optimism and pessimism, the reader observes that he is more than just a stereotype. He is a person with fears, hopes, dreams, and foibles.

    Read More

  • C. V. Wedgewood's Thirty Years War

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    Eccentric author C.V Wedgewood sought to inform readers about the Thirty Years War that dated from 1618 to 1648. This time was a barbaric time that was filled with famine, rape, and non-stop violence, in this war millions of people died yet it is not widely spoken of. In fact, Wedgewood states that the population went down 7 million in the country of Germany.

    Read More

  • Descriptive Essay: All Quiet On The Western Front

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    Today the fighting has gotten even more tough as the German Storm Troops try to cross into the trenches toward our line of defense. This so longer feels like fun and games anymore. The constant sound of the artillery fire keeps you awake at night along with the mud and cold of the winter keeps us awake all night. Plus the rats. This morning we came across a body that was being feasted on by the giant rats who grow fat from eating the corpses. We try to take shots at them when we can, just to get some target practice.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest Marriage Theme Analysis

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both Algernon and Jack assume the identity of "Ernest" yet ironically, they both plan on starting their married life with a lie. Lady Bracknell represents the typical aristocrat who focuses the idea of marriage on social and economic status. She believes that if the men trying to marry these girls are not of proper background, there is to be no engagement. Through this major exaggeration, Wilde satirically reveals the irrational and insignificant matters that the upper class society uses to view

    Read More

  • Franco-Prussian War Essay

    2007 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Napoleon I had smashed through the German states with ease during the Napoleonic wars. Now a generation later, the roles would be reversed. Even though the war was a short duration, it dramatically changed European history.” The year of 1870 marked as the start of a war that changed the outlook of history as we know it today. This time period from 1870-1871 was known as the Franco-Prussian War, and there were many leading causes and events that took place for a bizarre and wild finish to what would be the beginning of an era for World War I.

    Read More

More about Karl Swindlehurst Melancholy of the German Hussars

Open Document