Villains In The Scarlet Pimpernel By Baroness Orczy

In the novel: The Scarlet Pimpernel, written by Baroness Orczy, a couple must come together to face a villain who threatens French aristocrats. It is just after the French Revolution, and the common people have taken France for their own. The French aristocrats, who have just suffered a major loss are being executed; at least 100 innocent men, women, and children are sent to Madam Guillotine daily. The Scarlet Pimpernel, a reverse British Robin Hood saves many of these innocents, which then leads to a call for his capture, and his main hunter is the villain, Chauvelin. Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife, Lady Marguerite Blakeney must face this villain together as the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel is revealed to be the loud, stupid, and yet

quietly intelligent, Sir Percy. In the Scarlet Pimpernel, a prevalent theme of the story is family comes first. This theme is represented in the book many times, such as when Lady Blakeney betrays the Scarlet Pimpernel in order to save her brother, Armand, and when she travels many miles and suffers many losses in order to help her husband, Sir Percy. The author’s main message is this: one’s family is something that one can’t change, and one has protect them at all costs, because that is what family is for.
This theme is first introduced when Marguerite betrays the Scarlet Pimpernel to Chauvelin in order to save her brother, Armand. Here, she explains the reason for her actions to Sir Percy. “Armand was all in all to me! We had no parents and brought one another up. He was my little father, and I his tiny mother; we loved one another so…. Percy! Armand is in deadly danger....(He) is hopelessly compromised...tomorrow, perhaps he will be arrested...after that the guillotine...oh! It is horrible...” (Orczy 127-128). Marguerite loved her brother so much that she was willing to do this horrible deed in order to save him, and it was probably one of the hardest, and yet, easiest things she had ever done. She didn’t know who the Scarlet Pimpernel was, so it was easy to make the sacrifice, because in her mind, her family comes first. Another similar case is when the Comte de Tournay’s family makes it to Britain without him. They are all happy to have made it, but also very upset having left him behind. Here, the Comtesse is speaking to Sir Andrew Ffoulkes and a few others after having just escaped from France. “But my husband, Monsieur...he is in such deadly peril - I would never have left him, only...there were my children...I was torn between my duty to him, and to them….But, oh! Now that I am here amongst you all - in this beautiful, free England - I think of him, flying for his life, hunted like a poor beast...in such peril...Ah! I should not have left him... I should not have left him!...” (Orczy 32-33). Even though most marriages in the upper class are arranged, one can see that the Comtesse does actually care about her husband. This might be because he is probably the only family she has left, besides her children, and she wants him to be safe, and family comes first.
This theme is improved through two more scenes from the book.

Even though Percy was very upset with Marguerite for her heinous actions, he still promises to help her brother, because she cares about him. “Faith, Madame, since it distresses you....for Armand, I pray you have no fear. I pledge you my word that he shall be safe...” (Orczy 130). Percy is still willing to help Marguerite, even though he thinks that what she did was wrong, because family comes first. Furthermore, even though the Comte de Tournay wanted to escape to Britain, he made his family go first and leave without him. Again, the Comtesse is speaking of her husband to Sir Andrew Ffoulkes and a few others.“(My children)...refused to go without me...and you and your friends assured me so solemnly that my husband would be safe.” Once again, family comes first. The Comte was willing to make the sacrifice, because his family’s lives were more important to him than his own, just like any other

parent.
The end of this novel only proves that family comes first when the next two scenes are played out. When Marguerite decides to go after Percy, she does it because she realizes that she really does care about him, contrary to her prior beliefs. “How could she (Marguerite) imagine that a man who could love with so much intensity as Percy Blakeney...could be the brainless idiot he chose to appear (as)?...But there was no time now to go over the past. By her own blindness she had sinned; now she must repay, not by empty remorse, but by prompt and useful action” (Orczy 151). Another example is when Percy forgives Marguerite for everything she did, including getting the Marquis de St. Cyr executed, and for betraying him in order to save her brother. “Percy… if only you knew…” said Marguerite. “I do know, dear...everything,” he said. “I have naught to forgive, sweetheart; your heroism, your devotion, which I, alas! So little deserved, and you have more than atoned for that unfortunate episode at the ball” (Orczy 246). This final statement made by Sir Percy really ties the whole family theme together, because he didn't have to forgive Marguerite. But he did, because that is what family is for.
As one can see, this theme of family can be found all over this novel, and it is rather hard to miss.

It can be seen when Lady Blakeney betrays the Scarlet Pimpernel in order to save her brother, Armand. Another example is when she travels many miles and suffers many losses in order to help her husband, Sir Percy. Remember that one’s family is something that one can’t change, and one has to protect them at all costs, because that is what family is for. During the reading of this amazing novel, the writer of this essay came to think of her own family, and wondering if she would do all of these selfless acts for them. The answer she came up with is: most likely, yes. Would the reader do the

same?