Karl Swindlehurst Melancholy of the German Hussars :: English Literature

Karl Swindlehurst mourning of the German HussarsI have currently been studying three short stories. The first of thethree short yarns The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is oneof seven stories from the Wessex Tales . The genre of this storyis generally based around love and issues and consequences related tolove, and also distresses the complications and coincidences withinthe love story. The story itself has three main characters in which alove triangle is formed. Phyllis, Humphrey and Mateus are the maincharacters in which Phyllis was engaged to Humphrey through an agreedmarriage arranged by both Humphrey and her father. However thatengagework forcet breaks down when Humphrey goes to Bath on a trip whichlasted longer than both Phyllis and her father had expected. In thistime Phyllis had meet a man named Mateus. Mateus was a corporal inthe German Hussars and both Mateus and Phyllis fall in love. The plotis based around the love of Phyllis and Mateus and also how the planof Mateus firing AWOL falling to pieces, and the build up to his death.Mateus and Humphrey are entirely different to each other in a sense ofcharacter looks, actions, and general attitude towards Phyllis. Wefirst get a description of Humphrey around line 56, Interests withinthe Court - was one Humphrey Gould a bachelor a personage neither progeny nor old neither good-looking nor positively plain Thedescription is detailed yet vague, it leaves very much to be desired, neither young nor old its very bland, imprecise James brazen issuggesting he is of middle age. In this short description we candevise a brief image of Humphrey. near line 107 we are introduced with the interesting character ofMateus. Her attention was arrested by a solitary figure walkingalong the path the introduction that James Hardy has chosen israther different to Humphrey maybe suggesting in an early stage in thestory that he is more important. Its aspect was so striking, sohandsome, and his eyes were so blue an d sad, abstracted. Thedescription is of more beauty compared to Humphreys suggesting quiteobviously Mateus is the better looking man. The acquaintance ofPhyllis by both men were distinctively different. Humphrey approachedDr. Grove Phyllis father for her hand in marriage, Humphrey havingcome from a highly respected family Dr. Grove was overwhelmed, and sawthis as an great opportunity for his family. Mateus s meeting withPhyllis differed to Humphreys. He was simply walking past and theyboth noticed each other, on the whole a more romantic meeting.