How do Thomas Hardy and F.Scott Fitzgerald present the issue of women's choices in "The Melancholy Hussar" and "The Ice Palace"? Consider all the factors that affect their actions.

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Linsey Belford L5V

How do Thomas Hardy and F.Scott Fitzgerald present the issue of women’s choices in “The Melancholy Hussar” and “The Ice Palace”?

Consider all the factors that affect their actions.

The two short stories, which are going to be considered, were set over a hundred years apart. Both stories concern the subject of women’s choices and were written by men. “The Melancholy Hussar” written by Thomas Hardy was set in the first years of the nineteenth century although it was written around 1875. The main character in this story is Phyllis who lives with her father on the South Coast of England. Parallel to this is the short story of “The Ice Palace” written by F.Scott Fitzgerald. This was written in 1919 about contemporary times. “The Ice Palace is set in the Southern states of North America which is a totally different continent to that of “The Melancholy Hussar”. This helps to demonstrate the different social groups and influences.

The first short story, by Thomas Hardy, is about a young girl named Phyllis. Phyllis lives with her father on the South Coast and is not very social and is restricted due to her relationship with her father. Phyllis’s father is not the sociable type and prefers to keep himself away, because of this he feels Phyllis should act in the same way.

“beyond the seclusion of the girl lay the seclusion of the father...”

“The Melancholy Hussar” is set along the South coast. Thomas Hardy presents a quiet village in his introduction to the story. He explains the atmosphere first and a field is being described. The scenery is described as sombre and lifeless until the meaning of the scenery is introduced as symbolic. The scenery relates back to ninety years ago when the King’s German Legion slept there in tents.

The main subject of the story is about Phyllis meeting a soldier and seeing him regularly. A good relationship was built up while Humphrey Gould, Phyllis’ fiancé, is away. The story concerns love and when all the soldiers visit Phyllis is interested. She finds a soldier and begins talking to him. They meet every night at the same time until her father tries to send her to her aunt’s house. After a while Matthäus Tina, the German Hussar decides to run away as he does not like England. He wants to take Phyllis with him.

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“…you go with me…be my wife there”

Phyllis’ main decision is when she decides to join him. Phyllis sees that running away with Matthaus is a way of escaping her dull life. Daringly she risks her life and decides to change everything. Phyllis would not be able to return to her current life if she ran away as her father would be disgusted and embarrassed. Everything is planned and the night eventually arrives when Phyllis is just about to run over to Matthaus and a coach pulls up. It happens to be Humphrey and he talks about a present he ...

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