The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion
6 March 2002 The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion Write a critical analysis of The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion. Taking into consideration the theme, characterisation, plot/structure, setting, mood and atmosphere, use of language or viewpoint. This short story of the Melancholy Hussar was written by Thomas Hardy, and published in October 1889. Thomas Hardy is a twentieth century best seller from Dorchester, born in 1840 and died 1928. People who like very different kinds of reading seem to get fascinated by his novels. Many, in recent years have turned their eyes to his poems. Phyllis's auditor told the story of Phyllis Grove to Thomas Hardy, twelve years preceding her death. She had told him of the sequence of events that took place, when he was just fifteen years of age, and requested that she could "Enjoy silence to her share in the incident, till she should be, dead, buried and forgotten"(Page.1), as she felt humility and modesty towards the events; at the time of her narration she was an old lady of seventy five. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion begins with a description of an isolated place, which is high breezy and green, with stretches of hills undisturbed by anyone since the end of the French Revolutionary war, which sets the time of the story at 1801, this is prior to the onset of the Napoleonic war in 1803 which provide a sense of time
“Tony Kytes, the Arch- Deceiver” and "Tickets, Please"
GCSE: Wider Reading Assignment In this assignment I am going to compare two short stories. One is called "Tony Kytes, the Arch- Deceiver". It was written by Thomas Hardy in 1894. The second one is called "Tickets, please". It was written by D H Lawrence between 1922 and 1924. Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in Dorset. Before His death in 1928, he had written fifteen novels, four collections of short stories and eight collections of poetry. Hardy is a strong storyteller and his works often deal with the problems caused by human passion and desire. D H Lawrence (1885-1930) was one of five children born to a miner and ex-schoolteacher near Nottingham. He managed to avoid working in the mines and became a teacher. Soon he left this job because of ill health and began his career as a writer, travelling widely and writing extensively, producing novels and poems as well as short stories. His work reveals a passionate and intense nature with an accurate eye for detail. Often autobiographical, his writings also show his close relationship with his mother and a sensitivity about his poor working-class background. In his opening Lawrence makes a routine tram journey seem dangerous and exciting through his use of language. Here are some examples: - "A single-line tramway system which leaves the country town and plunges off into the black, industrial countryside, through the long ugly
A comparrison of Lore and Cyndyllan on a tractor by R S Thomas
GCSE POETRY COURSEWORK COMPARING LORE AND CYNDDYLAN ON A TRACTOR BY R.S. THOMAS R.S. Thomas was a clergyman from Wales born in 1913. He attended university in Cardiff and later joined the Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru). In 1965 he won the "Observer poetry Prize". Thomas was a poet who seemed to base his work on what he witnessed and believed in. The two poems that I will look at are Lore and Cynddylan on a Tractor. The word lore means information passed down by word of mouth. The poems show Thomas's opinions on the old and the new. Lore is based on an eighty five year old Welshman named Job Davies. Immediately we see the religious side of Thomas as he uses a biblical name for the character he has written about. Both the poems are presented in a format that makes them feel conversational and personal to the reader. This is achieved in Lore by using enjambment in the first two lines of the first quatrain to remove the rhyme and turn the poetry to conversation; "Job Davies, eighty - five Winters old, and still alive" The name Cynddylan is Welsh for brave warrior. Both poems are firmly set in the context of the Welsh agricultural background and the poets consternation regarding the mechanisation of farming and the resultant impoverishment of the land and people. Although in this case Thomas has used it to gain sardonic effect. An example of the sardonic tone is
After a Journey
After a Journey 'After a Journey' is a lament at the loss of Thomas Hardy's wife, reflecting in both its structure and tone, Hardy's feelings of sadness and regret. The language used in the opening stanza immediately conjures imagery relating to loss and despair. 'Up the cliff, down, till I'm lonely lost' line 3, is a direct reference to Hardy's state of mind. His feelings of loss and a searching for answers are powerfully highlighted both in the idea of the 'unseen waters' line 4 and of being 'lonely lost' line 3. Hardy compounds the feelings of grief by making it clear the places he is currently in only serve to heighten his feelings of loss whilst his references to 'haunts' line 9 and 'haunted' line 19, only reinforce the notion of a man grieving for and being haunted by, the memories of his dead wife. However, though there is undoubtedly a proliferation of bleak and despondent imagery used in the opening half of the poem, Hardy uses more positive language in the descriptions of his wife, 'With your nut-coloured hair' line 7 and 'When you were all aglow' line 24. The beautification of his lost love, in the context of the poem, hints at the devotion he felt for his companion and serves to reinforce the idea of a man suffering the effects of extreme loss. It is also interesting that it reflects a more general statement as to the nature of grief, that human nature
Both John Thomas and Tony Kytes are daring characters who try to manipulate women around them. Compare and contrast the two men with particular reference to their attitude towards women.
Both John Thomas and Tony Kytes are daring characters who try to manipulate women around them. Compare and contrast the two men with particular reference to their attitude towards women. Tony Kytes is the main character of 'Tony Kytes, The Arch-Deceiver', which is a story written by Thomas Hardy in the 1890s - contained in his book titled 'Life's Little Ironies.' (1894) (The story is set in the Midlands during the First World War.) Thomas Hardy was an influence to 20th Century writers, and as recognition of his work his ashes were buried in Poet's corner in Westminster Abbey, and his heart buried in his wife's grave - Emma. DH Lawrence was obsessed with honesty, particularly with regard to sexual matters. By writing about sex he was breaking social taboos as well as the then laws on decency. 'Ticket, Please' isn't as indecent as some of his creations. From this story is the infamous John Thomas, who was created by Lawrence some thirty years after Tony Kytes was discovered. This time difference between the two characters may account for some of their contrasts and indeed the difference between the women of the stories, as the 'Victorian' women were certainly less peremptory than the women of the wartime were. The women of the Victorian era had more respect for the men as a result of their upbringing. From a very young age they were taught that they were inferior to the
Tony Kytes The Arch Deceiver
Introduction Tony is a nice and gentle man but he has a thing with the ladies and he has a problem in the little town of Wessex that he living in. There are three women that he likes and one of them is the one he wants but he cannot seem to make his mind up. These three ladies are called 'Milly Richards', 'Unity Sallet' and 'Hannah' at the moment Tony is engaged to Milly Richards and is getting seduced by the other two women. He gets caught be Milly and she doesn't care what other women think or say to Tony. She can trust Tony and that he wouldn't go with any of them women. All that Tony has to do is wake up and smell the coffee and marry Milly and stop fooling around with those other two women. Through out the essay I will discuss the matter in more detail. Tony is a womaniser it shows this in the text e.g. "O the petticoats went off and the breeches went on? ". Tony says this in a religious manor as if having sex with women is like his religion. Tony does have a sensitive side though for example "Milly Richards, a nice, light, small, tender, little thing and soon said that they were engaged to be married". He talks about Milly in a soft and tender way like he truly did love Milly and it was his right choice. Again it shows Tony is a womaniser because he is seeing other women and they are called Unity Sallet and Hannah, he still cannot make his mind up. But he is a small