Karl Swindlehurst Melancholy of the German Hussars :: English 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 â€Å"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, â€Å" 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, â€Å" 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. â€Å" 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. â€Å" 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.