A Night at Greenway Court
Encyclopedia
A Night at Greenway Court is a short story by Willa Cather
. It was first published in Nebraska Literary Magazine in June 1896. Four years later a revised version was published in the Library
.
, visits his friend Lord Fairfax. There, he meets Philip Maurepas, a Frenchman who tells them about his years in India. He expresses his disdain for the King, to Viscount Chillingham's dismay. They compare the political orders both in England and in France. Maurepas then attacks Fairfax because of the painting of a woman with a lily that he has. The next day, Fairfax acts regally and Fairfax pretends nothing happened. The narrator concludes that he acted in accordance with his Virginian duty.
. It has also been said to be 'straight out of' William Makepeace Thackeray
's Henry Esmond. Others have stressed the influence of John Esten Cooke
, who wrote about Greenway Court, or Anthony Hope
.
Willa Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
. It was first published in Nebraska Literary Magazine in June 1896. Four years later a revised version was published in the Library
Library (journal)
-Overview:The magazine was only published over the course of six months, until it ran out of funds.Willa Cather published five original short stories , sixteen articles and seven poems...
.
Plot summary
Richard Morgan, a citizen from Winchester, VirginiaWinchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, visits his friend Lord Fairfax. There, he meets Philip Maurepas, a Frenchman who tells them about his years in India. He expresses his disdain for the King, to Viscount Chillingham's dismay. They compare the political orders both in England and in France. Maurepas then attacks Fairfax because of the painting of a woman with a lily that he has. The next day, Fairfax acts regally and Fairfax pretends nothing happened. The narrator concludes that he acted in accordance with his Virginian duty.
Characters
- Richard Morgan, the narrator.
- Richard Morgan's father.
- Josiah Goodrich, a friend of Richard Morgan's.
- M. Philip Marie Maurepas, a gambler who left France because of his debts. He learnt his English in India.
- Lord Thomas Fairfax
- Viscount Chillingham
- Mr Courtney, a pastor.
- Fernando Fairfax, a forebear of Thomas's.
- Mistress Crawford, Thomas's housekeeper.
- Murzapha Jung, Dupleix's ally.
- Nabob of the Carnatic, Dupleix's enemy.
- Tecunda Sahib, Nabob's enemy.
Literary significance and criticism
The story has been deemed PoesqueEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. It has also been said to be 'straight out of' William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
's Henry Esmond. Others have stressed the influence of John Esten Cooke
John Esten Cooke
John Esten Cooke was an American novelist and poet. He was the brother of poet Philip Pendleton Cooke.-Early life:Born in Winchester, Virginia, he was noted for writing about that state...
, who wrote about Greenway Court, or Anthony Hope
Anthony Hope
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope , was an English novelist and playwright. Although he was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels, he is remembered best for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau...
.
External links
- Full Text at the Willa Cather Archive