The Dance at Chevalier's
Encyclopedia
The Dance at Chevalier's is a short story by Willa Cather
. It was first published in Library
in 1900 under the pseudonym of Henry Nicklemann.
, Dennis and Signor have driven the cattle back into the corral
. There is a dance at Mr Chevalier's this evening. The latter, along with the two aforementioned men and Harry Burns, are playing cards. Denis catches the Signor cheating. Burns warns him against the Signor, saying that Mexicans are treacherous.
Signor then finds out Severine likes Denis. He blackmails her into kissing him this evening, or else he will tell her father.
The dance begins and Severine dances with several men, one of them being Denis. Signor then asks Severine to get Denis to come up to him for a talk. The Mexican gives him some cocktails he has made himself, and tells him Severine has been playing with them both. He shall see for himself as Signor goes down and kisses her. A little later, Denis dances with her again but he is sad because of what he has seen. He dies on the dancefloor, accusing Signor of giving him poison earlier on. The murderer, however, left half an hour earlier...
's The Grandissimes (1880) and Anthony Hope
's Prisoner of Zenda (1894)".
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 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...
in 1900 under the pseudonym of Henry Nicklemann.
Plot summary
In OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Dennis and Signor have driven the cattle back into the corral
Corral
Corral is a town, commune and sea port in Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is located south of Corral Bay. Corral is best known for the forts of Corral Bay, a system of defensive batteries and forts made to protect Valdivia during colonial times. Corral was the headquarters of the system...
. There is a dance at Mr Chevalier's this evening. The latter, along with the two aforementioned men and Harry Burns, are playing cards. Denis catches the Signor cheating. Burns warns him against the Signor, saying that Mexicans are treacherous.
Signor then finds out Severine likes Denis. He blackmails her into kissing him this evening, or else he will tell her father.
The dance begins and Severine dances with several men, one of them being Denis. Signor then asks Severine to get Denis to come up to him for a talk. The Mexican gives him some cocktails he has made himself, and tells him Severine has been playing with them both. He shall see for himself as Signor goes down and kisses her. A little later, Denis dances with her again but he is sad because of what he has seen. He dies on the dancefloor, accusing Signor of giving him poison earlier on. The murderer, however, left half an hour earlier...
Characters
- Denis, an IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
man. He is a 'ladies' man. - Signor, a MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
boy. - Jean Chevalier, a rich cattle holder. He will only allow someone with more acres than he has to marry his daughter.
- Harry Burns, a journalist from the East.
- Severine Chevalier, Jean Chevalier's daughter. She went to school in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
for two year, and speaks French with a French accent, not patois French. - Alplosen de Mar, a musician who plays the organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. - Peter Sadelack, a musician who plays the violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. He used to perform in theatres in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. - Marine Generaux, a French girl.
Literary significance and criticism
At least one critic has suggested that this work is "a cross between George Washington CableGeorge Washington Cable
George Washington Cable was an American novelist notable for the realism of his portrayals of Creole life in his native Louisiana. His fiction has been thought to anticipate that of William Faulkner.- Biography:...
's The Grandissimes (1880) and 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...
's Prisoner of Zenda (1894)".
External links
- Full Text at the Willa Cather Archive