A Night at Greenway Court
"A Night at Greenway Court" | |
---|---|
Short story by Willa Cather | |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Short story |
Publication | |
Published in | Nebraska Literary Magazine |
Publication type | Periodical |
Publication date | June 1896 |
"A Night at Greenway Court" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Nebraska Literary Magazine in June 1896.[1] Four years later a revised version was published in the Library.[2]
Plot summary
In 1752, Richard Morgan — a citizen of Winchester, Virginia — visits his friend Lord Fairfax at nearby Greenway Court. 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. Of historical interest, but not the most celebrated of Cather's works.
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.
References to actual history
- George I of Great Britain, Oliver Cromwell, and Robert Walpole are mentioned with regards to British history.
- Maurepas mentions Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais and Joseph François Dupleix.
Literary significance and criticism
The story has been deemed Poesque.[3] It has also been said to be 'straight out of' William Makepeace Thackeray's Henry Esmond.[4] Others have stressed the influence of John Esten Cooke, who wrote about Greenway Court,[5] or Anthony Hope.[6]
References
- ^ Willa Cather's Collected Short Fiction, University of Nebraska Press; Rev Ed edition, 1 November 1970, page 492
- ^ Sheryl L. Meyering, A Reader's Guide to the Short Stories of Willa Cather, G.K. Hall & Co, 1995, p. 157
- ^ Mildred R. Bennett, The World of Willa Cather, University of Nebraska Press, 1961, page 5
- ^ Catherine M. Downs, Becoming Modern: Willa Cather's Journalism, Susquehanna University Press, 2000, page 141
- ^ Bernice Slote, The Kingdom of Art, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1966, p. 41
- ^ James Woodress, Willa Cather: Her Life and Art, New York: Pegasus, 1970, p. 28
External links
- Full Text at the Willa Cather Archive
- v
- t
- e
- "Peter"
- "Lou, the Prophet"
- "The Elopement of Allen Poole"
- "A Tale of the White Pyramid"
- "A Son of the Celestial"
- "The Clemency of the Court"
- "The Fear That Walks by Noonday"
- "On the Divide"
- "A Night at Greenway Court"
- "Tommy, the Unsentimental"
- "The Princess Baladina – Her Adventure"
- "The Count of Crow's Nest"
- "The Burglar's Christmas"
- "The Strategy of the Were-Wolf Dog"
- "A Resurrection"
- "The Prodigies"
- "Nanette: An Aside"
- "The Way of the World"
- "The Westbound Train"
- "Eric Hermannson's Soul"
- "The Dance at Chevalier's"
- "The Sentimentality of William Tavener"
- "The Affair at Grover Station"
- "A Singer's Romance"
- "The Conversion of Sum Loo"
- "Jack-a-Boy"
- "El Dorado: A Kansas Recessional"
- "The Professor's Commencement"
- "The Treasure of Far Island"
- "A Death in the Desert"
- "A Wagner Matinee"
- "The Sculptor's Funeral"
- "Flavia and Her Artists"
- "The Garden Lodge"
- "The Marriage of Phaedra"
- "Paul's Case"
- "The Namesake"
- "The Profile"
- "The Willing Muse"
- "Eleanor's House"
- "On the Gulls' Road"
- "The Enchanted Bluff"
- "The Joy of Nelly Deane"
- "Behind the Singer Tower"
- "The Bohemian Girl"
- "Consequences"
- "The Bookkeeper's Wife"
- "The Diamond Mine"
- "A Gold Slipper"
- "Ardessa"
- "Scandal"
- "Her Boss"
- "Coming, Eden Bower!"
- "Uncle Valentine"
- "Double Birthday"
- "Neighbour Rosicky"
- "Two Friends"
- "The Old Beauty"
- "Before Breakfast"
- "The Best Years"
collections
- A Lost Lady (1934 film)
- O Pioneers! (1992 film)
- My Antonia (1995 film)
- The Song of the Lark (2001 film)
- O Pioneers! (2009 opera)