Honor O'Callaghan E-Book

Mary Russell Mitford

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

In "Honor O'Callaghan," Mary Russell Mitford weaves a rich tapestry of romance, social commentary, and character-driven narrative set against the backdrop of rural England. Employing a vivid and accessible prose style, Mitford explores themes of honor, societal expectations, and personal integrity through the lens of her deeply drawn characters. The novel reflects the complexities of human emotions and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals, typical of the early 19th-century literature which sought to capture the nuances of everyday life. Mitford's keen observational skills and her acute sense of place amplify the narrative's resonance, making it a poignant exploration of the human condition in a rapidly evolving society. Mary Russell Mitford was a prominent playwright and novelist, known for her keen insights into rural life and her strong advocacy for the importance of literature. Her experiences growing up in the picturesque village of Three Mile Cross influenced her depictions of rural England, offering authenticity and relatability to her narratives. Mitford's commitment to portraying the lives of ordinary people, coupled with her engagement in the broader social issues of her time, provides a critical backdrop that informs the character motivations and societal commentaries present in "Honor O'Callaghan." This remarkable work is a must-read for those who appreciate narratives rich in character development and social intricacies. Mitford'Äôs exploration of honor and integrity invites readers to reflect on personal values amidst societal pressures, making it particularly relevant in today's context. Readers who cherish detailed depictions of human emotions and relationships will find "Honor O'Callaghan" an enriching addition to their literary repertoire.

Leseprobe

Mary Russell Mitford

Honor O'Callaghan

Published by Good Press, 2020

[email protected]

EAN 4064066106102

Table of Contents

Cover

Titlepage

Text

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Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket. There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards. Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery. An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "not to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows. There are of course exceptions to the rule. The sons of the old nobility, too much accustomed to splendour in its grander forms, and too sure of their own station to care about such matters, and the few finer spirits, whose ambition even in boyhood soars to far higher and holier aims, are, generally speaking, alike exempt from these vulgar cravings after petty distinctions. And for the rest of the small people, why "winter and rough weather," and that most excellent schoolmaster, the world, will not fail, sooner or later, to bring them to wiser thoughts.

In the meanwhile, as according to our homely proverb, "for every gander there's a goose," so there are not wanting in London and its environs "establishments," (the good old name of boarding-school being altogether done away with,) where young ladies are trained up in a love of fashion and finery, and a reverence for the outward symbols of wealth, which cannot fail to render them worthy compeers of the young gentlemen their contemporaries. I have known a little girl, (fit mate for the above-mentioned amateur of new carriages,) who complained that her mamma called upon her, attended only by one footman; and it is certain, that the position of a new-comer in one of these houses of education will not fail to be materially influenced by such considerations as the situation of her father's town residence, or the name of her mother's milliner. At so early a period does the exclusiveness which more or less pervades the whole current of English society make its appearance amongst our female youth.

Even in the comparatively rational and old-fashioned seminary in which I was brought up, we were not quite free from these vanities. We too had our high castes and our low castes, and (alas! for her and for ourselves!) we counted among our number one who in her loneliness and desolation might almost be called a Pariah—or if that be too strong an illustration, who was at least, in more senses than one, the Cinderella of the school.