Excellent article on duelling!

Quick Index Board Index Home FAQ Site Map

View thread | Previous message | Next message

Excellent article on duelling! Written by Rachel G (9/30/2009 10:30 a.m.) in consequence of the missive, Yes, he would have been tried, penned by Anselm

Thank you so much for posting this article Anselm. It is one of the best I have come across in relation to duelling in JA's work, focusing as it does on the custom in England, and setting it in the context of changing social attitudes.

One of the points I found particularly interesting was that by the end of the 18th century almost half the recorded duels involved men with a military background, (see page 540 of the Journal article).
Yet again we see JA getting things exactly right, so the challenge comes from a military character over a matter which could not reasonably be resolved by recourse to the courts or by other means, and the duel occurs 'offstage'. Elinor's response is also exactly right:-

"Elinor sighed over the fancied necessity of this; but to a man and a soldier, she presumed not to censure it."

A lesser writer would simply thrown a duel into the tale regardless of the characters involved, just to make things more interesting, and would have done the literary equivalent of S&S3 by treating us to a blow by blow account of a sword fight to increase the dramatic temperature.

Previous message | Next message | Board index

Willoughby lucky to be alive ? Jeffrey (9/29/2009 8:29 a.m.)

What about John? Ivonne (9/30/2009 4:21 p.m.)
- Should he do anything? Barbara (10/1/2009 8:59 a.m.)
  - Ridiculously opaque Ivonne (10/1/2009 2:11 p.m.)
    - Thrashing? Louise H (10/1/2009 8:41 p.m.)
      - "Small House at Allingham"   Heather Leigh (10/4/2009 9:18 p.m.)
        
        Great stuff   Ivonne (10/6/2009 6:23 p.m.)
        
        I found a fascinating site   Louise H (10/6/2009 8:51 p.m.)
        
        thanks much, will bookmark it for my SHaA read! -nfm   Ivonne (10/7/2009 11:45 p.m.)
        
        Ooops. I mean Allington. ; -nfm   Ivonne (10/6/2009 6:25 p.m.)
        
        Allingham/Allington... weird   Heather Leigh (10/6/2009 6:51 p.m.)
        
        Funny...sounds like Allenham! ; ) -nfm   Ivonne (10/7/2009 6:38 p.m.)
      - Thanks... Ivonne (10/4/2009 8:52 p.m.)
    - Brotherly relationship Barbara (10/1/2009 2:27 p.m.)
- But they weren't engaged CarolTS (9/30/2009 7:24 p.m.)
Duelling with pistols Anselm (9/29/2009 11:17 a.m.)
- About all we can surmise is that there was a "Duel." Jeffrey (9/29/2009 12:14 p.m.)
  - I want to believe, like you, Elbè (9/29/2009 1:42 p.m.)
    - I don't think she would have known about this Barbara (9/29/2009 2:23 p.m.)
      - I am not so sure about this   Neus (9/30/2009 10:32 a.m.)
        
        It was illegal (nfm)   Barbara (9/30/2009 12:26 p.m.)
        
        Something just occurred to me:   Anselm (9/30/2009 11:02 a.m.)
      - Yes, he would have been tried   Anselm (9/30/2009 8:32 a.m.)
        
        Excellent article on duelling!   Rachel G (9/30/2009 10:30 a.m.)
        
        More serious than a slap on the wrist!   Barbara (9/30/2009 9:13 a.m.)
        
        Thanks for the link to this post.   Anselm (9/30/2009 11:55 a.m.)
        
        I think Col. Brandon called Willoughby out because...   Cathy Allen (9/30/2009 12:16 p.m.)
        
        Public-spiritedness?   Tom P2 (9/30/2009 4:33 p.m.)
        
        Inefficiency of the Law   Barb JA (9/30/2009 11:07 a.m.)
        
        proof of courage   Karen G (10/1/2009 1:19 p.m.)
        
        Lack of recourse   Barb JA (10/4/2009 2:16 p.m.)
      - Thanks, Barbara! - nfm Elbè (9/29/2009 5:07 p.m.)
  - Yes, lucky to be alive Barb JA (9/29/2009 1:37 p.m.)
    - To paraphrase Lord Peter Wimsey Katharine W (9/29/2009 3:24 p.m.)
      - Another consideration for Colonel Brandon Barbara (9/29/2009 5:06 p.m.)

Groupread is maintained by Myretta with WebBBS 3.21.

View thread | Previous message | Next message Board index

- Jane Austen | Republic of Pemberley -

Quick Index

Home

Site Map

JAInfo