The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

The Herione, Or, Adventures of a Fair Romance Reader Week 4: Chapters XXXV - XXXIX

1) Initially in this week's read Cherry gets herself in a boatload of trouble, in part for jumping to conclusions. What do you think of the son who decided he wanted Cherry to be a "kept woman?" Would that arrangement have worked out in the long run? Why or why not?

2) Cherry decides to settle into her "castle." She decides on a room and starts to get settled. She then asks her warden (Jerry) to tell her about his life. It's an interesting tale. While he admits the beginning wasn't true, do you think you can believe the rest of what he says?

3) Cherry decides to waive her claim to Lady Gwyn's home and demesne provided she obtains the rights to the castle and it's demesne. Can you imagine what Lady Gwny is thinking and/or experiencing when Cherry makes demands of her?

4) Cherry raises an "army" of 20ish men. What do you think motivates these men? There is no loyalty to Cherry given she's an unknown, so is it a financial incentive or something else altogether?

5) Were you surprised when Montmorenci, Betterton, and then Susan all back Lady Gwyn?

6) Were you surprised by Cherry's decision to surrender? Do you think her decision was simply inspired by her stated issue, her modesty and not wanting to sleep surrounded by men? Or do you think there was something more behind her decision?

7) We still haven't heard anything about her father. What do you predict will be the outcome of his situation in our final week's read?

I think my word for this book would be “undisciplined.” The author can’t resist his own wit, resulting in a very scattershot narrative. He keeps dropping a thread and going off on tangents with little concern for consistency.

That said, he is very witty and every section has something that makes me laugh out loud. I think my favorite to date is the “fatal vow of vulgarity.” In this section it was Cherry’s speech to rally her troops, where she begins by invoking “the majesty of the people,” which was a slogan of the French Revolution. (The Duke of Norfolk got into serious trouble and lost many of his honors when he used it in a toast honoring the Prince of Wales.)

Speaking of Cherry’s troops, I’m a bit uncomfortable with the depiction of the Irish ruffians, which seems to rest on a series of stereotypes of Irish people as simple souls who enjoy nothing but drinking and brawling. Jerry shows some stereotypical traits but is a more complex character, and I enjoy the playful way he and Cherry engage with each other. Almost as much fun as her banter with Stuart, which I miss since he has been off the stage for so long.

As for the shifting loyalties, just about everyone around Cherry (except Stuart and possibly Jerry) is working from motives of self-interest, motives she seems oblivious to. Betterton wants to seduce her, Montmorenci wants to marry her and take her money, Susan will help her only so long as doing so doesn’t interfere with some man’s seduction of Susan.

This spoof echoes the send-ups of gothic romance that Jane Austen wrote as a teenager, in which heroines also believe that their heroine status entitles them to commit any sort of crime and act entirely selfishly. Shines a light on the way sensible readers viewed the nelodramatic plots of these stories.

Regarding Cherry’s surrender, she does sporadically show a level of recognition that her fantasies are just that. She’s not stupid even though she is playing a role. She was outnumbered and knew she couldn’t hold on to the castle indefinitely—nor could she keep the Irish ruffians by her side night and day. But I was confused at the end of the section because I thought Betterton’s terms called for her to be taken to his house (and thus ruined) but instead she went to one of the cottages where she had previously sought shelter.

I didn't quite understand what was going on with the "Susan" arc. Yes, this section was getting to be pretty absurd, with a 15-year-old recruiting people to defend an uninhabitable castle.
I think she is showing signs of growth though, since she's still taking care of the people who live in the cottage even though she doesn't have to.