William Hinkley/Calvert: The Key to Charlemont and Beauchampe
1984; University of North Carolina Press; Volume: 16; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1534-1461
Autores Tópico(s)American Literature and Culture
ResumoIn 1834 William Gilmore Simms published the first of his romances of the Old Southwest border, Guy Rivers, soon to be followed by Richard Hurdis (1838) and Beagles (1840). The fourth in this series was Beauchampe; or, The Kentucky Tragedy, published in 1842 as a two-volume novel, but reissued in 1856 in slightly expanded form as two novels: Charlemont; or, The Pride of the Village and Beauchampe; or, The Kentucky Tragedy: A Sequel to Charlemont. Simms' treatment of the Sharp/Beauchamp murder was partially predetermined by accounts of the historical episode, the most widely circulated of which was The Confession of Jeroboam O. Beauchamp (Bloomfield, Kentucky, 1826), written by the acknowledged murderer. In addition, Simms may have known Beauchamp's Trial: A Report of the Trial of Jeroboam O. Beauchamp by court reporters J. G. Dana and R. S. Thomas (Frankfort, Kentucky, 1826) and Letters of Ann Cook, Late Mrs. Beauchamp to Her Friend in Maryland, edited by W.--R--n (Washington, 1826). (1) Because of their their historical basis, Charlemont and Beauchampe appear to differ in subject and tone from their predecessors, as Simms himself seems to have realized when he designated them Border Domestic Novels. (2) Nevertheless, the two novels--seen as the unit they originally were--essentially follow the pattern of the earlier border romances, and the development of one character, William Hinkley/Calvert, provides the key to their proper interpretation. Simms makes a significant change of focus in the widely known story of Ann [or Anna] Cook's (3) seduction and revenge. William Hinkley, later known as William Calvert, does not occur in historical accounts of the Beauchamp/Sharp story; moreover, this virtuous but rejected suitor is not merely an incidental character. Throughout Charlemont, William Hinkley's thoughts and actions are recorded in fully as much detail as those of the seducer Sharpe or Margaret Cooper, the victim. This emphasis upon Hinkley raises questions about authorial purpose and technique, but the explanation for Simms' development of William may lie in the novel's genre. In completing his series of Old Southwest border romances, Simms appears to have been influenced by the pattern of his earlier works and to have linked Charlemont and Beauchampe with their predecessors by adapting the Sharp/ Beauchamp story to fit this mold. Such an interpretation recognizes William Hinkley/Calvert as an integral element, fulfilling the function of the cavalier hero in the other romances. As a rule, Simms' Old Southwest border romances focus upon an impoverished young cavalier hero who quarrels with a wealthy relative and heads to the Old Southwest territory to make his fortune, temporarily leaving behind his beloved lady, whose hand he will eventually claim. On the frontier, the less able gentlemen and the virtuous yeomen instinctively recognize his merit and make him their leader against an outlaw chief, a man of good family background who has changed his name and repudiated society's values, though often posing as a respectable citizen. The duplicity of the outlaw allows Simms also to include negative comments about politicians and religious fanatics. The plot of the romance is the struggle between the cavalier and the outlaw, with the lady usually a pawn. There is much violence: robberies, kidnappings, ambushes, attempted murders, and actual homicides. Frequently too a friend of the protagonist is killed as a result of his own folly, and that man's fiancee dies of grief. Ultimately, however, the triumphant cavalier is united with his lady, while the outlaw leader is captured and/or killed. The frontier society becomes considerably more civilized once the outlaw's influence is eliminated. Most of these characteristics appear in one form or another in the typical Simms border romance, including Charlemont and Beauchampe. The primal innocence of Charlemont does not allow precise delineation of social classes, but the Hinkley family clearly are among the most respected citizens of the village. …
Referência(s)