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- Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
In "A Girl of the Commune," G. A. Henty delivers a vivid and immersive narrative set against the backdrop of the Paris Commune of 1871. Through the eyes of an innocent young girl, Henty captures the tumultuous events of the era with a blend of historical accuracy and dramatic flair. His writing exhibits a flair for adventure, enriched by detailed character development and evocative descriptions that transport the reader to a period marked by political strife and social upheaval. The novel not only entertains but also serves as a poignant exploration of the impact of revolutionary fervor on ordinary lives, revealing the intersection of personal and political narratives in a time of crisis. G. A. Henty was a prolific writer and a war correspondent whose experiences during significant historical events played a crucial role in shaping his literary output. His engagement with military history and societal issues allowed him to create narratives that reflected the complexities of his time. Henty's dedication to accuracy and realism stemmed from his upbringing in an era deeply affected by imperial expansion and conflict, providing fertile ground for his exploration of courage and resilience in challenging circumstances. This novel is highly recommended for readers interested in historical fiction that melds thrilling adventure with profound social commentary. Henty's keen insight into human nature, combined with his command of storytelling, ensures that "A Girl of the Commune" is not only a captivating tale but also one that encourages reflection on the human spirit amid adversity. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019
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A Girl of the Commune
Table of Contents
Introduction
In the convulsions of war and revolution, private loyalties confront the blunt imperatives of public upheaval. A Girl of the Commune by G. A. Henty places personal courage and moral choice against the vast pressures of nineteenth-century European conflict. Set around the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune, it follows ordinary people negotiating extraordinary danger, hunger, and political fervor. Henty’s storytelling builds from concrete scenes of siege life and street-level turmoil toward questions of character and responsibility. Without relying on elaborate psychology, the narrative turns momentum, incident, and clear stakes into a compelling portrait of youth tested by history.
As a work of historical adventure by the Victorian novelist G. A. Henty, the book belongs to a tradition that sought to instruct as well as entertain. Written and published in the late nineteenth century, it looks back at the events of 1870–1871 through an English lens while centering Paris as the stage for upheaval. Readers can expect brisk pacing, straightforward prose, and attention to practical details of movement, survival, and decision-making. The result is a narrative that balances episodic action with a consistent moral orientation, characteristic of Henty’s broader body of historical tales for young readers.
The premise is spoiler-safe yet clear: individuals are swept into the maelstrom of a besieged capital and the political convulsions that follow, where friendship, duty, and identity are repeatedly tested. The titular girl is linked to the Commune’s world, while other youthful figures move through contested streets, checkpoints, and improvised defenses. Encounters with soldiers, civilians, and competing authorities generate dilemmas of trust and allegiance. The book’s voice is steady and descriptive, privileging practical action over introspection, and its mood alternates between tension, perseverance, and sober appraisal of risk. It offers an immersive, ground-level experience of crisis without relinquishing narrative clarity.
Several themes thread through the story with consistent force. Henty explores the interplay of personal obligation and collective ideology, asking how far one should go for family, friends, or nation when institutions fracture. The novel considers the costs of idealism and the price of order, presenting civic turmoil as a proving ground where character hardens under pressure. It also addresses youth under duress and the constraints and possibilities that confront a young woman amid revolutionary change. Written from a late Victorian perspective, it emphasizes discipline, prudence, and measured courage, while acknowledging the moral complexity that accompanies factional conflict and urban warfare.
Understanding the book’s historical frame enhances its impact. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 brought the collapse of the Second French Empire and a brutal siege of Paris, producing scarcity, fear, and fierce civic debate. In the wake of defeat, Paris witnessed the emergence of the Commune, a radical experiment in self-government that briefly held the city and reshaped political life and public space. Street fighting, barricades, and rival chains of command defined daily existence. This context allows Henty to stage intimate decisions against visible, verifiable events, using the city as both setting and symbol of a society wrestling with authority, justice, and survival.
Modern readers may find the book resonant for its portrayal of polarization, civic breakdown, and the ethics of action in uncertain times. It raises enduring questions: How do ordinary people weigh competing loyalties when information is contested and institutions are distrusted? What forms of courage are sustainable when punishment for error is swift and public? The narrative suggests the importance of practical judgment alongside bravery, and it invites reflection on how political ideals translate into lived experience. Read critically, it offers a case study in how literature constructs meaning from crisis and how perspective shapes our understanding of contested events.
Approached today, A Girl of the Commune can be read as both an adventure and an accessible introduction to a complex historical moment. Its energy lies in movement—escapes, searches, negotiations—yet it stays anchored in human stakes and the daily mechanics of endurance. Readers should expect period attitudes consistent with its late nineteenth-century origin, alongside a clear commitment to narrative order and resolve. For those curious about the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune, it opens a vivid, if selective, window. For those drawn to character under pressure, it offers a measured, engaging journey through a city and a conscience under siege.
Synopsis
A Girl of the Commune opens in late 1860s Paris and London. A young Englishman travels to Paris for work or study, absorbing the city’s vitality. He befriends a respectable French household and becomes especially concerned for a young woman in their care, whose background leaves her vulnerable in unsettled times. Street talk, newspapers, and cafés reveal mounting anxiety as France’s conflict with Prussia approaches. The narrative introduces social layers, from artisans to officials, establishing relationships and loyalties that will be tested. Early chapters stress practical matters—lodgings, language, and employment—while hinting that prudence and character will matter more than status when trouble arrives.
War breaks out in 1870, and the Parisian mood swings from bravado to sober determination. After defeats in the field and the fall of the Second Empire, the city prepares for siege under the new Republic. The English protagonist, choosing usefulness over glory, attaches himself to relief or ambulance work and to the safety of his friends. Drills, ration plans, and improvised defenses replace café gossip. The narrative follows proclamations, rumors, and the organization of the National Guard, showing how ordinary lives contract around watch schedules, queues, and alarms, while the girl and her household face decisions about staying, fleeing, or trusting their protector.
The siege of Paris hardens daily routines into a struggle for fuel and food. Henty depicts sorties beyond the walls, the thud of distant artillery, and the oddity of balloon messages crossing gray skies. The protagonist runs errands across districts, learning barricade routes and passwords, and fends off petty theft and unrest near bread lines. The young woman contributes quietly—nursing, mending, and encouraging—and emerges as a moral center for the small circle. Episodes of charity and mutual aid temper the privations. Occasional glimpses of the front at Champigny or Buzenval convey risk without dwelling on carnage, while hope for relief persists.
Capitulation brings armistice terms, disarmament, and disillusion. The Prussian presence is brief but humiliating, and Parisian politics grow explosive. Cleavages widen between moderates, veterans of the siege, and ardent clubs. The family’s precarious standing, tied to old grievances and rumors about the girl’s origins, invites malicious attention. The Englishman seeks legal assurances and travel documents, but procedures stall. Henty presents civic meetings, press debates, and the restless National Guard, while shadowing the lower-level dangers of informers and opportunists. The narrative shifts from external siege to internal strain, with safety more uncertain than during bombardment, and personal feuds threatening to erupt alongside ideological ones.
March 1871 brings the seizure of cannon on the northern heights and the sudden collapse of central authority. The government withdraws to Versailles; a Commune is proclaimed in Paris. Committees, vigilance patrols, and neighborhood federations replace previous structures, and loyalty tests arise at checkpoints. The protagonist avoids partisanship, focusing on securing safe passage for the girl and her guardians. Henty traces the new decrees and ceremonies while noting how routine tasks—fetching papers, buying food, crossing a bridge—now entail risks. The household adopts caution, speaks softly in public, and relies on a small network of trustworthy acquaintances to interpret orders and avoid denunciations.
Daily life under the Commune features contradictory scenes of idealistic speeches and hasty arrests. The protagonist navigates club meetings, municipal offices, and increasingly fortified streets, seeking permits and safe-conducts. He encounters both sincere reformers and self-seeking figures using the upheaval to settle scores. The young woman becomes a focus of concern due to her connections and the attention of a hostile rival, now empowered by the neighborhood authorities. Episodes of search, mistaken identity, and nighttime summonses test the group’s steadiness. Henty balances public developments—edicts, hostages, and newspapers—with personal stakes, as friends disappear, allies step forward, and uncertain escape routes are mapped.
As the Versailles army closes in, the city braces for a second, harsher struggle. Barricades rise, strategic buildings are mined, and rumors of desperate measures abound. The protagonist must choose between attempting an early departure or helping others who cannot move. He undertakes a hazardous errand across districts to secure final papers, provisions, and shelter. The girl’s composure steadies those around her, while her guardians weigh competing counsel. Henty’s narrative emphasizes movement through a tightening net: passwords change, bridges are watched, and safe houses shift. Shots crackle at the outskirts, and the promise of imminent battle forces the household to commit.
Urban combat erupts, spreading from gate to boulevard. Fires break out at landmarks, and barricade fighting becomes street by street. The protagonist faces a personal reckoning with the adversary who earlier threatened the household, now wielding authority at a crucial checkpoint. Narrow escapes, hurried disguises, and improvised plans mark a sequence of reversals. The group must decide whether to hide, attempt to cross lines, or separate to divide risk. Throughout, the narrative refrains from dwelling on spectacle, instead tracking choices under pressure and the precarious value of a signature or a plain coat. The outcome of the household’s effort remains uncertain.
When the fighting subsides, the narrative turns to consequences—physical ruins, grief for the fallen, and reknit livelihoods. Henty closes by reaffirming themes of steadfastness, prudence, and humane conduct amid factional fury. The experiences of siege, revolution, and civil conflict underscore how ordinary courage and mutual obligation can resist both panic and vengeance. Without elaborating on every fate, the story hints at recovered stability and the quiet work of rebuilding. A Girl of the Commune thus presents a compact panorama of Paris in crisis, following a small circle through upheaval while suggesting that measured judgment and loyalty remain reliable guides.
Historical Context
Set in Paris and northern France between 1870 and 1871, the narrative unfolds amid the collapse of the Second Empire, the Franco-Prussian War, the Siege of Paris, and the Paris Commune. Paris—its quartiers from Montmartre and Belleville to the boulevards near the Tuileries—forms the primary stage, where barricades, National Guard musters, and shortages define daily life. The winter of 1870–71 brought hunger, bombardment, and political radicalization. Streets recently transformed by Haussmann’s works became arteries of both parade and insurrection. The city’s divided social geography—artisan districts versus bourgeois quarters—frames the tensions that the story traces as France shifts from imperial rule to revolutionary experiment and violent repression.
The Franco-Prussian War began on 19 July 1870 after Bismarck’s manipulation of the Ems Dispatch provoked Napoleon III’s France into declaring war on Prussia and the North German Confederation. Under Helmuth von Moltke, German forces defeated French armies at Wissembourg (4 August), Wörth/Fröschwiller (6 August), Spicheren (6 August), and Gravelotte–Saint-Privat (18 August). The decisive disaster at Sedan (1–2 September 1870) led to Napoleon III’s capture and the fall of the Second Empire. Henty’s novel situates characters in the disarray that followed these defeats, using retreats, shattered logistics, and refugee columns to convey the speed of imperial collapse and the vacuum that encouraged civic militancy in Paris.
The Siege of Paris (19 September 1870–28 January 1871) imposed privation and solidarity in equal measure. German forces encircled the capital, cutting off supply lines; rationing produced notorious scenes—horse, dog, and zoo animals in markets—while coal scarcity chilled the winter. Balloon posts and carrier pigeons maintained tenuous communications, and sorties at Champigny (30 October–2 November) and Buzenval (19 January 1871) failed to break the ring. January’s bombardment intensified civilian suffering. In the novel, the siege furnishes a backdrop of hunger, improvised medicine, and civic defense, as National Guard units man barricades and families navigate both patriotic resolve and the corrosive grind of deprivation.
The Third Republic was proclaimed on 4 September 1870; the Government of National Defence under General Louis Trochu and statesman Jules Favre struggled to continue the war. Léon Gambetta famously escaped Paris by balloon on 7 October to organize provincial armies of the Loire and the North, which were ultimately checked. The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles on 18 January 1871, and an armistice ended the siege on 28 January. The Treaty of Frankfurt (10 May 1871) ceded Alsace and part of Lorraine and imposed a five-billion-franc indemnity. The novel reflects the humiliation and bitterness that fed urban radicalism as the Assembly met at Versailles under Adolphe Thiers.
Tensions culminated on 18 March 1871 when Thiers’s troops attempted to seize National Guard cannons on Montmartre. The operation failed; Generals Lecomte and Clément-Thomas were killed by a crowd, and the Central Committee of the National Guard assumed control. Elections on 26 March produced the Commune, proclaimed on 28 March. Its measures included rent and debt relief, remission of pawned goods, secularization of schools, the return of closed workshops to cooperatives, and a ban on night work for bakers. Figures such as Charles Delescluze, Raoul Rigault, and Louise Michel symbolized its disparate currents. Henty’s work mirrors these developments through scenes of club debates, vigilance committees, and women’s activism challenging traditional roles.
The “Bloody Week” (Semaine sanglante), 21–28 May 1871, saw Versailles troops under Marshal Patrice de MacMahon retake Paris sector by sector. Fighting raged at key nodes—Père-Lachaise Cemetery, the barricades of Belleville and the Rue de Rivoli—while Communards torched symbols of state power, including the Tuileries Palace, the Hôtel de Ville, and the Palais de Justice. Hostage executions included Archbishop Georges Darboy (24 May). Repression was ferocious: estimates of the dead range from roughly 10,000 to more than 20,000; about 38,000 arrests followed, with deportations to New Caledonia. The novel aligns its climax with this urban warfare, spotlighting moral dilemmas amid reprisals, betrayals, and desperate escapes.
Internationally, the Commune galvanized debates on order, class, and revolution. British opinion split: much of the press denounced “anarchy,” while radicals expressed guarded sympathy. Karl Marx’s 1871 address, The Civil War in France, framed the Commune as a proletarian experiment, whereas European governments hardened policing against international socialism. G. A. Henty had reported as a war correspondent in 1870–71, and his perspective reflects British anxieties about instability and admiration for disciplined soldiery. The book echoes contemporary reportage—detailing barricade tactics, summary justice, and military method—while highlighting cross-Channel encounters, as British nationals in Paris navigated neutrality, consular protection, and the hazards of a city at war with itself.
The book operates as a critique of the period’s political extremes and administrative failures. It underscores the Second Empire’s strategic incompetence and the social inequities of Paris that made revolutionary promises so compelling. By portraying breadlines, profiteering, and the vulnerability of working families, it exposes class divides sharpened by siege and defeat. Simultaneously, it questions the Commune’s punitive justice and coercive mechanisms while condemning the Versailles repression that wrought mass executions and deportations. Through the experiences of civilians—especially women drawn into relief, organizing, and risk—the novel interrogates state legitimacy, militarism, and the costs of ideological absolutism in a modern capital torn between order and justice.
