Nicolas EspinozaJune 24, 2008

10th Literature/Composition

The Left-Handed Swordby: E Nesbit

Biographical Facts Born in August 15, 1858 under the name of Edith Nesbit in

Lower Kennington Lane in Kennington, Surrey (part of Great London now).

John Collis Nesbit, her father and a chemist, ran successful schools, but died during Edith Nesbit’s childhood.

Due to her sister’s, Mary’s, ill health, her family was forced to constantly move around.

When she was 19, Edith met Hubert Bland, a bank clerk and writer with radical political opinions. She discovered, in 1879, that she was pregnant and the baby was born two months after they married on April 22, 1880.

Nesbit and Bland were two of the founders of the Fabian Society, a British socialist movement, in 1884.

Biographical Facts Along with Bland, Nesbit edited the Fabian Society’s

journal Today. Nesbit and Bland also joined the Social Democratic

Federation, but were soon to leave it as they believed it was too radical.

It is believed that she also wrote with Bland conjointly under the name of Fabian Bland.

Her husband died in 1914, and she then married Thomas Tucker in 1917

She died of lung cancer in 1924 and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary in the Marsh.

Plot

Standard Normal Curve This story’s plot is the classic normal curve. It begins with an

exposition, then move son to a rising action eventually arriving to a climax. Then everything is summed up in a falling action and resolution.

Summary Hugh’s family has lost its wealth and he lives alone with his

mother humbly tending to his land. Hugh dreams of a day when knights and ladies will be

abundant in his land, but this will not likely happen as his mother explains.

His mother wishes to send him off to school, but she cannot for they lack money, and thus she teaches him herself.

One night, Hugh is transported to the past by removing some stone bricks near an arch. The reader is meant to think whether it’s a dream or a true time travel experience.

Summary In the dream, the past, Hugh’s castle is being sacked by

Round-heads. His father lay dead in the chapel, and his mother hides their wealth.

Hugh is killed defending his mother’s chamber, and wakes up, is brought back to the present.

Hugh then remembers from his dream, time traveling experience, where the wealth was hidden and he goes to find it.

His mother is then able to send him to Eton and to Oxford with their new wealth.

Characters

Hugh de Vere Coningsby Drelincourt Much like every Drelincourt, Hugh is left-handed. He does

not mind not being able to go to school much and keeps pigs and cows. He hangs a left-handed sword over the mantelpiece of his bedroom.

Hugh enjoyed wandering about the old castle climbing old walls and exploring while dreaming of a day when the castle would be noisy with knights and ladies.

Regardless of his hopes, he still loved his realistic mother very much.

Lady Drelincourt Hugh’s mother who seems to mind not being able to send

her son to school. She points out to her son that the old days with knights will

never return for them. She is an extremely humble person who is satisfied with her

way of living while she simply has her son and herself.

Minor Characters Sir Delincourt

He is only mentioned as Hugh’s father, and a person who spent all of their money on layers.

Noble Hugh He is only shortly present and talks to Hugh briefly. Shortly after,

the real Hugh becomes Noble Hugh. Noble Lady Drelincourt

Not quite as humble and seems quite concerned for Hugh’s life, as well as his wealth.

The Narrator The narrator is a friend of Sir Hugh. He or she attends Oxford with

him.

Point of View The story is narrated in first person point of view.

He or she is not revealed until the end of the story.

The narrator is objective. Although he or she does give us some background information to the characters, this is mostly done through what they say and do.

Setting The story most likely takes place during the Middle Ages;

because, certain people are referred to as “Sir” and “Lady.” The kingdom is ruled by King Charles I, so I can assume that

this is either Charles of England; as such, this story takes place sometime in the early 17th century.

Exposition Nesbit begins by explaining that the name of the main character was

Hugh de Vere Coningsby Drelincourt and that he, along with his mother in a “queer red-roofed house incoherently built up against the corner of the old castle.”

Hugh’s father spends all of their money on lawyers, and they were only left with poor fields.

Humbly they lived tending to their land raising pigs and cows, and they did not have enough money to send Hugh to school.

Rising Action Hugh frequently wanders around the castle and slightly wanders about an

arch. One night while his mother is sleeping, Hugh goes to finger the stones inside

the arch hoping that one of them was loose— and one was. He pulled out stones until he sees himself, or another self of his. For it most

certainly was Hugh, but it was not the Hugh that “opened” the arch stones. It was a noble Hugh with noble wardrobe.

He is frightened at the sight, so he gets out of the arch-room and he became the noble Hugh with the left-handed sword at his side.

Climax Hugh is asked to come into his Lady Mother’s chamber.

When he does he realizes that the castle is being attacked by Round-heads. His mother asked him to guard her chamber door and let no man enter.

Falling Action Shortly afterwards two Round-heads show up at his Lady

Mother’s chamber door. A Round-head draws his sword at Hugh, and Hugh attempts

to thrust, but is impaled by the Round-head’s sword himself.

Resolution Hugh wakes up in his chamber. Mother explained to him that he must never climb windy walls

and arches in such weather; because, it shall make him feverish and give him bad dreams.

Hugh goes to visit what would be the chamber of his Noble Mother in his dream. It is there that he finds the vault filled with treasures which give his true mother and him enough for Sir Hugh to go to Eton and Oxford.

External Conflict Although not really an external conflict, since dreams can be

considered internal. The closest thing to an external conflict in the short lived battle between Sir Hugh and the Round-head.

This is resolved when Sir Hugh dies in his dream and wakes up to reality.

Internal Conflict Sir Hugh is faced with the internal conflict of wishing to be a

noble knight throughout the entire tale. In the end he finds that his humble life is nice enough, and he

goes to find the treasure in his Lady Mother’s room so that he can attend school.

Themes Being humble can be more rewarding than striving for glory. One should not give up on his or her dreams.

Literary Elements

Extended Flashback One can say that this story is an extended flashback because

of the ending. “… to Oxford, where I met him, and where he told me this

true tale.”

Imagery The author attempts to paint a picture of the events. Only about four things happen, but there are eight pages of

description.

Dialogue This story makes use of dialogue both to serve as a drive for

the story and as to explicate some of the characters’ attitudes.

Vocabulary

Battered Definition:

To hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows.

Sentence: After being robbed by an outlaw, I swiftly battered him and

chased him across the map until he begged for mercy; consequentially, he returned my gold.

Caressing Definition:

To treat fondly, kindly, or favorably; cherish.

Sentence: There are few things in life that I caress; one of them is my dog,

and the other is my mother.

Incoherently Definition:

without logical or meaningful connection; disjointed; rambling: an incoherent sentence.

Sentence: Sentence after sentence are usually incoherently placed in

rushed researched papers.

Connections

Dreams Much like the near-ending of the story when Hugh dies in his

dream; I too have had unpleasant dreams such as those. Though it does not begin with my being noble, it does follow the basic principle of a slightly known force chasing me to my doom. The pain is felt when I wake up, much like Hugh’s pain, though I’m quite sure this is probably due to increased body temperature due to agony.

Financial and Family Status Like in the story, my mother too has been quite kind to me

and has always tried to provide me with my any needs that I may have. My father too has died, and although he did not waste all of our money on lawyers; he did not bequeath much of anything leaving mother to struggle financially.

Society Much like in the story, today’s society will isolate the poor

until they prove themselves worthy with a bit of money. Oxford would have never taken Hugh in if it wasn’t for the treasure he had found.

Assessment Score: 7 The Left-Handed Sword takes the reader into the story of a

young boy that is adrift from reality— he wishes for more than he could possibly have given his current status. It is a heart lifting story with a decent ending.