''The Tale of Chloe'', subtitled ''An Episode in the History of Beau Beamish'', is a tragic novel by English novelist

George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but he gradually established a reputation as a novelist. '' The Ord ...

. Initially published in 1879, it was later published as a novel in 1890.

Characters

Chloe's (Catherine Martinsward) character was based on Miss Fanny Braddock, the sister of

General Braddock Major-General Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American front of what is known in Europe ...

, a soldier and commander in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. Her character follows the convention of Meredith's heroines, women whose rash decisions make 'personal disaster', that requires the strength of heart each one owns to carry them through. Mr Camwell is a devotee of Chloe's. Sir Martin Caseldy, a former beau of Chloe's. Susan, Duchess of Dewlap, a former dairymaid married to an elderly duke. Mr Beau Beamish, a friend of Chloe's.

Plot

Catherine Martinsward ('Chloe') sacrifices her fortune to save her lover, Caseldy, from prison, but he then deserts her. Years later, he seduces Duchess Susan. Chloe grows close to the younger woman, and seeks to save her from a ruinous elopement. She ultimately commits suicide by Susan's doorway.

Themes

Consistent with Meredith's other work of this period, ''The Tale of Chloe'' supports the rights and respect of women. Ives claims that ''The Tale of Chloe'', ''The Case of General Ople and Lady Camper'' and ''The House on the Beach'' 'occupy both a chronological and thematic transition period between the early and late novels, during which eredith'sfeminism intensified.'

Background

The novel was first published in the '' New Quarterly Magazine'' in July 1879, after which it was published 10 more times in Meredith's lifetime. It is categorised together with '' The House on the Beach'' and '' The Case of General Ople and Lady Camper'', all being short novels of the late 1870s. Its date of composition is debated; Beer places it in 1868-9. A main source for the novel is Oliver Goldsmith's ''The Life of Richard Nash'', first highlighted by an anonymous writer in the '' Saturday Westminster Gazette''. Meredith claimed that, although he had read the Goldsmith in his youth, any influence on ''Chloe'' was 'unconscious', perhaps because of previous accusations that he had not acknowledged sources adequately.

External links

References

1890 British novels English novels Victorian novels Novels by George Meredith {{1870s-novel-stub