The Egoist (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: George Meredith
- First Published: 1879
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Nineteenth century
- Setting: England
- Principal Characters: Sir Willoughby Patterne, Vernon Whitford, Colonel de Craye, Laetitia Dale, Clara Middleton, Dr. Middleton, Crossjay Patterne
- Genres: Long fiction, Satire
- Subjects: Self, Escapes, Nineteenth century, Social issues, Marriage, England or English people, Wit or humor, Gossip, Wine or wine making
- Locales: England
The Story:
On the day of his majority, Sir Willoughby Patterne announced his engagement to Miss Constantia Durham. Laetitia Dale, who lived with her old father in a cottage on Willoughby’s estate, loved him—she thought—secretly, but everyone, including Willoughby himself, was aware of it. Ten days before the wedding day, Constantia astonished everyone by eloping with Harry Oxford, a military man. For a few weeks after the elopement, Willoughby courted Laetitia, and the neighborhood gossiped about her chances to become his wife. There was great disappointment when he...
[The entire page is 2255 words long]
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