Content Category

Literary Criticism

Abstract/Description

In Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley, Scott presents the problem of romance versus reality. He does this by personifying romance and reality through Flora Mac Ivor and Rose Bradwardine. Flora, with her passion, represents romance. While Rose, a more mellow character, represents reality. Waverley finds that he must choose between them. Rose is a “kindred spirit” to him, while Flora resembles “one of his daydreams.” They embody these ideas through a physical location. Flora’s location is the romantic Scottish Highlands, and Rose’s location is simply her father’s home. Besides location, the figurative deaths of Flora and Rose embody romance and reality. After her cause has been lost, Flora would like to die, but she settles for joining a nunnery. Rose’s death is more so the death of her way of life. In the end Flora’s fate shows that romance has a bright, short life, while Rose shows that reality lets us survive through anything.

Copyright and Licensing of My Content

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Origin of Submission

more than one of the above

Faculty Involvement

Paul Westover

Location

B103 JFSB

Start Date

18-3-2016 9:00 AM

End Date

18-3-2016 10:30 AM

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Mar 18th, 9:00 AM Mar 18th, 10:30 AM

The Lives and Deaths of Flora Mac-Ivor and Rose Bradwardine: Romance and Reality in Sir Walter Scott's Waverley

B103 JFSB

In Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley, Scott presents the problem of romance versus reality. He does this by personifying romance and reality through Flora Mac Ivor and Rose Bradwardine. Flora, with her passion, represents romance. While Rose, a more mellow character, represents reality. Waverley finds that he must choose between them. Rose is a “kindred spirit” to him, while Flora resembles “one of his daydreams.” They embody these ideas through a physical location. Flora’s location is the romantic Scottish Highlands, and Rose’s location is simply her father’s home. Besides location, the figurative deaths of Flora and Rose embody romance and reality. After her cause has been lost, Flora would like to die, but she settles for joining a nunnery. Rose’s death is more so the death of her way of life. In the end Flora’s fate shows that romance has a bright, short life, while Rose shows that reality lets us survive through anything.