Keywords

waverley, flora, rose, romance, reality, women, deaths, lives, mac-ivor, bradwardine

Abstract

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.

Document Type

Class Project or Paper

Publication Date

2016-03-27

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu//1877/3587

Language

English

College

Humanities

Department

English

University Standing at Time of Publication

Junior

Course

English 374

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