Our Willa Cather story for July is “The Clemency of the Court,” which takes us back to the Great Plains. It appeared in the October 26, 1893 issue of The Hesperian.
In the June 8, 1893 issue of The Hesperian, it was announced that Cather was elected managing editor for the next school year. She had been one of two literary associates prior to this honor. In the old board’s announcement of the new board, there are several mentions about how this new progressive board will no doubt work in harmony. Methinks this smacks of some recent behind-the-scenes drama.
Click here to read “The Clemency of the Court” on the Willa Cather Archive and see how it originally appeared here in The Hesperian on the Nebraska Newspapers archive.
Misery on the Great Plains
This is a dark story that includes child abuse, killing a dog, and prison torture.
The setting is the western part of an unnamed state of the Great Plains where Serge Povolitchky, the protagonist, was born. Like “Peter” and “Lou, The Prophet,” this is a story about an isolated individual who suffers at the hands of others.
What’s next?
Read “The Clemency of the Court” sometime this month and then come back to discuss it on the response post I’ll share on July 28th, the fourth Wednesday of the month. Or, feel free to read it now and comment here if you can’t wait until then!
New to this blog? Learn more about the Willa Cather Short Story Project here. In a nutshell, we’re reading one Cather short story a month. I remind everyone of what story we’re reading on the second Wednesday of the month and then share a response on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Jump in anytime!