Hardy: On The Western Circuit

While reading On The Western Circuit, I could not help but be reminded of Cyrano de Bergerac. Young Ann falls for Raye, but being unable to read or write employs the woman who she is living with, Edith, to write the letters for her. Consequently Edith and Raye fall in love through their correspondence, but since Edith is already married, and Raye must marry Ann because of her delicate condition (9).

When Raye realizes Edith has written the letters it is too late, the both must return to their old lives, even though they acknowledge their feelings for each other. Edith acts as the Cyrano of the story, it is her words, her letters that Raye falls in love with not Ann's. Ann is the Christan, nice to look at, but seriously lacking in the ability to carry on an intelligent conversation. Of course, Raye is Roxane, the object of everyone's affections.

However, On The Western Circuit does not conclude with the Edith and Raye in a death embrace, but with  Raye having to face the consequences for his actions. He is the one who seduced Ann because "she was the prettiest girl out of several pretty ones revolving" (1). She was probably just one of several girls who he seduced. The only reason he even continued to correspond with Ann was because of Edith's letters. Aside from his growing love for Edith, he is nothing but a cad who puts his own happiness before his own. Before Edith's letters, he only considered Ann "a summer fancy" (4).However, now that he has married Ann, he must live a life knowing that he married beneath him and will never love his wife. He is trapped in a loveless marriage that will soon corrode no matter how hard he tries to be civil to Ann. He is imprisoned.

Edith is one to pity in this piece. She was at least content with her life before she began writing the letters. She formed a bond Raye and herself. Now her heart belongs to Raye, and she will always remember his kiss and believe the she "ruined him" (9). Edith's life has been turned upside down, and she can do nothing about it. She will now live life mechanically and continually try to forget this experience.