Rob Roy (novelle)
Rob Roy is an 1817 novelle by Walter Scott, anent Frank Osbaldistone, the son o an Inglis merchand that gangs tae the Scots Hielands tae collect a det stowen frae his faither. Rob Roy MacGregor, that the beuk's name is taen frae, kythes in the beuk twa-three times, but he's no the heidmaist chairacter (in fact the story disna muive tae Scotland till hauf wey throu the beuk).
The beuk is wrate maistly in Inglis, but pairts o it is in Scots an a kynd o Anglifee'd Gaelic.
Plot
eeditThe story taks place at the time o the 1715 Jacobite Risin. The plot haes been creeticised as disjyntit; the hintend specially is hurried.
Frank Osbaldistone, the narrator, faws oot wi his faither an is sent tae bide wi an uncle, Sir Hildebrand Osbaldistone, in Northumberland. Frank faws in luve wi Diana Vernon, Sir Hildebrand's neice, wha's faither haes been forced tae gae intae hidin acause o his Jacobite seempathies. Frank's kizzen, Rashleigh, chores important documents vital for the honour o Frank's faither, William, an Frank hunds efter Rashleigh tae Scotland. There he meets wi Rob Roy MacGregor, an associate o Diana's faither. Whan Rashleigh attacks Franks, he is kilt by Rob Roy. Aw Sir Hildebrand's ither sons is kilt in Jacobite Rebellion, an Frank inherits Sir Hildebrand's property an mairries on Diana.
The novelle is a bruital realistic pictur o the social condeetions in Hieland an Lawland Scotland in the early 18t Century. The Hieland fowk is compeared wi Native Americans, as regairds their preemative, isolatit lifestyle.
Backgrund
eeditRob Roy wis wrate frae the Ware o 1817 an setten furth on Hogmanay o thon year. Like the oreeginal Waverley novelle is wis pitten furth anonymously an cam in three vollums. There wis gey muckle demaund for the novelle an a hail ship frae Leith tae Lunnon conteent naething but a hail edeetion o it.
The novelle cam oot at a time whan mony Europeans stairtit regrettin colonialism an imperialism as wittins cam back tae thaim o ugsome atrocities taewart pretmative culturs athort the warld. It wis a time whan there wis a muckle collogue anent the sclave tredd an aw, the Breetish occupation o Indie, an, mair relevant tae the novelle, the disasterous effect o the Hieland Clearances. Mony scrievers gies praise tae pre-comercial culturs an their defiance agin the corruptin influence o mercat imperialism an "ceevilised" vailyies. William Wordsworth wrate The Conventions of Cintra, praisin Spanyie resistance tae Napoleonic force; Byron wad gae on tae praise Amazonian weemen in Child Harold's Pilgrimage , turinin tapsalteery the the "polite" ordinar views o femininity that the modren "ceevilised" warld pit on them; an, finally, Scott himsel wad write aboot seemilar happenins in The Visions of Don Roderick. Whit wis bein heized up or Scott wrate Rob Roy wis a pre-commercial cultur's preemative resistance.
Chairacters
eedit- Francis Osbaldistone, son o an Inglis merchand
- Rashleigh Obaldistone, his kizzen, and the veelain.
- Robert Roy MacGregor Campbell, a Scot, livestock operator, an leader o an auld clan-based curn
- Helen Campbell, his guidwife
- Andrew Fairservice, a canny gairdener
- Diana Vernon, a quean that bides at Obaldistone Hall, the luve intrest.
- Captain Thornton, a gallus an noble Breetish offisher.
Films
eedit- The noel wisna the soorce o the 1995 film o the same name starrin Liam Neeson. It wis, houane'er, the soorce for a Disney film cried Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954).