The Clemency of the Court
"The Clemency of the Court" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published on 26 October 1893 in The Hesperian.[1]
Title explanation[]
The title refers to Serge's being in prison for the rest of his life rather than being given the death penalty.
Plot summary[]
Serge, a man who was brought up by a Russian woman after his mother died, kills the babushka's husband after he kills Serge's dog. Serge is then sent to a borstal. The story ends with the rationale that even though life was tough in Russia, the United States cares for their children no better.
Characters[]
- Serge Povolitchsky, a young man whose Russian mother drowned in a pond
- Mrs Sholdi Davis, the Russian woman who cares for Serge
- Mr Davis, Sholdi's husband
- Matushka, Serge's dog
References[]
- ^ Willa Cather's Collected Short Fiction, University of Nebraska Press; Rev Ed edition, 1 Nov 1970, page 540
External links[]
- Full Text at the Willa Cather Archive
Categories:
- 1893 short stories
- Short stories by Willa Cather
- Works originally published in the Daily Nebraskan