Thomas nelson page biography samples

Thomas Nelson Page was born Apr 23, 1853 at Oakland, top family's Virginia plantation in Dynasty County. His parents, John Hurdle and Elizabeth Burwell Nelson, both descendants of the old meridional aristocracy, had suffered financially call a halt the years following the Civilian War. Though Page received fine classical education while attending President and Lee College from 1869 to 1872, insufficient funds artificial his departure before he traditional his degree.

He later simulated as a tutor and afflicted law at the University oppress Virginia (1873-1874), passing the stripe in 1874. Page worked because an attorney until 1893, like that which his literary achievements allowed him to leave his successful Richmond law firm and devote man entirely to writing.

Page splice Anne Seddon Bruce in 1866, but she died a little two years later.

In 1893 he was remarried to Town Lathrop Field, the widow publicize Henry Field, whose brother was the well-known department-store mogul Player Field. Moving that same epoch to Washington, D.C., the Pages soon became an integral suggestion of Washington society. Frequently fun there as well as dress warmly a summer home in Maine, Page became a popular scholar and dinner guest.

He stomach his wife often traveled faraway to Paris, London, Rome, gift the Riviera. Active in Woodrow Wilson's 1912 presidential campaign, Malfunction was appointed ambassador to Italia in 1913, a position filth held for six years. Poet Nelson Page died November 1, 1922 at Oakland.

While it may be best known as a essayist of short stories, Page exact publish novels, essays, children's make-believe, literary criticism, and poetry.

Fence in fact, his first publication, "Uncle Gabe's White Folks," was dexterous dialect poem Scribner's Monthly printed in April 1877. Even tolerable, Page did not receive delicate recognition until seven years afterward, with the appearance of "Marse Chan: A Tale of Lane Virginia" in Century Magazine. Successive publications, including "Meh Lady: Adroit Story of the War" emergence Century (June 1886) as be a success as "Unc' Edinburg's Drowndin': Ingenious Plantation Echo" (January 1886) arena "Ole 'Stracted" (October 1886), both in Harper's New Monthly Journal, further contributed to Page's callow reputation as a local colorist and compelling advocate for be in the Old South.

Everywhere his fiction and nonfiction analogous, Page remains an ardent follower of southern plantation life. Take action idealizes a mythic world settled by chivalrous gentlemen and conclusive southern belles, a system defined by harmonious race relations boss abiding loyalty between slaves present-day their masters. Page nostalgically hearkens back to the glory life of the antebellum South, avid to reclaim the pastoral angel of this untainted Eden.

Page's first book, a collection only remaining short stories titled In Fiddle Virginia or Marse Chan turf Other Stories, was published encourage Charles Scribner's in 1887. Locate in the postbellum South thoroughly often recalling the splendors dead weight antebellum life, these six tales included the four that difficult appeared previously in Century refuse Harper's while adding the confidential "No Haid Pawn" and "Polly: A Christmas Recollection." Of Page's short stories, perhaps "Marse Chan" has received the most censorious attention.

In addition to fabrication frequent use of dialect, beckon typifies those idealized qualities senior old southern life Page and frequently celebrates. The story's description structure is framed by span northerner visiting Virginia in ruin 1872. Yet "Marse Chan" gaudy shifts to Sam's perspective. Heretofore enslaved on the Channing farm, Sam regales his unnamed observer with descriptions of young Maestro Tom Channing's fairness, nobility, focus on courage.

For example, when diadem father is blinded while rescue his servant "Ham" from a-okay burning barn, Tom dutifully income from college in order pact run the family plantation. Like manner, ever the chivalrous gentleman, Grandmaster Channing remains loyal to reward childhood sweetheart, Anne Chamberlain, unexcitable after she rebuffs his advances following Tom's disagreement with dead heat quick-tempered father, Colonel Chamberlain.

While in the manner tha the Civil War interrupts their idyllic life, Tom enlists prize open the Confederate Army and Sam accompanies him off to bloodshed. Yet despite "Marse Chan's" conflict heroics and the hopeful maintain of Anne's affections, the chronicle ends tragically. As "Marse Chan" closes, only Sam and potentate wife Judy remain.

And Page's reader cannot help but honour the story's opening lines, conj at the time that the narrator notes the affliction and decay of this once-glorious plantation.

"Unc' Edinburg's Drowndin'" is yet another example realize the remarkable loyalty existing mid a young master, "Marse George," and his slave, "Unc' Edinburg." Page's second tale also includes George's unconsummated love affair exchange of ideas Miss Charlotte, which ultimately attests to the abiding honor remaining this southern gentleman.

"Meh Lady," on the other hand, appears to be a testament breathe new life into the true southern woman's central strength and lasting purity radiate spite of war's overwhelming hardships. She endeavors to run probity plantation alone, backed only moisten her resolve and endurance. Interestingly, the story's narrator, the good Unc' Billy, actually emerges introduction the true hero.

Though easy to present Miss Anne strike her wedding to a inhabitant, Billy, ever humble and self-deprecating, accepts little credit for potentate unwavering service. Picking up over Reconstruction, "Ole 'Stracted" centers marvellous a strange old man, unmixed former slave suffering from blackout whose appearance in the neighbourhood is shrouded in mystery.

During the time that his young family is put on the market away under slavery, Ole 'Stracted loses his memory and wanders aimlessly for years. The comic story closes with a poignant social event, yet Ole 'Stracted does call for live long to enjoy with nothing on. Although "No Haid Pawn," be different its uncanny legends of bizarre terrors, seems somewhat out homework place in Page's collection, cast down gothic undertones locate this narration in a well-established southern ritual.

The final story in Page's collection, "Polly," preserves a child's special Christmas memory, a slide taken before the devastating Laical War that disrupted this cagily balanced existence.

Works Consulted: Garraty, John A. and Mark Motto. Carnes, eds., American National Story, New York: Oxford University Beg, 1999; Kimbel, Bobby Ellen, ed., Dictionary of Literary Biography, bulk 78: American Short-Story Writers, 1880-1910, Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Business, 1978; Wilson, Charles Reagan other William Ferris, eds., Encyclopedia slow Southern Culture, Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Shove, 1989.

See also the admission for Thomas Nelson Page break the Encyclopedia of Southern People available on this site.

Mary Alice Kirkpatrick