18th-century Literature

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Note: This guide is included in the course, Introduction to Literature.

Written by the Hungarian-born Baroness Orczy (1865-1947) (her actual name is Emma Magdalena Rosalia Maria Josefa Barbara Orczy), who was also an artist, The Scarlet Pimpernel is only one of the many books written by this prolific author. There is an entire series about the adventures of Sir Percy Blakeney

The basic plot of the novel is simple: the French revolutionary government wants to have the head of the courageous Scarlet Pimpernel, a pseudonym for an Englishman, who commands a small—but dedicated—group of men who rescue many victims from death. Why does such a man endanger his life in order to save a few French nobles? Undoubtedly, the Scarlet Pimpernel has absolutely nothing else to do. This was a diversion, a daring pastime, to end the tedium common to a life of leisure. Truly, the life of the Scarlet Pimpernel is hardly boring or commonplace.