The Beggar Queen
 | This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (December 2011) |
 First edition | |
| Author | Lloyd Alexander |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Westmark trilogy |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Published | 1984 (E. P. Dutton) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 235 (first, hardback) |
| ISBN | 0-440-90548-6 (first edition, hardback) |
| Preceded by | The Kestrel |
The Beggar Queen (1984) is a fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the concluding book of a series often called the Westmark trilogy.[1]
Origins
[edit]Lloyd Alexander, when discussing the series and particularly the first novel, attributed its inspiration to the atmosphere of pre-Revolutionary France and figures of the early nineteenth and late eighteenth centuries like Alessandro Cagliostro, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the paintings of Francisco Goya.[2] He noted that the Westmark series was written as a way of processing his complicated feelings about the world and his personal life. Alexander additionally observed that the trilogy straddled the line between fantasy and not, labelling it as "quite different from my others."[3] Like his Chronicles of Prydain, Alexander acknowledged that "an awful lot of situations in Westmark" were inspired by his service in World War II.[4] When addressing a 1985 conference of the Children's Literature Association, he specifically noted that "in The Kestrel and The Beggar Queen, I relied upon my own experiences and observations of some forty years ago."[2] In an interview, Alexander also commented that the process of writing the trilogy was "a profoundly disturbing and painful emotional experience" and that the content and themes were "very meaningful and very painful" for him to write about. Apparently, this led to the much lighter adventure comedies of the Vesper Holly books.[4]
Plot Summary
[edit]The peace between the new constitutional order in Westmark and the kingdom of Regia is fragile. Regia's king, Constantine, supports the liberal and representative reforms that Westmark is implementing. Reactionary elites, including his uncle, do not. Constantine's uncle cooperates with other opponents of the new Westmark regime to fund a coup supporting the return of Cabbarus and supply him with mercenaries. Constantine discovers his uncle's plot to assassinate him to stop the reformist movement and sentences him to a firing squad. Meanwhile, Cabbarus, styling himself as Director, has set sail for Westmark with his troops.
In Westmark, Theo is wrestling with his duties as a consul. His two counterparts, Florian (the erstwhile revolutionary) and Justin (a radical and Theo's rival), prove to be difficult to coordinate with. The indefinite postponement of his marriage to Mickle, the reigning Queen of Westmark, does not help matters. For her part, Mickle has been seeking a path to transition to a more republican form of government and therefore freedom to marry Theo and rule her life as she pleases. Her research and politicking are interrupted when armed soldiers burst into her room. The ailing Queen Mother and other Mickle loyalists perish as a result of the coup. Theo and the other consuls manage to avoid arrest, with Justin fleeing the capital and Florian getting into contact with Theo and Mickle. It is decided that Florian will attempt to solicit aid from Constantine in Regia while Mickle and Theo organize the citizenry in armed urban resistance to Cabbarus and his regime.
Cabbarus's Directorate begins public executions and utilizes agents, such as Theo's would-be assassin Skeit, to surveil the population. Justin makes contact with Theo, Las Bombas, and other leaders of the pro-Mickle faction and insists that the urban resistance begin to fight violently instead of passively smuggling arms and slowing down the occupation. Theo in particular is troubled by this and wishes to avoid reenacting his past as Colonel Kestrel. Mickle warns Theo against trying to impress Justin and then the raids begin. The violence of the resistance is met with reprisals at the gallows and in the streets. As the resistance intensifies, Mickle and Theo receive word that Florian is on his way back with supporters. After Theo informs Justin that Florian is about to return, he is informed that Justin's army is positioning itself for an invasion of the capital city. Justin also demands that Theo recognize his command authority.
While the resistance and revolutionaries are feuding, Cabbarus's government proceeds to shut down independent publications and seize printing presses. In response, anti-Cabbarus publications become more popular than ever. Even the constabulary sways against Cabbarus. When Theo is arrested, the leading anti-Cabbarus writer, a man named Keller, coordinates with Mickle and her coalition to spring him out of prison. As the raid to free Theo commences, the city bursts into an uprising unprompted by either Justin's army or the resistance led by Mickle and Theo and everyday citizens set the Directorate's gallows ablaze. Barricades rise and the mercenaries and regime loyalists find themselves being fired upon from every angle. Justin's army chooses this as the moment to enter the city and Justin confronts Theo for refusing to cooperate with him. Theo informs Justin that the people have taken it upon themselves to revolt. Mickle and Theo are then seized by the men of Cabbarus while Justin is mortally wounded. Before Justin dies, Theo promises him to support a republic.
As Mickle and Theo are brought before Cabbarus, Skeit (Cabbarus's secret agent) notices that Florian and his army have arrived. Skeit does not inform Cabbarus of this and disputes with the Director about his payment. Cabbarus initially refuses to pay Skeit and then strikes him in the head with a candlestick before bringing Mickle and Theo into his office. He attempts to negotiate Mickle's return to the throne, as well as Theo's marriage to her, in exchange for supporting his rule. Skeit interrupts the Director with a dagger to the heart and then falls dead to the floor. Mickle and Theo escape from the office using the same trapdoor that Cabbarus had used to try to kill her as a child. They are then found and rescued by some of the victorious citizenry.
Most of the resistance's leadership has fallen in the streets fighting, but the survivors have formed a provisional government headed by Count Las Bombas. Mickle, Theo, Las Bombas, Florian, and other leaders meet. Mickle announces that she is abdicating in favor of a republic and declares her official marriage to Theo. Florian warns her that for her safety and the stability of Westmark she must go into exile if she follows through with the abdication. She acknowledges this and plans to travel the world with Theo, Las Bombas, and Musket the dwarf (Las Bombas's loyal attendant). The story ends with Mickle honoring her loyalists and the citizens of Westmark as the four set sail to a new life.
Reception
[edit]Noted feminist magazine New Directions for Women praised Alexander's "skillful interweaving of several fascinating themes," including censorship, regime change and political revolution. New Directions also lauded the depiction of Queen Mickle as being "Capable of commanding armies in battle but never losing her compassion, Mickle's love for justice remains her overriding moral law." Of course, the periodical recognized the novel wasn't perfect and lamented how Beggar Queen "doesn't quite live up to the first two" entries in the trilogy.[5] Boys' Life was also largely positive, calling Beggar Queen "a historical fantasy" and praised both the novel and the Westmark series for its "interesting characters, plot twists and exciting action."[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Some Fantastic Stories" (review). Jon C. Halter. Boys Life. August 1984. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
- ^ a b Alexander, Lloyd (Winter 1986). "Future Conditional". Children's Literature Association Quarterly. 10 (4): 165.
- ^ Greenlaw, M. Jean (April 1984). "Profile: Lloyd Alexander". Language Arts. 61 (4): 406–13. doi:10.58680/la198425964.
- ^ a b Tunnell, Michael O. (Spring 1989). "An Interview with Lloyd Alexander". The New Advocate. 2 (2): 83–95.
- ^ Martin-Leff, Ann (1985). "For Young Readers". New Directions for Women. 14 (4): 16.