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Lady Gregory · English Literature

In Lady Gregory's sharp satire 'Hyacinth Halvey' (1906), what unusual dilemma faces the young protagonist when he arrives in the small town of Cloon?

  1. Glowing recommendation letters burden him so he cannot live up to his flawless reputation.
  2. He is arrested by mistaken identity for a bank robbery committed by his identical twin.
  3. He finds the town postmaster has been destroying his private correspondence.
  4. The local priest forces him into an amateur step-dancing competition against his will.
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Correct answer: Glowing recommendation letters burden him so he cannot live up to his flawless reputation.

Hyacinth Halvey arrives in Cloon trapped by a reputation for perfect morality that he never wanted. In a desperate attempt to free himself from the town's suffocating expectations, he tries to commit petty crimes, such as stealing a sheep carcass and robbing a church poorbox, but each act accidentally results in him looking like a hero. The comedy satirizes how a community's collective illusions can trap an individual in a false identity.

Difficulty: Medium Question 9 of 10

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