Thomas Mayne Reid The Headless Horseman МБОУ СОШ 1 Г. Александров Владимирская область Учитель английского языка Г.А.Семенова 2013г.

Objectives: To encourage the students to know more about the writer and his book To practice reading and translating To broaden the students outlook

Thomas Mayne Reid was born in a poor family in Ireland in1818. He lived most of his life in America. As the correspondent of the newspaper he participated in the American- Mexican war, where he was wounded. In 1848 he retired with the rank of captain. He went to Europe and settled in London.

He decided to devote himself to literature. His first novel was published in It was dedicated to the Mexican war. Then his best novels were coming out.

When the writer was 49, he returned to America. He struggled against racial oppression. He spent his last years in England. Mayne Reid is one of the most popular authors in many countries.

Novel The Headless Horseman Characters Maurice Gerald, the mustanger Louise Poindexter, the daughter of Mr. Poindexter, the planter Cassius Calhoun, an ex-officer of volunteers Henry Poindexter, Louises brother Isidora Covarubio de los Llanos, the girl who was saved by Maurice Gerald Zebulon Stump, a hunter, a friend of Maurice Gerald Woodley Poindexter, a sugar planter, who lost most of his money and plantation

The Subject of the Book The events take place in 1850s. Woodley Poindexter – a sugar planter from Louisiana,who had lost most of his money, was going to a new home in Texas together with his son Henry, daughter Louise and his nephew Cassius Calhoun. Maurice Gerald, a young horseman, showed them the way in the prairie. Louise loved him at the first sight. They exchanged letters and then began to meet secretly. Cassius Calhoun loved Louise too. He wanted to kill Maurice and told Henry about their meeting. There was a quarrel between Henry and Maurice.

The next day the planters family gathered in the dining-room for breakfast but Henry was absent. Suddenly his horse appeared at the gate of the hacienda. It was wet and excited. There were spots of blood over his shoulders. The search-party started to go through the opening. The sun was low down when the men saw a horseman without a head. Everybody thought that Maurice was a murderer and decided to go to his hut. The search-party found Geralds hut. When Woodley Poindexter came into the hut he saw his daughter there and a wounded mustanger. Zeb Stump decided to help Maurice Gerald. He came to the headless horseman and understood he was Henry Poindexter.

All people came for the trial of Maurice Gerald – known as the mustanger. Zeb Stump came to the judge and jury conducting Cassius Calhoun and the headless horseman. He saw how Calhoun tried to catch the horseman to get rid of the direct evidence. Soon it was clear that Cassius Calhoun was the murderer. Calhoun tried to escape. Then he fired the bullet in the mustangers heart but luckily it hit a small locket – a gift from Louise Poindexter. In despair Calhoun shot himself. The planter was no longer against Louises marriage to Maurice Gerald. He was even happy, because, in fact, Sir Maurice Gerald, the Irish baronet who inherited a large fortune.

Conclusion: Humanism and sense of justice, the skill of the plot are interesting to the readers even nowadays.

I advise you to read the other books by Th.M.Reid : The White Chief The Quadroon Oceola

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