The novella Legends of the Fall starts off, “late in October in 1914 three brothers rode from Choteau, Montana, to Calgary in Alberta to enlist in the Great War (the U.S. did not enter until 1917)” (Harrison 195). As a person reads this novella they can take away lessons that are displayed. Throughout the piece of literature, we learn lessons on family, loyalty, and love. All of the lessons brought forth bring a deeper meaning into the novella. Ludlow has three sons in the story whom he loves deeply. Alfred was the oldest brother, Tristan was the middle brother, and Samuel is the youngest brother. Just like in most families a lesson is connected on siblings and the rolls they play in everyday life. The oldest son was responsible and caring, …show more content…
“Tristan’s guilt was specific and limited to the dead body of his brother, the heart sunk in a canister of paraffin” (Harrison, 221). Due to the guilt he was faced with, Tristan was determined to escape and go to his grandfather’s place that was located in Cornwall. It took him many days before he had arrived at his grandfather’s home, but he completed his mission.
From here he then went to Dedham where he met Susannah and declared he would marry her. His family found the timing to be inconvenient and only a select number of people attended the ceremony. This is another way that Tristan is trying to deal with the grief that he has been handed in life. His reasoning for becoming married is that he could make a son that would replace his brother, Samuel. Tristan knew that this move was a selfish one, but he could not fathom anything else.
He was crazy in love and the sad fact was that it was only because of the stress caused of his brother dying. During this time the woman who had been giving Samuel’s watch had come bearing it. The love between him and Susannah though was never true love. Tristan came and went when he please. Additionally, he wrote her a letter telling her that she could move on from him, but she had never real got over