ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book traces the origins of the Scarlet Pimpernel series in print culture, stage and mass media and followed its translation over time to suit different genres, cultures and audiences. It illuminates the process by which a hero whom Baroness Orczy so clearly identified as the archetypal English gentleman has gained global currency. The book shows how Orczy took her central idea of a secret band of men identified by a single flower and transposed it into widely differing historical and political circumstances. It argues the roots of the Scarlet Pimpernel lie deep in nationalist legend, from the Arthurian Knights to the embellished exploits of Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. The book explores ideas of the rescue fantasy, and transgressive gender responses only insofar as they throw light on author central argument.