History Literature / Waverley

* GratuitousForeignLanguage: Done with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_language Scots]] and Scottish Gaelic; however, Scott had some technical difficulties with it (errors made more unfortunate by attempts to [[ShownTheirWork be scholarly about it]]).

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: In-verse Charles is referred to as "the Chevaliar" whenever Whigs and Jacobites converse to avoid calling him either prince or pretender. The narrator does that too as a meta example.

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp: Exploited in a meta-sense. The author is knowingly taking advantage of a change in politics to write a book with sympathetic Jacobite characters, an attractive portrayal of Bonnie Prince Charlie and even an admission in the introduction that he had a friend who was a Jacobite. All things that would draw unpleasant attention within living memory. And he ends up knighted for it.
** Scot still takes the trouble to call Charles "Chevaliar" [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad in preference to]] [[TakeAThirdOption "prince" or "pretender"]]
** ''Waverley'' was still published annonymously. Though this seems to have been more because of personal embarrassment then any other reason.

* AltumVidetur: Bradwardine speaks a large portion of his dialogue in latin

* AFatherToHisMen: Fergus' last request to Waverley is that he take care of his clan. Waverly at the end has enough money from his father's will to do so.

* ClearMyName: Waverley is accused of instigating defection in the British regiment he is in. All the Whig characters are relieved that nothing of the kind happened and that he didn't join the Jacobites until resigning his commission so his [[HonorBeforeReason honor]] is intact. Waverly could still theoretically be executed for treason and several of his friends are. But that is just for picking the wrong side in a CivilWar, not being an [[TheOathbreaker oathbreaker]] so there is NothingPersonal.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: Evan offers to go to the rest of his clan and recruit six men to die in Fergus' place and [[HonorBeforeReason come back himself]] to be executed. He at least believes he can find the [[UndyingLoyalty volunteers.]]

* IOweYouMyLife: Talbot to Waverly after Waverly first beats him down in a melee and then intervenes to ward off the highlander that is about to strike a finishing blow.

* KangarooCourt: Subverted. No one suggests that Furgus' trial isn't as fair as can be expected under the circumstances, even Fergus, although everyone knows the outcome. Talbot points out that Fergus may be an admirable person in many ways but he was clearly not a silly boy like Waverly. While Fergus defies the judges by pointing out that if the judges don't execute him they have to execute themselves as either he is a rebel or they are.

* LovedINotHonorMore: Lampshaded. Flora rejects Waverly's advance telling him that she cannot make him a good wife because she is to busy being a good Jacobite.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Waverly first feels this when the Jacobites march through his fathers estate and later when he meets his own former regiment in battle. Flora feels this when Fergus is sentenced to death and she feels responsible for proding him into revolt with her own Jacobite fanaticism.

* ThePardon: Talbot begs this from King George for Waverly effectively arguing, "He's just a silly boy and besides he did it for a girl".

* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Talbot to King George for Waverly. In a downplayed version, Waverly to Prince Charlie for Talbot(Charles has no intention of executing him but has to be convinced to let him go see his family).

* TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar: Colonel Talbot is given a parole and entrusted into Waverley's hands where they spend hours arguing politics with each other. Then Talbot learns from a letter that his wife is ill and the Prince releases him.

* HanoverStuartWars

** [[ShownTheirWork According to notes]] Charles(who was certainly not NewMeat at the time of the revolt) couldn't bring himself to [[VictoryGloating take pleasure]] in his victory at Preston, because he considered the dead English to be [[CivilWar his Father's subjects.]]

* AllThereInTheManuel: Copious notes are given, often interesting in themselves.

* BonnieScotland: The TropeMaker.

* KangarooCourt: Subverted. No one suggests that Furgus' trial isn't as fair as can be expected under the circumstances, even Fergus, although everyone knows the outcome. Talbot points out that Fergus may be an admirable person in many ways but he was clearly not a silly boy like Waverly. While Fergus defies the judges by pointsing out that if the judges don't execute him they have to execute themselves as either he is a rebel or they are.

** {{Waverley}} was still published annonymously. Though this seems to have been more because of personal embarrassment then any other reason.