Whether of High or low estate

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Nicole 13S- Eng Lit.

“Whether of high or low estate, Hardy highlights how women are either insignificant workers or pawns in Male power-games in his novel, “The Mayor of Casterbridge”. To what extent do you agree”

The treatment of women in Hardy’s novel “The Mayor of Casterbridge” may bring into question whether Hardy has highlighted that Women are either insignificant workers or Pawns in Male-Power struggles, as the statement argues. Hardy has also portrayed that whether indeed they are of High estate like Susan and Lucetta or of Low estate like the furmity women; women are indeed still controlled by men.

Hardy’s novel “The Mayor of Casterbridge” brings into question Victorian patriarchal Morality through Henchard’s treatment of Women. For example, Henchard treats Susan like property. The reader can immediately see this in the first chapter, where he sells Susan for five guineas. Furthermore, as the novel progresses, Henchard has a reunion with Susan. Henchard attempts to have control over Susan, as shown for example, in his letter which reads “Meet me at eight o’clock tonight….Keep her so till I have seen you” and with that letter, he sends 5 guineas, conveying how he sees her as property and how he wants to have patriarchal dominance over her again. This therefore makes the statement agreeable, as it is clear, that women, despite their estate, are continued to be controlled by men, due to Victorian morality.

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Hardy further explores the patriarchal dominance that women have experienced, through the character of Lucetta. Henchard, as with Susan, attempts to control his relationship with Lucetta. Henchard is determined to force Lucetta to marry him, threatening to “reveal our intimacy-in common fairness to other men,” and he speaks with a confident and controlled tone, making his threat more effective. The reader further sees Henchard’s tendency to control women when Henchard tells Lucetta “Oh you false woman! You promised me!” and his anger is emphasized through the heavy use of exclamation marks. Henchard further tells her “And now I’ve a tendency ...

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