This closeness with nature is only one part of the rustics’ tradition; they have many superstitions, codes of conduct and beliefs which we find difficult to understand as modern day inhabitants of the ‘madding crowd’. Many of their superstitions have pagan roots mixed with an overlay of Christianity. This is shown in their fear to bury the dead Fanny at night. Bathsheba insists that it would be an “Un-Christian thing to do”, but they also obviously fear the dead will come back to life if they show a lack of respect here. A form of divination is also used in the traditional ‘key and bible’ method of foretelling who they will marry by Bathsheba and Liddy. Such traditions are demonstrated throughout Hardy’s novel and they show the rustics’ attachment to the ways of the past ill-founded system of traditional beliefs. There is a general dislike of significant change; the old Malster says rather ironically bearing in mind the timing of the novel that times are “a-stirring” when only a tree is uprooted. An inadvertent observer could be tempted to see their life as quite monotone and lacking the spark often associated with a fast-paced city rhythm of change, but a deeper insight will see that their lives prove to be full of oddities and spontaneous events occurring in their slightly ‘eccentric’ society.
Much of the way life is lived stretches back to a previous existence .the “God-forgive me” cup is a symbol of this veneration for the old ways, being a two handled mug which ahs been shared round in Warren’s Malthouse among all the drinkers present for nearly a century. The God forgive me cup to modern taste seems a reckless ignorance of hygiene posing a most unsanitary threat, but its primary function seems to be to provide comfort and solace to the hardworking labourers who feel a bond of community when the they drink from it. It is a reminder of the cup owner’s own age and a jest at the expense of the last man to drain it empty when he reads the inscription and is reminded of his drinking to excess. It is this kind of “relic” from the past surviving in the actual present of the novel which helps to breathe life into the very traditional world of the novel. Hardy’s portrayal of these people is neither idealised nor highly critical; it shows all the aspects of their lives so that the reader can judge the Weatherbury folk for himself.
The rustics at first impression seem to be portrayed as a chorus, capable of commenting ion their mistress in a comic witty manner, but when called into action themselves seem a decidedly disorganised bunch of workers needing the leadership of a Gabriel Oak to help organise them to help extinguish a fire. Yet Thomas Hardy shows the Weatherbury folk as team with members who compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene both show additional ambition and determination of will setting them slightly apart from and probably above, the normal standard for the locality.
The social expectations of women are even more prescribed than for men at this time. Bathsheba seems something of a role model in some aspects due to her ambitious personality, and the determination she shows to run her own farm without a bailiff in defiance of current prejudices. In conventional 1840s’ thinking women had a lesser role in society; they were expected to be dependent on a man-whether it was their father or husband , and rarely dominated ‘men’s’ work.
Fanny Robin’s fate in the workhouse reveals how desperately cruel society at large could be to a woman who falls out of society’s rather strict code of respectable female behaviour. The bitter reality of the workhouse for the destitute demonstrates the way the workers are dependent on their employer not only for finance, but also for a means of life and a place to stay. The employees of Bathsheba rely on her to maintain the financial well being of the estate for their mutual survival. They need her to manage their work, to plan out what they have to do on a seasonal basis, though they seem quite enthusiastic so carry out her orders. Their fortunes are completely interwoven as a collective unit. This makes them seem more of a choric group, although they have fascinating personalities and perform unpredictable actions which make the story more interesting. Joseph’s Poorgrasses amusing anecdotes provide a comic relief, which brings a smile to even the most cynical of modern readers. Thomas Hardy captures the charm of country life through these obliging, well-meaning rustics for all their faults and apparent dependence on others.Coggan’s drinking problem and Pennyways’ greed hint at a darker side of country life, making it all the more realistic, Hardy treads a careful balance between the obvious strengths of Wessex’s stable, ordered qualities and its slightly less stable, ordered qualities and its slightly less attractive underbelly. While the old malster provides a perfect example of the tradition of extensive families in the neighbourhoods, with the Smallbury family seeming almost as numerous as the quantity of years he ha graced Weatherbury with his existence , Hardy carefully contrasts the malster’s longevity with the tragically premature death of Fanny and the imprisonment for life for Boldwood. This society may be far from the “madding crowd” ,but it can often broach the brink of insanity itself.
The use of distinct English country dialect is noticeable in this novel since Hardy gives every rustic a distinct way of talking which helps to set the ‘mood’ in the novel-taking the reader back in time to the 1840s village world of Wessex where roads are dirt tracks and five pounds could still buy a home. The interesting part of Hardy’s style of writing is the way he makes the dialect plausible and authentic, yet understandable by someone who does not necessarily understand what the words mean :
“Miss is dusting bottles, sir, and is quite a object-that’s why ‘tis.”
The use of words such as ‘tis and cause’ emphasizes the country intonation used in many conversations between the rustics and adds to the homely feeling that is Wessex before the industrial revolution. Hardy is truly a talented author who wrote not only books, but numerous poems full of intrigue and mystery such as ‘The Haunter’ and ‘At the railway station’ ,some of which reveal a rather mystifying language, not wholly typical of this particular novel. Some of Hardy’s characters in “Far from the Madding Crowd” end up being ‘recycled’ in his later works, for example in “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” with the characters of Alec and the heroine Tess. This book is the fourth of Hardy’s novels attempting to preserve the treasures of country life, a theme he was to return to in 1888 when writing the Wessex tales.
In 1840 there were obviously no trains or buses in the countryside; automobiles would not grace the roads for another forty six years and planes were not even the inkling of an idea in the Wright brothers’ minds. For this reason only a few ventured outside their city of birth, let alone to another country. The Weatherbury fold are much alike in this aspect, living in a closely-knit community where everybody knows everyone and where a century hardly alters the pattern on a shepherd’s smock. The industrial revolution is near, however, and Hardy wanted to show this oppressive new way of life approaching as the book progresses. Gabriel Oak is unusual in expressing a desire to move to America and, although this is not mentioned in the book, John Schlesinger’s “Far from the Madding Crowd” features a scene where some of the workers inform Bathsheba of his desire to migrate to another place in search of work.
The rustics have a limited view of the world around them which results in slightly timid individuals ,such as Joseph Poorgrass, into taking religion and life overall too seriously. Joseph is himself a fascinating study, with his excessive politeness to the owl who seems to have inquired for his name,
“Whoo-whoo-whoo! As owls do, you know shepherd,”
and his reliance on God to open the Lambing Down gate. The rustics overall have many unusual narratives and adventures to tell about themselves, such as Hennery Fray and his particular way of spelling his name or the unusual tale of how Gabriel Oak’s young apprentice, Cainy Ball, got his name. The rustics are individually realized, yet often portrayed as a single chorus, much like the servant class of Shakespeare’s plays, not the most important characters in the latter yet the plays would lose their flavour without them. The portrayal of Wessex is the portrayal of its people, since their country way of life and approach to different situations makes their home village reflect their style of life. The malthouse itself is much like a shrine where the working class can meet and exchange talk of their daily toils and troubles working on the farm under Bathsheba Everdeene. It is interesting to see how the servants enjoy to gossip about their masters, in this case they seem to be united by the many rumours surrounding Bathsheba and her psychedelic relationships with a range of different men, from the humble Oak to the gallant Troy and the slightly obsessed Boldwood.Like in many cultures and societies ,gossip is a way of exchanging different opinions and points of views about trivial or solemn matters, and becomes for the reader an engrossing insight into the essential character of Wessex attitudes.
To conclude this interpretation is not an idealised one nor is it too critical of their way of life. Hardy simply re wrote his childhood memories as the Weatherbury farm of Bathsheba. His book is not overly analytical, so it does not give the reader a full explanation of the reasoning behind their actions. Whether guided by tradition or their individuality, the lives of these Wessex folk are a constant source of pleasure and amusement for the modern readers.
