The themes imbedded in Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge are a clear reflection of 19th century attitudes. During the Victorian era there was a strong class emphasis, women were second-class citizens, and there was a culture of prudishness and sexual repression. In this essay I will examine three specific themes and how they reflect the values and attitudes of the 19th century. Firstly I will analyse the importance of reputation, followed by the function and role of females in a patriarchal society. Finally I will look at marriage out of economic necessity and how the novel portrays this.
The importance of reputation is a constant theme that stems from the rigid social structure of the 19th century. The structure of the social classes created a large amount of social exclusion and exploitation. This was due to the distinguishable inequalities between the classes – such as wealth, power, authority and working conditions. The Novel illustrates this when Susan speaks to Elizabeth regarding her ‘inferior’ job at the King of Prussia hotel, a job that reflects low status and lack of wealth. She states “On no account ought ye to have helped serve here to-night. Not because of ourselves, but for the sake of him. If he should befriend us, and take us up, and then find out what you did when staying here”. Susan’s words “not because of ourselves” demonstrate the theme the strongest. Susan speaks as if she has no choice to choose how people regard her – only that if she does not act of the highest status that she may be rejected from both Henchard and society. Henchard too regards reputation with the utmost importance. In the early pages of the novel, while Henchard is searching for his wife he asks “Did I tell my name to anybody last night, or didn’t I tell my name?” Immediately we see, despite Henchard’s regret for his actions, he is more concerned with his reputation. Henchard asks about his ‘name’ for fear that it may have lost its power to be publicly recognized for achievement and reliability.
