This leads him to sell his wife and his daughter to a sailor. Henchard becomes very bitter, and psychologically damaged, he vows never to drink again for 21 years.
Whereas in chapter 44; Henchard makes his way through the countryside and eventually arrives at Weydon-Priors, the very spot where he sold his wife more than twenty-five years earlier. Evoking the interval where Henchard strolled through the countryside, arriving at the furmity tent, accomplished, and then lost.
We also see Henchard looking for work in Weydon-Priors as a hay trusser in chapter 1. Later, he is forced to look for work as a hay trusser in chapter 44 as ‘he ends up the way, which he had come’ because of his deceitful lies and his authoritative arrogance.
Hardy presents Henchard very well, implicating that he is a hard working person skilled countryman, as he takes long strides in his walks, indicating that he is always in a rush. His physicality is very noticeable as he it quotes “The man of a fine figure, swarthy, and stern in aspect; and he showed in profile a facial angle so slightly inclined as to be perpendicular”, which in Victorian times, this indicates that he is arrogant, stubborn and hard working. His suit is almost a working class suit as the colours don’t seem to contrast with each other. I believe Hardy’s description is brilliant as he emphasis Henchard’s physicality very well, stereotyping the man, yet in a unique way, as he spots his personalities quite well, making is easy for the reader to spot and acknowledge his character.
Throughout the middle of the play, Henchard is highly respectable, owning Eighteen years pass between that scene on the heath of Weydon-Priors and Henchard’s reunion with Susan in Casterbridge, but we immediately realize the value that Henchard places on a good name and reputation. Not only has he climbed from hay-trusser to mayor of a small agricultural town, but he labours to protect the esteem this higher position affords him. When Susan and Elizabeth-Jane come upon the mayor hosting a banquet for the town’s most prominent citizens, they witness a man struggling to convince the masses that, despite a mismanaged harvest, he is an honest person with a worthy name. However, towards the end, he is crippled by the events that took place in the furmity-woman’s tent; he sets out to punish himself again and again. He ends up losing his daughter, EJ for his deceitful lies and saying that Newson dies. He becomes very resentful over Farfrae for taking over his business, marrying his ‘daughter’, becoming mayor and owning most of his possessions. After this, he pities himself, and gradually falls, and loses all the respect everyone had for him, ending up the way he had come.
The sell of Henchard’s wife is highlight of the story, determining Henchard as the central character in events. He stands out in many ways apart from the sale of his wife.
Henchard is rejected as an observer in many ways. His harsh personality, his crude arrogance and rudeness collaborate to his rejection in society. Donald Farfrae compensates for his unpopularity and his rejection as he another antagonist to Henchard. His arrival in town changes everything for the protagonist. The two men have many conflicts and clashes, and the competitiveness within their personal lives, both in business and in love, creates the outward conflict in the novel. Farfrae, who outdoes Henchard in everything, does much to hasten Henchard's downfall.
This starts when he becomes unpopular among his own work colleagues when he forces Whittle to work in his underpants when he over sleeps, but Farfrae gives an ultimatum to Henchard saying “He either go home, or I leave this yard for good”. For once, Farfrae shows authority, making him more popular than Henchard.
The peasants show their hatred towards Henchard by organizing a ‘skimmity-ride’, because of Henchard and Lucetta’s love involvement, resulting in Lucetta becoming very shocked, and soon die. The climax of the story I when Henchard's past is finally exposed by the 'furmity woman'. From this point forward, Henchard's social and financial ruin is precipitated.
Although at one point he is the most influential man in Casterbridge, his exposure, combined with his rash speculation, leads to his declaring bankruptcy in business and his becoming an
outcast from society.
The reactions of others towards Henchard are very true and compelling. The level of hatred is very high, resulting in Henchard to pity himself, and eventually die alone. His lies and falseness are the main reasons for this outcome. EJ, at first, sees Henchard as a sort of father figure, looking up to him, but when he forbids EJ to see Farfrae leading to Farfrae losing his job. EJ is in a state of disarray. Soon after, she learns of Henchard’s lies, keeping the secret that Henchard is her father, leading EJ to despise him, and the on going of Henchard saying to Newson that EJ had passed away a year ago, makes her hatred stronger and powerful, leading her to repel him and leave him to marry Farfrae.
Like EJ, Susan does feel hatred for Henchard at first, but she soon sees how he really is, loving, caring and would do anything to keep her.
Farfrae sees Henchard as a respectable business colleague, noticing his potential in business, and helping him earn money for his future travelling. But when Hechard forces Farfrae to resign his position in the company for seeing his ‘daughter’ EJ, he can’t help but hate Henchard.
Newson doesn’t hate Henchard, but he sort of pities him.
As he sold Susan, and faked that EJ died a year before he came, he builds up hatred for him.
Joshua Jopp is the first applicant for the position of Michael Henchard's general manager. Because Farfrae was chosen, Jopp hates him and will do anything to ruin him.
Abel works in Henchard's company, but he is always a bit tardy. Michael becomes so angry one day that he punishes Abel by making him come to work without pants.
Henchard’s personality is very complex, as his harshness, arrogance, jealousy and rudeness reflect his misfortunes in life. But he is also very caring, and looks after people close to him, as he looked after Susan when she came back, and he done everything he could to preserve Lucetta’s reputation. He also pities himself a lot, as he once said "Here and everywhere be folk dying before their time like frosted leaves, though wanted by their families, the country, and the world; while I, an outcast, an encumberer of the ground, wanted by nobody, and despised by all, live on against my will!". Meaning that, he doesn’t want to live anymore as he has no reason to live.
Fate and religion play a major part in ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge”. Henchard is a man built up of superstitions and fate. He blames evil fate for his misfortunes However, unlike his wife, he tries to fight back against this fate with his bullish nature. He does have a kind spirit, wanting to make amends to Susan and Elizabeth-Jane, happily taking Farfrae under his wing, caring for the poor of the village. He also lives with high morals, confessing in several instances when he could easily lie. Yet when he believes he is crossed, he becomes extremely angry and will stop at nothing to ruin his rival. Unfortunately, he always comes to regret his anger, usually when it is too late to make amends. The whole novel tries to determine whether his character works against him, or if a heartless fate has brought him down.
The use of symbols contrasts well with the Novel. They have been used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
The caged bird is an act of contrition. It ties Henchard’s fate to the bird’s: both lived and died in a prison. The finch’s prison was literal, while Henchard’s was the inescapable prison of his personality and his past.
The Bull that chases down Lucetta and Elizabeth-Jane stands as a symbol of the brute forces that threaten human life. Malignant, deadly, and bent on destruction, it seems to incarnate the unnamed forces that Henchard often bemoans. The bull’s rampage provides Henchard with an opportunity to display his strength and courage, thus making him more sympathetic in our eyes.
The wagons colliding represent an abstract image of the tension in the relationship between Henchard and Farfrae. It also symbolizes the clash between tradition, which Henchard embodies, and the new modern era, which Farfrae personifies.
The auctioning of Henchard’s wife relates to the horses being sold there, representing Susan as horse who has no worth.
I believe Henchard was both, credible and interesting. His believability was mainly in his personality. His harsh mentality, his old-fashioned ways and jealousy made him a central character. Yet, he pitied himself on many occasions, leading him to become more insecure and vulnerable, but at first he wasn’t, he was a very strong liable character, but as the accusations built up, and the general public loosing his favour, he lost his reputation and his strong personality. Henchard’s caring, loving and good natured side isn’t presented as much as his harsh side. I believe, this helps to draw an audience, and keep the audience fixated on the novel. Although Henchard loses even the ability to explain himself—“he did not sufficiently value himself to lessen his sufferings by strenuous appeal or elaborate argument”—he never relinquishes his talent of endurance. Whatever the pain, Henchard bears it. It is this resilience that elevates him to the level of a hero—a man, ironically, whose name deserves to be remembered.
