Hardy has however used a very sterio-typical character in contrast with Batsheba, Gariel Oak. Even his name 'oak' gives a sense of the type of character he is, and his personality. I say this as he is of the country and it rurally based, bad he is down to earth and you can imagin him being a strong soft countryman. Hardy opens the book with a chapter named 'Desription of Farmer Oak- An Incident.' He is imediately related to the 'rising sun' as his sturucture is described. This makes us voluntery be in favour of Gabriel Oak during his stroy. Hardy has also used yet a nother sterio-typical character, Sergant Troy, whom Bathsheba falls in love with and marries. Sergant Troys, maculine, dominent charatcter contrasts beautifully with the standardised rustic texture to Gabriel Oak as they are the 'black and white' of the male species. Sergant Troys act with his sword to seduce Miss Everdene is a prime example of Troys masculinity and 'power'. As he demonstrates his skill, reactions and his daring nature in such a way it is almost boastful. We find Oaks heroic act to be less daring but more practical, reflecting his character, as his saves the sheeps lives by piercing there stomachs, showing his knowledge and caring side.
As Far from the Madding Crowd is in 3rd person narrative, you are able to establish all detail possible. As Hardy's novels are always so rich in describtion colour, tone and texture, it is not suprising this naravtive is used. The colour and tone of a setting sometimes reflects the mood of the characters in the chpater, or even the atomosphere of a later incedent. As I noted earlier, Hardy's narrative voice is a very complexed one, as it offers not only comments which I disscussed earlier, but also a range of critisims and judgement of the characters, and emphasis on life itself. He involves practical yet pylosophical opinions on aspects such as religion, nature and the significant of lifes patterns. Religion is an aspect that maybe Hardy portrays his religious veiws through Gabriel as he is the one who seems to be most judgemental upon the subject, "he went to church, but yawned privately by the time the congregation reached the Nicene creed, and thought of what there would be for dinner when he meant to be listening to the sermon." This may be the feelings of Hardy, towards the services on the '7th day's rest'.
Hardy's descriptions are almost poetic in language and style as he describes the feel of the countryside and those caressed in it, as if it were almost a song. "The scarlet and orange light outside yhe malthouse did not penetrate to its interior, which was, as usual, lighted by a rival glow of similar hue, radiating from the hearth." His language is rich in formality, which may appeal to elder reader. His sentences and chapters are structured in a sophisticated manor with complex words. This would have been intentional as inthe nineteenth centuary adults would have been the main audience and prtential customers. Hardy also usually describes events in a sequence with related settings, emotions, or imagrey, this makes the reader continually recall the events and the emotions as they read on, which increases the breath taking effect of the novel and its success as the chapters would have been spublished at different stages. This also explains that Hardy uses a slight 'cliff hanger' and the end of each chapter, prevoking readers in wanting to know what will hapen next chapter.
Robert Cormiers, 'Afer the First Death' is a complex and contraversal novel. It tackles an amzing depth of emmotions on its few characters shown allowing the audience to feel truley involved in the emmotional warfare being lay infront of them. Cormier has used a complex sturcture where we find him using every other chapter to describe the thoughts of Ben. He does this by using a technique called interior monologue which aims to give directly to the reader a character's thought. It is interesting that he uses both 3rd person naravtive and 1st person narative when needing to give a extra impression of how a character is truely reacting. The narative is set in two stories. One is in the future looking back, which is the alternate paragraphs occupied by 'Ben,' the other in the present using the 3rd person narrator telling the story of the terroist act as it happens. Cormier Shifts the veiw points of the characters in such a way which adds depth to the narrative and allows us to noticed what effects the characters have on each other, which makes the story line more realistic. Once characters are established we find Rober Cormier following a flow of inevitability. A way inwhich Cormier tells the reader what a character is thinking is somewhat direct. 'Suddenly Miro thought:Hwat is the driver doing this minute? Did he have any premonition of his death?' However more typically, Cormier presents thought in a less obvious manner as it merges more into the narrative, depending on the reader to link the information together such as the example following, 'Miro's coffe was cold as he sipped it. He wished the fellow at the jukebox would slip in the coin and start the music. Something by the Bee Gees, maybe. Or Elvis.' On the previous page Artkin sneered at Elvis Presley, which echoes the connection.
The stream of conciousness which is used through bens charatcer makes the reader seem that they are eavesdropping on the character's inner self, listening to the thoughts as they develop. An example of this is the following. "Anyway, my parents are scedules to arrive here late this moring.
Eleven oc'lock to be exact. My father's first visit since the Bus and the Bridge, but I already said that, didn't I?
My mother has been faithful about visting. My mother is kind and witty and stylish. She is the essence of the loving wife and mother..." As the chapters are in chronological order with a simplictic approach to the chapters it is easy to follow and understand, this makes the novel much more enjoyable to read as the comprehension is smiple also. The chapters are also reletively short,alowing the sections to be easily absorbed and recalled, however Cormier never fails to include every detail, intimate thoughts and emmotions. He uses various American slang words and vocabulary which adds to the impact and imagry of the American culture. The impact of the imagery used is also increased with the range of poetically described aspects making them increasingly realistic.
As I read After the First Death the paragraphs including of Ben and his Father seemed confusing as it was quite a seperate story from the rest. This continues until the end few paragraphs where it is noticeable that ben and his father are infact talking to one another. This dual narration forms two levels, which is where the confusion aspect is produced from. This frustration is a critical degree in Cormiers novel as it creates great curiosity and suspense. By leaving the reader suspicious and curious until the end few paragraphs, the twist in the tale is far more affective and appreciative.
Cormier has created his character in a complex mannor which is probably why he has focused on only a few main characters. This enables the reader to be drawn into the realism of the characters. Such an example of realism in the characters in of Kate is chaper 2, where Cormier reveals Kates weak bladder problem. Personally, this made her character more intersting as it stirred my emotions inside, making me become sypathetic of her uncomfortable situation.
Kates character is mostly a sterio-typical teenager, yet KAte is shown to mature thruoughout the novel. Cormier has alowed Kates character to be very human, demonstrated in the example reflecting her weak bladder. She can be seen as unpredictable as she often acts on implus, however through reading the novel, this is not a suprising detail as she would never know what is going to happen to her next. Cormier gives a constant veiw of what she is feeling throughout events, making she reader futher more involved in what she is experiencing. Once more, at the end of chapter 10, the reader feels the need to escape from Miro, as Kate does. This takes the reader on a kind of roller coaster of emmotion.
Robert Cormier is known for not taking a morraly simplistic postition when reagarding the right and wrong of the terroists and patriotes. This is shown with Miro as Cormier often reminds the reader that he is still human. He does this by initially relating him with negativity as he feels anger, fear, and frustration. This makes the reader perseave him as heartless and with no consideration toward others, as the only times he feels excitment is when the action and killings. His human side is protrayed as he interacts with Kate, as he always seems to come away from her feeling anoyed with himself as his defences has been let down. These standard feelings makes the reader feel shocked as their perseption of terroists are played with and twisted. However, a sterio-typical feature of a terroist is loyalty towards its leader; Miro never fails to demonstrate this towards Artkin throughout the novel. Miro is always looking out to impress Artkin, on the contary, Miro seems to doubt who Artkin really is on occasions, for example, in Chapter 10,
Kate: "Those two men who were with you are dead, the one you called Antibbe and the black guy. And Artkin. Who's left? Nobody. Your brothers dead. And now your father."
Miro:He looked at her, startled. His breath, stale and rancid, entered her mouth, her nostrils. "My father - what do you mean? Now my father?"
Kate: "Artkin. He was your father, wasn't he?"
Miro:"It's not possible". Artkin his father? He could not acknowledge that truth, if it were truth.
The develpoment that Cormier creates of the characters during the novel effects the reader in such away which makes them feel drawn into the characters progress rather than the plots progress. Inevitably, this creates a deep connection between them and the characters.
I can conlcude that due to the Terroist situation of our time now, 'After the First Death', will therefore hold more relevance the the modern day reader. However, 'Far From the Madding crowd', is much more complexed and cultured yet is meily tackle industrial problems of the eighteenth centuary, which may appeal to the elder reader, but this depends on a personal preference.
The authors of each novel have included a geat involvment of characters; each containing a sterio-typical aspect to their characters used, which is a technique enabling the reader the relate to certain qualities. Robert Cormier creates a deeper relationship and involment between reader and personality of the character.
Thomas Hardy has a very srong and involved narrative voice, unlike Robert Cormier, who leaves the description of events and ideas through the development of the characers and the plot.
The intended audience is obviously to be different as they are written in completely different centuarys.In my opinion, 'After the first Death' appeals to the younger generation, as it has less complex language and a stronger type of 'adventure' in the plot which appeals to them. In comparison, 'Far from the Madding crowd', appeals to the more 'rustic' concerned characters, who enjoy the courtyside imagry. I personally feel that both novels are successul in fufilling their aims to achieve the type of enjoyment intended audinces require.