How Hardy represents Bathsheba and Fanny, and how he evokes sympathy for them
Far from the Madding Crowd. In this essay I would like to evaluate how Hardy represents Bathsheba ??and ?Fanny, and how he evokes sympathy for them. The plot of Far From the Madding crowd takes place in a fictional county known as Wessex, which is actually Dorset in the South West of England. In this novel, Hardy presents us with an accurate picture of the rural way of life, which was gradually being lost. It is set in 1840 and we are given an insight into the old farm workers communities, the customs of the countryside and the inherited wisdom and the knowledge of generations. I will start with Bathsheba, we learn that Bathsheba was a vain woman, "woman of Bathsheba's calibre" She was always aware of how she looked and of what other people thought of her. Bathsheba's vanity is clarified in the reader's first view of her, "she blushed at herself." She shows her selfish quality which creates vulnerability in her character, although she does not want anyone to be aware of this because she may feel that it makes her look weak or inadequate as an independent women, and farm owner. She was also a very independent woman who defined the preconceived idea of a woman's role in the 19th century by inheriting her uncle's farm, and was successful in running the farm effectively. She adapts well, becoming a "supervising and cool woman" and takes the unconventional step of managing the
How does Thomas Hardy Present Gabriel Oak as a Hero?
How does Thomas Hardy Present Gabriel Oak as a Hero? Gabriel Oak's character has developed a lot in 'Far from the Madding Crowd'. He started off as 'clumsy and foolish' and he ended up as 'heroic'. A hero is a man admired for achievements and noble qualities; In this case this word does not refer to someone with superhuman powers! The first description of Gabriel Oak: 'on working days, he was a man of sound judgement, easy motions, proper dress and general good character'. Hardy's description implies that there is nothing special about Farmer Oak; that he is just an average man. Hardy also states, that on a Sunday, a non-working day; Oak is a kind of pepper and salt mixture. This means that he is normal; he is a man with 'balanced' morals. Another thing that Hardy uses to bring across Oak's personality is the way he dresses. This gives people more idea about Oak's character and personality. His clothes were very practical but they made him look 'clumsy and foolish'. Hardy also states that Gabriel was a source of some amusement; his watch was very difficult to get out, apart from being amusing, this also demonstrates that Oak doesn't need to use modern conventions to tell the time. He can use the position of the sun and stars to tell the time. This is an example of how close he is to nature. This is also hinted in his name: Gabriel 'oak', the word oak is used to describe
Did Hardy love Wessex?
Did Thomas Hardy love Wessex? Thomas Hardy, the writer of "Far From A Madding Crowd" once lived in idyllic agricultural Britain, his affection and love for this is shown very clearly in his writing and in the book as a whole. Hardy spends much time describing the landscape to the reader when a new location is introduced in the novel. In the beginning of the second chapter Hardy spends one third of the small chapter describing the area. We are told of the trees, foliage and "dry leaves" as he continues to create a visual in the readers' head. The reader pays attention to this extra detail because of our "instinctive act of humankind to stand and listen". To end the description Hardy explains how Oak's "tiny frame" is minute compared to this wholesome surrounding of the Wessex countryside. We can see by this that Hardy loves this atmosphere as he gives so much time to the countryside which he loves dearly. He even personifies the twinkling of the stars as if they were living and gives them "throbs of one body" like a pulse and tell us they are "timed by a common pulse" which is the Wessex landscape itself. Hardy loves it to the extent where it is living and breathing. Hardy chose his characters names carefully, not only to portray their individual characteristics but to also suit his idyllic countryside. The central role is given to Gabriel Oak. His name Oak, suggests that
A comparison of the storm scenes in lord of the flies by William Golding and Far from the madding crowd by Thomas Hardy
A comparison of the storm scenes in lord of the flies by William Golding and Far from the madding crowd by Thomas Hardy William Golding was born in Cornwall in the earlier part of last century, his father was a teacher and his mother was an activist for the votes for women movement. He too became a teacher like his father after attending university. During the Second World War he was in the navy and was involved in the d-day landings. This experience during the war showed him how brutal people could be and may have given him the inspiration to write his book. Thomas Hardy lived in Dorset and based most of his books on where he lived . "Far From The Madding Crowd" is set in and around Dorset and is based and is passed on the life of the rural community in the late 19th century. Firstly we must analyse the titles of the two stories. Lord of the flies is another phrase for the devil or Satan, the devil is a symbol of evil. Jack on the island wants to be 'Lord' or the leader and he is portrayed in the book as an evil person; so therefore represent's the lord of evil or the main ringleader on the island. I then think that he represents the devil. Far from the madding crowd is based on Thomas Hardy's area of Dorset. The title represents his time in Dorset and how far away it is from many main cities and towns. It is a telling of the seclusion of the many rural areas in Dorset.
Far From The Madding Crowd - Chronicle the relationship between Bathsheba Everdene and one of the three men (Oak, Boldwood or Troy) in her life. Who was the most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of their relationship?
Far From The Madding Crowd . Chronicle the relationship between Bathsheba Everdene and one of the three men (Oak, Boldwood or Troy) in her life. Who was the most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of their relationship? (One or both?) I will begin by giving an account on the relationship between Bathsheba Everdene and Gabriel Oak. After completing this I will come to a conclusion on who was most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of their relationship. When Farmer Oak and Bathsheba first encounter in the book, Oak sees a carriage with Bathsheba sitting on top, the carriage is full with furniture. This lady interests Oak and as the carriage is about to leave he "followed the vehicle to the turnpike gate some way beyond the bottom of the hill, where the object of his contemplation now halted for the payment of the toll." It is noticeable that Oak is interested in this woman but the scene unfolds as Bathsheba refuses to pay the turnpike keeper the two pence he would like. "Let the young woman pass," is what Gabriel said as he draws near and hands the keeper the money. This meeting introduces the two characters to the reader for the first time, but they do not know that they will both play an important part in each other's lives. Not long after the meeting, Gabriel sees Bathsheba from a "birds eye view", this is when he
According from your Reading of 'Far From The Madding Crowd' what qualities does Hardy Promote As being Required For A Successful Relationship?
According from your Reading of 'Far From The Madding Crowd' what qualities does Hardy Promote As being Required For A Successful Relationship? Thomas Hardy's 'Far From the Madding Crowd' was written in the Victorian period therefore was directed to a Victorian audience. At the time at which the novel was written society followed strict moral conventions and Hardy has promoted them in his novel. The main focus of his novel, Bathsheba Everdene begins as a fairly subdued character however develops into a much more complex character in ways in which her job, social status and love life change. A modern audience would see women as equals however the Victorian audience expects the women to be a second class citizen not capable of doing or gaining things for themselves. A typical Victorian novel follows the same pattern of love of when the female, in this case Bathsheba, makes two mistakes and finds the right man on the third attempt. Hardy follows this pattern in his novel and incorporates twists and turns until Bathsheba is satisfied. I imagine Hardy followed the typical order of events where the female makes mistakes to promote the idea that to have a successful relationship you must have made mistakes in the past. What people used to seek then in a successful relationship people still seek the same qualities today. Throughout my essay I will discuss how Bathsheba gained a
Far from the madding crowd - Exploring chapters 39-40.
Exploring Chapters 39-40. I specifically chose to discuss these chapters as I think they are the turning point of the novel. Bathsheba realises the mistakes she has made, the most important one being her marriage to Troy. She discovers this whilst also finding out about his affair with Fanny which he has been trying to hide for so long. Also from this section of the book you can see that the novel was originally published in short sections, and as you read it, you can see that Hardy intentionally leaves the reader in suspense; to motivate readers to buy the next issue of the magazine. One of Hardy's central concerns in all of his writing was the problem of modernity in a society that was rapidly becoming more and more industrial. One of his projects as a writer was to create an account of life in the swiftly changing Dorsetshire as it had once been. He was particularly interested in the rituals and histories of that part of England, as well as the dialect of its locals. The title Far From the Madding Crowd suggests avoidance of the life of a city, modernised government, crowds and industry; in it, Hardy tries to fashion a portrait of what he saw as an endangered way of life and to create a snapshot for future generations. We can see this in the imagery used and the vivid description of events throughout the novel. The start of chapter 39 is the first glimpse we have of
The Theme of the Pain of Love in Far From the Madding Crowd.
The Theme of the Pain of Love in Far From the Madding Crowd Hardy was born in Dorset and was an architect at first. He then wrote many fiction books - Far From the Madding Crowd being his fourth - and also wrote a lot of poetry. Far From the Madding Crowd has everything a good novel needs: love and death, happiness and sadness, loyalty and betrayal. It is a simple book containing simple people going about their simple, everyday lives. The notion of love in Far From the Madding Crowd is very strong and every chapter is concerned with Bathsheba, Oak, Troy, Fanny and Boldwood, in their nasty, twisted web of love. This essay focuses on two of these slightly unorthodox relationships: Bathsheba and Troy, and Bathsheba and Boldwood. Troy, who was initially going to marry Fanny, meets Bathsheba purely by accident. While walking around the farm, Bathsheba gets her dress caught in Troy's spur. Troy believes that she is a man. We know this because he says, "Have I hurt you mate?" This shows he is quick at deciding things and makes snap judgements, which is shown previously, when he abandons Fanny without giving her a chance to explain her lateness, believing that she didn't turn up on purpose. He instantly begins flirting with her and she tries not to but does. The pair are instantly smitten with each other, although only Troy shows his true feelings. For the time being, Bathsheba
Comparing two short stories -The Superstitious Man's Story by Thomas Hardy and Night Fears by L P Hartley.
Comparing Two Short Stories - The Superstitious Man's Story by Thomas Hardy and Night Fears by L P Hartley Thomas Hardy lived between 1840-1928. He was brought up in Higher Brockhampton in Dorset. New technological developments were appearing all over the country, like railways and development of industry. As these wonders hadn't reached his part of the country yet, they still believed in country folk traditions and superstitions. Thomas Hardy liked to use these superstitions in his writings. The background to The Superstitious Man's Story is about a man who is travelling home on a stagecoach. He's been away 25 years and while travelling, is being told stories by the country folk. L P Hartley (1895-1972) was a well-off child as his father was a solicitor. He was educated at Harrow and Oxford. He liked to deal with the difference between reality and what people think is reality. He also liked using symbols in is stories. The Night Fears story is set after World War One when fewer people believed in ghosts, but what was scaring people was what was in their own minds. A scientist, Freud, was a psychologist and he had shown that such fears and paranoia could come from within us. The mood of the start of The Superstitious Man's Story is very unsettling as it tells you that this is going to be a ghost story. "You could feel when he came near'ee". "There seemed to
'More sinned against than sinning.' Is this the way Hardy presents women in 'Far From The Madding Crowd'?
'More sinned against than sinning'. Is this the way Hardy presents women in 'Far From the Madding Crowd'? 'More sinned against than sinning' means that you are having more bad things done to you, than the bad things that you are doing. This would mean that you feel sympathy for the person who is having worse things being done to them. In 'Far From the Madding Crowd' there are a few women roles throughout the book, however, the two main women roles are Bathsheba Everdene and Fanny Robin. Throughout the book, Hardy tries to make the reader see both Bathsheba and Fanny as 'saints' and 'sinners'. This is to show that nobody is perfect. A reader in the Victorian times would see Bathsheba and Fanny in different ways than a reader would nowadays. This is because there were many things against women during the Victorian times and if women ever sinned they would be seen as unacceptable and a disgrace to the women race. Fanny would most probably be seen as a bigger sinner than Bathsheba. This is due to her becoming pregnant before she had married. In the Victorian times, this would have been seen as very bad! Chapter one is the very first time that we see Bathsheba. Her entrance happens during the daytime and it is quite dramatic. The fact that she is wearing red creates more drama. This is because the colour red could mean romance or even blood, and blood could mean that bad things