Far From The Madding Crowd - How do you account for Bathsheba's choice of Francis Troy as a husband when she could have married either Gabriel Oak or William Boldwood?

Far From The Madding Crowd How do you account for Bathsheba's choice of Francis Troy as a husband when she could have married either Gabriel Oak or William Boldwood? Bathsheba's choice of marrying Francis Troy over Gabriel Oak or William Boldwood was constructed from Troy's flirtatious behaviour from when they first ever encounter each other on the dark lifeless footpath. Bathsheba married Francis Troy for the following reasons one she believed that he truly loved her, also she could not resist his unique talent of flirting. Not only did she make the foolish decision of marrying Troy but she also placed herself in an awkward position with both Boldwood and Oak, William Boldwood with the fake valentine letter and oak by giving him a false impression about her feelings towards him then telling him how she would react to him if she did feel something towards him. Forcing her to take a foolish action in marrying Francis Troy. Bathsheba first encounters sergeant Troy it is on a dark footpath, she's holding a dark light and is walking home when she hears some one coming the other way she remembers it is a public footpath and continues to walk, as she passes the stranger her dress becomes tangled in his spur and she is pulled back but the two opposite forces and is surprised. She holds up the light to see who her captive is, as she looks up she is struck by the scarlet uniform

  • Word count: 1621
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Far From The Madding Crowd is a study of the selfishness of immaturity." Discuss.

"Far From The Madding Crowd is a study of the selfishness of immaturity." Discuss. You may confine your answer to Bathsheba, or range more widely among other characters as well if you wish. Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, is a morally complex novel, which focuses on the egocentric characteristics of a variety of people, of different ages and backgrounds. All characters in this novel are in some ways selfish, causing them to do thoughtless and immature things in a wide range of situations. Bathsheba Everdene is the main character in the novel. Although she matures as the novel goes on, she continues going back to behaving in a selfish and immature manner. Her character is both weak and strong at the same time, and any feelings of admiration for her are mixed with resentment. When Bathsheba is first introduced, Hardy describes her as a "young and attractive" women with "peculiar vernal charm". The observation of Gabriel Oak in this first chapter proves she has "idle" characteristics to her personality. She certainly demonstrates her arrogance when she is so unwilling to pay the toll fee: "..she says that's enough that I've offered ye, you great miser, and she won't pay any more." Towards the end of the chapter Hardy makes it clear that on first impression, her main self-indulged characteristic is her "Vanity". In the next chapter, Bathsheba is again presented

  • Word count: 1131
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Far From The Madding Crowd"

"Far From The Madding Crowd" Nikki Robinson "Far from the Madding Crowd" is one of Hardy's most famous novels as it was published serially in Corn Hill Magazine in 1874. This won him widespread popularity as a writer and as you read the book you recognise that most of the chapters end leaving you in suspense. This keeps the readers buying the next issue of the magazine. This tale is set in a place called Wessex, a fictional place which is based on Dorset, as it was a place that Hardy new well. It is a novel based around romance, relationships and love. The story is based on 1 woman and 3 men but mainly Bathsheba Everdene, a young, vain lady and a loyal and devoted man called Gabriel Oak who is in love with her throughout the whole novel, although she doesn't love him till the closing stages. I am going to look at one of the key scenes (chapter 36) in which at this point of the novel Bathsheba is married to a young, selfish sergeant called Troy. Oak is working on her farm and is still very much in love with her still. "The storm - The Two Together" shows us how much Bathsheba needs Oak although she does not feel any love for him. The chapter opens with Troy and Bathsheba's wedding and harvest celebrations. It is an elated and happy occasion unlike the sadness and ruin that the storm that night is going to bring. Oak knows there is going

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Far From the Madding Crowd" - Show how Bathsheba changes through the novel.

The novel "Far From the Madding Crowd" was set in Wessex. It was written in the 1870's, but was set in the 1840's. The story in Wessex has been formed in a small rural village with small communities. People who look back on the Victorian times have different views. Firstly some people looked back longingly. They respected the way Victorians took pride in being British and that they also didn't rely on the government for help. Yet, the other side was that people argue that workers were treated badly and they disliked their way of being stubborn. Also the way the poor and the rich were treated. In this time there were three set out-groups. The high class, the middle class and the working class. Bathsheba changes from working to high class, which would be respected. Hardy is showing life in a quiet area at the time, which still had its own dramas. In the early chapters of the book we discover positive and negative sides of Bathshebas character. Firstly when Bathsheba at first comes in she is wearing red, this shows evil or danger. She argues with the tollgate because she doesn't want to pay, this shows what kind of character she is. Bathsheba gets annoyed that Gabriel paid the money for her, she wanted to get her own way and not pay. When they first speak Gabriel calls her vein, she does not reply which signifies that it could be true. Fortunes change around with Bathsheba,

  • Word count: 1810
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Far from the Madding Crowd" is essentially about obsession. Discuss.

"Far from the Madding Crowd" is essentially about obsession. Discuss. The title straight away informs you that this story, although set in the country-side is not going to be that different from life in the city. The title is ironic; it shows the characters struggling and suffering, maddened people committing suicide, yet they live in idyllic rural surroundings. 'Far from the Madding Crowd' is evolved around a certain woman, Bathsheba Everdene. Bathesheba is firstly portrayed as a poor, attractive cottage girl admiring herself in the mirror. Thomas Hardy, the author, clearly wanted to show immediately the vanity within herself. However, it is her good looks that attract all her admirers. Although we soon learn to know that Bathsheba is a well-educated woman, we find as a reader that she is "too wild" to be governess. This suggests that she will behave unpredictably towards her future proposals. Bathsheba attracts her admirers by her dark good looks, independence and courage. As the only woman in the corn market, she becomes obsessed by the admiration of all the other farmers except Mr. Boldwood, after showing courage by saving Gabriel Oak from suffocating when sleeping in front of the fire by throwing "warm tea" over him. Bathsheba is fairly obsessed with having everyone's attention, so she sends Mr. Boldwood a valentine as a harmless joke. A joke, as she does not

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"His equilibrium disturbed he was in extremity at once." Discuss this view of Farmer Boldwood throughout the novel

"His equilibrium disturbed he was in extremity at once." Discuss this view of Farmer Boldwood throughout the novel. Throughout "Far From the Madding Crowd we see profound changes in Far Boldwood's character. At the start he is a quiet, aloof, gentlemanly man, yet by the end of the novel he is a crazed, obsessed shadow of his former self. It is Bathsheba Everdene who causes these changes in him. I think the statement "His equilibrium disturbed he was in extremity at once" is an accurate description of what happens to Boldwood. We are first introduced to Boldwood in chapter 9 through second hand information, but then he knocks on Bathsheba's door, at this moment in the book seeming very formal and stern. When he knocks on the door, Mrs Coggan answers it, making excuse about Bathsheba being busy. Boldwood says, "Oh very well, all I wanted to ask was, if anything had been heard of Fanny Robin?". It is obvious that Boldwood shows no interest in Bathsheba at that moment. In chapter twelve Bathsheba goes to the corn exchange, when she arrives every single man turns round to look at her - except Boldwood. He is, as the author describes, a "black sheep". This annoys Bathsheba, as she loves attention and is not used to being ignored by men. It seems at this point that Boldwood has no interest in women. It is in chapter fourteen when Boldwood's "equilibrium" becomes disturbed. As a

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The significance of Fanny Robin in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd.

The significance of Fanny Robin in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy based this story in Wessex. It was the first story he actually talked about that was based on the Wessex. Fanny Robin is the character that takes effect on the main character. Fanny Robin has a small role but it is a very significant role in the novel. Hardy was also concerned with the plight of women in them days. I have concentrated on the name Fanny Robin. The second part of then name resembles small, timid, vulnerable, naïve, all this resembles Christ's suffering and this is shown from when Fanny Robin goes to the church and gets the churches mixed up, also the fact of where she dies from child birth and the only hope of survival is a dog and the Dog gets stoned of, this evokes pity for the character Fanny Robin. Also there are quotations to represent the meaning of the word Robin: 'A slim girl, thinly clad', 'little shape' To describe Fanny robin as a character she is a direct contrast to Bathsheba: Fanny Robin is blond and timid which fixes her second name 'Robin' and while this Bathsheba is dark and lively. Fanny is also a shadowy character and is adding mystery to the plot. Thomas Hardy also uses Fanny to juxtapose scenes with Troy and Fanny with Bathsheba, this causes emphasis. They only meet one in the whole novel and that is on the Yalbury Hill and Bathsheba only discovers

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The character and significance of Fanny Robin In 'Far From the Madding Crowd.

The character and significance of Fanny Robin In 'Far From the Madding Crowd. Thomas Hardy was very interested and concerned with the plight of working women. In Hardy's times poor women were known as the working class and they worked for high-class women who were rich. Thomas Hardy's novel 'Far From the Madding Crowd' reflects on the plight of working women. Hardy uses a character named Fanny Robin who is an orphan and a low class-working woman. She works on Bath Sheba's uncle's farm. Thomas Hardy portrays her as a timid girl. She comes across as an innocent and a vulnerable person. Fanny Robin's life is based on chance and fate. She isn't in the entire novel but still is a very significant character and is a Greek chorus. In parts of the novel where Fanny isn't mentioned she still has a lot to do with the plot. At the beginning of the novel Hardy describes Fanny as a stranger in a negative way and doesn't mention her name. A quote from chapter seven that show this is 'It was a slim girl, rather thinly clad.' Fanny Robin isn't really seen as an important character and is more seen as a person in the background at first. In chapter eleven it's the first time the audience see Fanny and Sergeant Troy together having a conversation. You see the difference in social classes between them. Fanny wants to marry Troy and is madly in love with him, but he doesn't really care

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Consider the characters of Oak, Boldwood and Troyand their relationship with Bathsheba. Which male best fits the 19th century tradition of the 'Romantic Hero'?

Consider the characters of Oak, Boldwood and Troy and their relationship with Bathsheba. Which male best fits the 19^th century tradition of the `Romantic Hero'? A romantic hero is a person (usually a man) who is there to save the day when you need them. They should have certain qualities like, charm, bravery, intelligence, reliability, financial stability and most importantly passion. The novel `Far From The Madding Crowd' by Thomas Hardy, fits the stereo type of a classic Victorian novel. Bathsheba is the heroine in need; there are also a string of problems for the characters to overcome like Troy's involvement with Fanny, her death and the loss of her baby to which Troy is the father. Rises and falls of fortune, for example when Oak loses all his sheep and has to leave his farm; and the happy ending to the story when Oak and Bathsheba get married. However, the characters do no fit the stereo type of the Victorian novel exactly. The idea of a romantic hero is that he is a good character without any real faults, in this novel it is rather unclear as to who is the romantic hero until towards the end of the book. The heroine is meant to go through bad incidents with no fault of her own but Bathsheba is not innocent, you can see this when Boldwood falls in love with her because she has sent him a valentines card with `Marry Me' stamped on the back. It was

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Bathsheba's relationships

Bathsheba has relationships with Boldwood, Troy and Oak; what does Each OF the relationships tell us about Bathsheba? Far from the Madding Crowd was written in 1873 by Tomas Hardy. Hardy's books were mostly about love and people falling in love with the wrong people, this book is no exception. The book is set in the countryside of England, called Wessex. However Wessex is now made up of Dorset and Devon. Wessex in Hardy's words was rustic in places and the setting was not very industrial. The story is about a young and beautiful lady called Bathsheba Everdene, and how she treats the different men who fall in love with her. The name Bathsheba comes from the wife of a biblical king called David, whose behaviour was at first naughty, irresponsible and immature. However through suffering she mended her ways. This Bathsheba is very like Bathsheba Everdene - someone who does not face her consequences. Gabriel Oak is a local farmer who is mesmerised by Bathsheba (love at first sight), he asks Bathsheba to marry him however Bathsheba rejects. The word 'oak' (his surname) makes you think of such qualities as endurance, strength and reliability. His Christian name is associated with the guardian angel Gabriel, who was said to watch over people. This reflects on Gabriel Oak's behaviour around Bathsheba during the book. Farmer Boldwood is another character in the book that is in love

  • Word count: 3211
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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