Explore Hardy's presentation of Bathsheba Everdene in "Far From The Madding Crowd". Do you think that she is a woman of or out of her time?

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07/05/2007        Neha Shah        5B1

Explore Hardy’s presentation of Bathsheba Everdene in “Far From The Madding Crowd”. Do you think that she is a woman of or out of her time?

Aspects of Bathsheba Everdene’s temperament are made apparent from her first appearance in the book, and are developed and further demonstrated throughout the course of Far From The Madding Crowd. Bathsheba undergoes changes in her character, which influence her behaviour with other characters, and how she responds to comments made about her or to her.  

        Although Bathsheba’s name remains oblivious to both the reader and Farmer Oak throughout the first few chapters of the book, it signifies aspects of the storyline. Bathsheba, in biblical terms was the wife of Uriah. She committed adultery with David, and later married him, after he ordered the murder of Uriah.   In terms of Far From The Madding Crowd, Bathsheba is the wife of Troy. She later marries Oak, after Farmer Boldwood (who loves her) murders Troy, Bathsheba’s wife.

        Bathsheba is in possession of many attributes, which both enhance her character, and in some cases deteriorate it. These characteristics are made evident by some of the techniques Hardy uses when writing the novel. We are given insights into the minds of different characters and scenes in which one character observes another without being seen. The use of an omniscient narrator, and the way Bathsheba responds to her surroundings also play an important role in the presentation of Bathsheba’s character.

She is portrayed as being a woman susceptible to flattery and jealousy, and extremely vain. Hardy has endowed her with self-confidence, efficiency, dignity and candour.

Hardy has allowed Farmer Oak to study Bathsheba from afar without her knowledge. This technique is used several times in the first chapters of this novel; to inform the reader of different aspect’s of Bathsheba’s character.

Vanity is the most obvious weakness in Bathsheba’s temperament, and is made evident to the reader from her first appearance.  In the first chapter, Oak studies the manner in which Bathsheba unwraps a mirror and “surveyed herself attentively…and smiled”. Hardy, by means of Gabriel’s narration of her, informs us that, “she simply observed herself as a fair product of nature”. Throughout the first few chapters of the novel, Gabriel is the narrator, and thus we are made aware of his feelings towards her. Hardy uses the technique of using another character as a narrator, to inform the reader of different aspects of Bathsheba’s character.

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        It was as a direct result of her vanity, coupled with her impetuous nature, which influenced Bathsheba to send Boldwood the anonymous valentine’s card. At the farmer’s market, all the men stare longingly at her, with the exception of Farmer Boldwood. Feeling piqued by this, Bathsheba’s vanity is affronted, and she is led to send Boldwood a valentine to divert his attention to her. Whilst Bathsheba is sending the valentine, Hardy goes to great extent to stress the idle, off-hand way in which the card is sent, “Bathsheba, a small yawn upon her mouth, took the pen, and with great ...

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