She is self-centred and thinks about herself. She also shows this when she will not pay for the toll because she wants her own say and wants to stand up for herself. She would not pay Oak went down to the tollgate and paid for Bathsheba, but she just dismissed him. Then she carries on going. Oak was thinking about what had just happened as he was slightly confessed. They met again in the forest when she was riding though in an unladylike way when Oak saw her. She got very angry when she thought Oak was spying on her, which she disliked.
She also was upset as Oak came out and told her that he was watching her while she was riding a horse.
“I found a hat”
“It’s mine”
Before Oak could hand back the hat Bathsheba takes it from is hands and soon after rides off.
They soon after meet again on the hill after Oak had been to Bathsheda’s aunts house, she follows him to put things right. After talking for a while Oak suddenly proposes to her. He begins by saying how much of a commitment the wedding is going to be and what his dream is.
“I should like it very much”
She is getting interested in the newspaper idea, as she will be getting the attention she enjoys.
Bathsheba shows she is insensitive when she sends farmer Boldwood a valentine’s card with a message.
“Roses are red,
The violet blue,
Carnations sweet,
And so are you.”
This was insensitive as Liddy had told Bathsheba about his past love life, but Bathsheba still has to go one step further. She also put on the seal,
“MARRY ME”
This is going too far and shows that all she cares about is she. She has not thought about the way this may affect Boldwood but instead enjoys the joke.
However she is not entirely immature for she shows signs of strength and determination in her role as a farmer. She is independent at the corn market, as she would not sell her corn for no less than she desired. She also stood up for herself, as she was the only woman there. She can control herself around men to a certain extent.
Bathsheba enjoys attention from Mr Boldwood who is slowly falling in love with her, as he was the only man not to look at Bathsheba in the corn market. This is because of a silly valentine card she sent as a joke between her and Liddy. Soon after Mr Boldwood finds out it was from Miss Everdene he confronts her and asks her if she would mind him talking to her about the valentine’s card.
“No, tis no use, I don’t want to marry you”
He confronts her at the sheep dipping and the sheep shearing, where Oak is around and feels upset.
“Poor Gabriel’s soul was fed with a luxury of content by having her over him, her eyes critically regarding his skilful stoats”
She likes the attention from men and can be very sensitive towards Oak and other men. Bathsheba shows this when she starts flirting with Oak and shows mixed feelings towards him. She does this at the sharpening of shears and asks Oak about things she never thought Bathsheba would ask.
Bathsheba doesn’t care about Oak’s feelings and is confusing herself as well as Oak. She also shows mixed feelings towards Oak soon after she asks him for help, after asking him to leave the farm for helping her.
One sign of maturity is shown when she has to swallow he pride and ask Oak for help after more than half of her sheep had entered the field. She had to call Oak to help her, as there was no one else who knew how to release the gas out of the sheep’s stomach. This shows she cares about her business. Having the farm has made Bathsheba more independent and mature as she is taking control and standing up for her. She is also determined. This is shown when she sacks the bailiff for stealing barley. Also she realises she was foolish to send Boldwood the valentine card.
“I feel, Mr Boldwood, that thought I respect you much, I do not feel what would justify me to except your offer. “
This shows that she is trying to get things right with Mr Boldwood. She soon asks Oak for advice, which shows signs of maturity.
“Do not desert me Gabriel”
This shows that she needs Oak and also that he will be there for her. Soon after this incident she sees Troy and falls for his physical attraction and flattery. She needs someone to tame her and she believes that she may have found him. Troy makes her feel like a child and someone who can make her feel determined to get the right things. When Oak warns her about how troy is not trustworthy, he thinks that he may ruin her reputation as well as the way in which the farmers act and respects her.
“He is not good enough for ee.”
Oak thinks a lot of Bathsheba. Soon after Bathsheba learns to suffer, she becomes jealous very easily. When Troy goes off to bath, Bathsheba follows. She follows him in order to try and break up her relationship, but Troy manages to trick her by telling her that he has seen someone that is more attractive and beautiful than her. This leads her to marry Troy. This shows how much attention she requires.
Bathsheba returns back to the farm with Troy. Troy throws a party to celebrate his and Bathsheba’s wedding and meanwhile the farmers get drunk. Oak has warned Troy about the heavy rain that is to come, but Troy insists on getting the workers even drunk and sends the woman off to bed. Bathsheba soon realises that she has made a mistake marrying Troy as she sees Oak outside, trying to keep her farm together with her husband inside getting drunk.
Soon after this, Bathsheba and Troy see a young woman on the road asking for money. Bathsheba is not aware who this woman is, but after Troy gets a closer look he realises that it is Fanny Robins. Becoming aware of the fact that Troy has gone and got married she asks him for money. Troy arranges to meet Fanny but she fails to show up. That night the workers hear that Fanny has dies during labour at the workhouse. The coffin is bought to the farm that night. Bathsheba is curious to see if the lock of hair that was found in Troy’s watch is the same colour as fanny’s hair. Bathsheba is unaware that Fanny gave birth to a baby boy who dies soon after the birth. When Troy comes home he sees Fanny and the baby boy in the coffin. When he sees them he kisses both of them, as he loved Fanny more than he has and ever will Bathsheba. He had also always wanted a baby son.
Bathsheba learns that Troy has drowned in the sea and she is grieving. Boldwood has to go and propose to her, as he knows that Troy is dead.
“Marry me in six years”
Bathsheba is very confused and cannot get the whole situation of the wedding proposal in to her head. Bathsheba is surprised when she hears that there is a stranger waiting at the door asking for her, she tells the door man to let him in and finds that it is no stranger at all, it is Troy her Husband that she believed to have been dead. Boldwood shoot as he sees that Bathsheba did not want leave Troy. Bathsheba is confused and upset, as she believed that her husband was dead. Boldwood is on trial for the death of Francis Troy. Bathsheba could not handle the guilt as she drove Boldwood into insanity. This instantly is shown as he has prepared approximately fifty gifts all labelled to Bathsheba in six years time.
In conclusion Bathsheba emotions change, as she knows that Oak will be leaving.
“Leaving England, Why Gabriel, what are you going to do that for?”
This news shows that this is the worst time she has had as Oak has been there for her through everything. She has had mixed feelings foe three different men which make her grow. She soon realises that she is in love with him; her love for him makes her grow and become very mature near the end of the novel. Bathsheba marries Oak as she realises that he is the right man for her and will be able to tame her and be there for her.
Each of the three men helped he develop and become a more confident and responsible lady. Though the whole of the whole of the novel Bathsheba had problems and she managed to resolve them, which made her a better character.
