Hardy also describes Fanny as a “motionless figure” which dehumanises her and makes her appear to be extremely fragile.
“He fancied that he had felt himself in the penumbra of a very deep sadness when touching that slight and fragile creature”
We are already aware of Oak’s perceptive judge of character as he identified Bathsheba’s main flaw of vanity earlier in the novel and so we can easily trust this one of Fanny Robin as it evidences Oak’s likeness between her and a lamb; “slight and fragile creature”. However, it is slightly shocking to see Oak react in this way as we are used to him approaching situations very level-headedly and Hardy’s use of the words “penumbra” and “very deep sadness” are not those which we would associate with Oak. It seems Fanny Robin’s situation and meek character has made an impact on Oak, even if he’s not aware of it.
Hardy uses the comparison between both Bathsheba and Fanny to illustrate the integrity of the other; when Bathsheba shows strength and independence it emphasizes that Fanny Robin shows the opposite as they remain to be the only two main female characters in the novel. We can also tell from the infrequent meetings with Fanny how the male characters change when in contact with both her and Bathsheba; it seems ironic that Fanny’s ruination brings out the generous and charitable side in Gabriel Oak in chapter 7 whereas he feels nervous and anxious in the presence of Bathsheba. Hardy cleverly illustrates just how insignificant she is to the characters but inevitably plays a vital part which they are unaware of until it’s too late; the element of tragedy about her means that she is overlooked as anything significant especially by Troy and also by Oak; “Gabriel did not pause in his walk.”
On page 70 of the novel the subject of Fanny Robin is brought up by Bathsheba and the other malt house dwellers discussing the whereabouts of her servant. She is described as having “such low spirits these days” which marks the start of her ruination at the present time.
"For any lover of hers might have come to the house if he had been a respectable lad.”
This comment from Bathsheba when the idea that her disappearance is in connection with a man is brought up distinguishes the fact that any courtship she is caught up in is not with a decent man in the eyes of both the parish and society. This is then evidenced by Maryann who states “I believe he’s a soldier”. Soldiers are often renowned for having many different girlfriends and so Fanny comes across as being almost dimwitted in her decision to love a man with such a bad reputation.
We next see Fanny Robin in chapter 11 where Hardy uses intense pathetic fallacy to express to the reader her situation. The first sentence creates an atmosphere of gloom and desolation and is used as a warning to the reader of the unpleasant events to come.
“For dreariness nothing could surpass a prospect in the outskirts of a certain town and military station, many miles north of Weatherbury, at a later hour on this same snowy evening – if that may be called a prospect of which the chief constituent was darkness”
Both appearances of Fanny Robin have been undercover of night and in darkness which suggests that she has such an element of tragedy about her, she cannot be seen in the light which usually signifies positivity and purity; she has been ruined by something unknown to the reader at the present time.
“The bell was in the open air, and being overlaid with several inches of muffling snow had lost its voice for the time.”
The bell represents Fanny Robins and it being “in the open air” illustrates her vulnerability. Hardy then goes on to reveal that it was “overlaid with several inches of muffling snow” which signifies Fanny’s increasing insignificance and decreasing strength as a bell is usually something clearly heard but now it almost cannot be heard at all. It shows how her fate is out of her control just as the weather affecting the bell is unpredictable and uncontrollable.
In this chapter Fanny Robin is shown not out of place with her destitute surroundings, even trying to become part of it as her stature is “stooped” as if she is trying to be as unnoticed as possible. Hardy aids this by again not revealing her identity but by referring to her as a mere “form” and “spot” that only “seemed human”.
“The throw was the idea of a man conjoined with the execution of a woman. No man who had ever seen bird, rabbit, or squirrel in his childhood, could possibly have thrown with such utter imbecility as was shown here.”
Here hardy makes it clear that Fanny has lost all notion of what a respectable woman would do as her actions of throwing snow at Sergeant Troy’s window is likened to that of a mans. However, she still conforms to what would be expected if a woman were to do so by Hardy’s sexist notion that her throw showed “such utter imbecility” the “blurred spot” could not possibly be a man, also signifying her physical weakness.
Fanny’s identity is not even recognised by her lover Troy as he asks “What girl are you?” which backs up the reputation of a soldier in which one is not entirely devoted to only one woman at a time. The dialogue to follow shows their complete opposite affections for one another; Troy shows how undependable he is and that he does not return the same love for Fanny as she does for him, or even treat it seriously at all. Their difference in character and position in the relationship is demonstrated by hardy’s use of similes likening both to the setting around them; Fanny being “so much like a mere shade upon the earth” shows how she is part of an unpredictable and vulnerable substance which is at the mercy of Troy being “so much a part of the building” signifying his strength in the relationship and knowledge that he can take advantage of Fanny’s vulnerable state. They are likened so much to these inanimate objects that “One would have said the wall was holding a conversation with the snow”.
Due to her naivety towards Troy’s true nature, Fanny then asks the question of when they shall be married; a preposterous action of a woman of that period. However, their marriage is thwarted by an explainable misunderstanding and it is not surprising that Troy uses this as an excuse to break off all relations with Fanny leaving her alone and deeper in the poverty for which he is responsible for. Fanny is now truly a ‘ruined maid’ as both pregnant and unmarried she has no place in any respectable society and so we as the reader are made to feel sympathy and pity for her through Hardy’s description of the pathos of her circumstance.
Page 230 marks a change in Troy’s nature as he imparts that “Fanny has long ago left me – I have searched for her everywhere” almost suggesting that he regrets his previous actions towards her. In chapter 29 Troy, newly married to Bathsheba, comes across a woman of “extreme poverty” and “sadness of face”; undeniably Fanny. This section of the novel evidences Troy’s altered emotions towards Fanny as he offers her money and agrees to meet her in two days time. Troy also protects her identity to Bathsheba though for whose benefit it is unclear.
Chapter 40 marks the start of the quick ultimate downfall of Fanny in contrast to before as we noted her slow demise to ruination over a number of chapters whereas now, when she becomes a significant part of the novel, her end is narrated almost consecutively without much interval. Her extraordinarily strenuous walk to Casterbridge marks the last journey she will take. We are still not told directly that it is Fanny Robin as Hardy still masks her identity and describes her only as “the woman” but it is easy enough to assume. Her undeniable perseverance shows that she is still naively at the mercy of Troy and his actions towards her have made no real emotional impact on her, even after such a long time.
Hardy again uses pathetic fallacy much like in chapter 11 by describing the sky to set the tone in which Fanny is then presented.
“When the woman awoke it was to find herself in the depths of a moonless and starless night. A heavy unbroken crust of cloud stretched across the sky, shutting out every speck of heaven.”
Fanny again finds herself in darkness, a recurring theme in the novel although the fact that it is “moonless and starless” and the cloud is “shutting out every speck of heaven” sets a more formidable mood than ever associated with Fanny as any possible positive aspect is gone; Hardy again prepares the reader for the dire events to come.
When Fanny no longer has the strength to carry herself she leans on a dog which proves ironic that she does not receive any human aid. The dog is extremely significant as it illustrates Fanny’s final fall in both social status and ruination and she now finds comfort and reassurance from an animal; much like when Gabriel likens himself to his sheepdog in the early chapters marking his own drop in social status. It is then revealed that a “man” has “stoned away” the dog symbolising mans attitude towards Fanny as it was a man who reduced her to poverty, left her ruined and then chased away the dog; the only thing that has ever shown her true kindness and compassion.
Fanny never makes it to Casterbridge but tragically dies whilst having Troy’s child in the poor house. Her death is extremely significant and marks her complete transformation into a ‘ruined maid’; she dies whilst having an illegitimate child unknown to the father who left her poverty stricken in a world where she is insignificant and alone. Her death also has an almost domino effect as Hardy’s theme of chance and fate spreads Fanny’s tragic end onto the other characters leading to the ruination of Bathsheba and Troy’s marriage. The truth is revealed about Fanny and her child and the blame is not placed on her but on Troy, the sole villain that ruined her. Fanny’s utterly pitiful situation invokes the sympathy of even hard-headed Bathsheba; showing the intensity of her ruination.
Throughout ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’, the meetings with Fanny Robin illustrate what happens to a person who unnoticeably falls through the crevices in society, who is neglected and transparent to humanity and so lives a brief life of poverty, ending in tragedy. Hardy uses a constant isolated and distant tone, never directly identifying her, when describing Fanny, portraying the scarcity of attention she receives from others. Due to this it is clear that her ultimate ruination was inevitable from the start.