The Three Strangers (from Wessex Tales) hosted by Connie

[Connie]

Quote from "Macbeth" -- "to raze out the written troubles of the brain"

In Act V, Scene III, Macbeth is talking to the doctor about his wife's troubles, but he might as well be talking about his own troubled mind.

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased;
Pluck from the memory of a rooted sorrow;
Raze out the written troubles of the brain;
And with some sweet oblivious antidote
Cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart?

https://metaphors.iath.virginia.edu/m...

The condemned man's brother is understandably sick with worry. A hanging, or a threat of one, not only makes a mark on criminal's neck (as the hangman sang), but causes written troubles on the brain of all their loved ones.

[Connie]

King's Law vs Rural Justice

In the 1820s, before the Great Reform Bill of 1832, it was a capital offense to steal a sheep, punishable by hanging. However, the people in the county were aware that Timothy Summers had to feed his starving family so it was an act of desperation. They purposely never captured the man since they felt that the punishment was too harsh for the offense. Timothy Summers became a folk hero for his cool demeanor in the presence of the hangman. We see a contrast between the law of the state and the law of the rural people.

[Connie]

We've reaching the end of "The Three Strangers," and would love to read everyone's thoughts about the story. If anyone in the group has read the story in the past - since it's included in many anthologies - we would enjoy hearing from you too.

[Brian E]

This is the section of my review of Wessex Tales where I gave a brief review of each story. However, since its from a review where you try to provide info but not spoil things, it is too general in its analysis to be worthwhile here, but here it is anyway:

THE THREE STRANGERS - 1883
This story does not involve romance. Instead, this story has a suspenseful sense of foreboding as the titled three strangers separately ‘crash’ a christening celebration to seek refuge from a rainstorm. The ending is a bit surprising and very satisfying. This story is set in the 1820s and felt like a folktale.

[Connie]

Brian, I'm so glad you mentioned that it felt like a folktale. Timothy Summers was the type of folk hero that I could imagine the rural folks talking about for years. The Fennel's party may not have turned out the way they planned, but it certainly was an unforgettable party!

[Plateresca]

Petra wrote: "It's an interesting mix of atmosphere, humor and mystery."
I absolutely agree!

Bridget wrote: "I was distracted with thinking how easily the convivial group was moved into a mob mentality. The constable started out trying to prevent it, but acquiesced rather quickly as the hangman bullied him."
Yes, indeed! I find it particularly distressing since it was a christening party. So, one moment everybody is eating and drinking and dancing, and the next they're out in the dark searching for somebody they don't know. So I guess it serves them right that they were falling off cliffs and losing their lanterns.

Bridget wrote: "I suspected the first stranger was the missing convict, did everyone else suspect that too? He's also the one we all like the best, which I'm sure is what Hardy intended."
Yes, I did suspect him, and did like him the best, - and yes, I think this was exactly the author's intention :)

Connie, thank you for all the additional info and your leading in general, you have really enriched our reading experience.

[Plateresca]

Connie wrote: "The Fennel's party may not have turned out the way they planned, but it certainly was an unforgettable party!"
To say the least :)

I enjoyed the story, and I think I enjoyed it more because we were reading it together :)

Did the watchmaker steal the sheep to make dinner? I like this character as he is in the story, but do I understand correctly that he slaughtered the animal? That puts a damper on things for me (yes, I know this is what farmers do; but not watchmakers).

The humour is very much at the expense of the law: the constable is comical, and the hangman is clearly antipathetic.

'True--his teeth chattered, and his heart seemed to sink; and he bolted as if he'd been shot at,' slowly summed up the man in the chimney-corner.

This does sound very much like something from a fairy-tale (an aspect Brian has mentioned), and there are three characteristics here (something Lee has mentioned). It's particularly funny when we know he was talking about his brother :)

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

I've been really enjoying following each "allotted portion" every day, and have to say how brilliantly your divisions have worked Connie! Each time we felt the author carefully leading us, but not too far, so that there was still mysteries (e.g. until today I had hypothesised that it was the son of the condemned man, but it turned out that it was the brother). Just to say I'm still here, and hope to say more later.

[Connie]

Plateresca wrote: "Did the watchmaker steal the sheep to make dinner? I like this character as he is in the story, but do I understand correctly that he slaughtered the animal? That puts a damper on things for me (yes, I know this is what farmers do; but not watchmakers)."

Yes, the watchmaker took the sheep to slaughter and feed his starving children. This was an economically depressed area at the time. The 1820s and 1830s were especially hard on agrarian communities. If the farmers have no money, they are not going to go out and buy a new clock or a watch. Even though Timothy was a skilled man, he had no income coming in. So he resorted to theft to feed his family out of desperation. I imagine that people in an agrarian community would have seen animals slaughtered. Even a watchmaker could do it if they thought of it as food for their starving children, and not a cute woolly sheep.

Thank you for all your interesting comments, Plateresca.

[Connie]

Bionic Jean wrote: "I've been really enjoying following each "allotted portion" every day, and have to say how brilliantly your divisions have worked Connie! Each time we felt the author carefully leading us, but not ..."

I was very impressed how Hardy put all those cliffhangers into such a short story, and kept us wondering about the identities of the three strangers knocking a the door.

[Petra]

I like how this story ended. Justice is done. Perhaps not the lawful justice, which Hardy showed to be a buffoonery in this story, but the real justice where a man shouldn't be punished for feeding his family.
The party seems to be a way of showing that Community stands together. Community could feed those in need and, as in this story, Community can hide and save a person unjustly sentenced.

Connie, thank you for making this a wonderful reading experience. I enjoyed your additions and comments and this story was even more enjoyable by being able to read it with this group.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

You asked about the photo of Hardy's Cottage Connie, and I think it's one I took in 1997. The next ones are of the donkeys eating the bluebells in the fields which surround it ... but the cottage in this story is in a completely different kind of terrain!

I've been trying to go through the years and find the ones I took of Dorchester prison, (Casterbridge Gaol in this story) as it's a lovely old building, a bit like Wormwood Scrubs if anyone knows that one. No luck yet.

I echo Petra ... this has been a wonderful way to read the short story, and such great leadership! Thank you for all your hard work Connie 😊

[Connie]

Petra wrote: "I like how this story ended. Justice is done. Perhaps not the lawful justice, which Hardy showed to be a buffoonery in this story, but the real justice where a man shouldn't be punished for feeding..."

Petra, that's an important point about the strength of their community, and their own code of justice. Probably most of the men making the laws had never missed a meal in their life, and gave their legislation almost no thought. Thank you for your thoughtful participation in this read.

[Connie]

Bionic Jean wrote: "You asked about the photo of Hardy's Cottage Connie, and I think it's one I took in 1997. The next ones are of the donkeys eating the bluebells in the fields which surround it ... but the cottage i..."

It's such beautiful country, Jean! I imagine it's fun to go through your photos and relive the memories. I enjoyed reading with you and the others.

[Connie]

Dramatizations

Hardy later dramatized the story as the one-act play, "The Three Wayfarers," which was first performed in 1893. The characters in "The Three Strangers" arrive and depart as though it was meant to be adapted into a theatrical production, so it was not difficult to adapt.

The first version of "The Three Wayfarers" was performed with some other one-act plays at Terry's Theatre in London and ran for one week. It was slightly revised later.

Used bookstores sell "The Three Wayfarers," illustrated by William Henry Cotton and published in 1930.

"The Three Strangers" was adapted into a screenplay by Rose and Ann-Marie Goldthorp. It's available at the Thomas Hardy Society website. A link on the page leads to the pdf where a free 16 page script of the screenplay can be printed out. The screenplay adaptation strips the story to its essentials, and I missed the information that the narrator provides in the short story.

https://www.hardysociety.org/adaptati...

[Plateresca]

Indeed, thank you for pointing this out, Connie - the story is theatrical.

[Plateresca]

And about punishment: it's not like the watchmaker isn't punished at all - he has to go into hiding and leave his family, I suppose this in itself is severe enough.

On the other hand, we want him to be all right, and if he really is better off in town, probably there being more work for a watchmaker, then, I think, it's a pity he hadn't thought of this option before committing his crime. But I don't think readers were supposed to dwell on this, the story focuses on other aspects.

[Connie]

Plateresca wrote: "And about punishment: it's not like the watchmaker isn't punished at all - he has to go into hiding and leave his family, I suppose this in itself is severe enough.

On the other hand, we want him ..."

Being separated from his family and on the run is a terrible punishment. He might have been able to "disappear" if he went to a large city some distance away. At the end of the story, people also wondered if the watchmaker had left the country. He might have gone to Canada or the United States if he wanted somewhere where English was spoken. Australia is another possibility, but there were so many convicts and prison workers there that he might be recognized.

I also was thinking about his outcome since I got the impression that Hardy took the idea for the story from a folk tale about a real person. Of course, folk tales are usually embellished and changed as they are shared orally, and writers change things even more.

I like it when a writer makes us care so much about a character that we worry about what happened to him.

[Bridget, Moderator]

Plateresca wrote: "And about punishment: it's not like the watchmaker isn't punished at all - he has to go into hiding and leave his family, I suppose this in itself is severe enough.

On the other hand, we want him ..."

That's a great point, Plateresca. It hadn't occurred to me that the watchmaker is losing his family, I was just so happy he escaped the hangman. It's not as harsh a sentence as death, but it still doesn't seem to fit the crime. The man just wanted to feed his family after all. I guess, as Connie mentioned, that all changed with the Reform Act 1832.

I like that the community - in the end - came together to protect the watchmaker. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the community had found a way to help feed the poor watchmaker and his family before he was driven to desperation.

I really enjoyed reading this story, and especially sharing the discussion with everyone. Connie, you did an amazing job of breaking the story up into perfect segments, and giving us lots of background info to think about too. Thank you!

[Bridget, Moderator]

Connie wrote: "Plateresca wrote: "And about punishment: it's not like the watchmaker isn't punished at all - he has to go into hiding and leave his family, I suppose this in itself is severe enough.

On the other..."

Sorry if we cross posted Connie, we were thinking the same things about the separation punishment being terrible. As I read your post, it occurred to me, that maybe the watchmaker found a way to take his family with him to Canada, Australia or America. Of course we don't know . . . but it makes me happy to think they were all reunited somewhere far away. So that's the ending I'm going to hold in my heart :-)

[Connie]

Bridget, that's a good point that some help earlier from the community might have prevented his desperate act. It would have been good if there could have been a way to barter services for food if people did not have money to give.

Leading the story was a learning experience about Hardy's shorter works, and I enjoyed discussing the story with everyone.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

It's been an excellent introduction to his shorter reads Connie! Thank you so much for leading this one, and all the extra information and work you have in. It's been most enjoyable.

Thanks to everyone for all the input. I'll leave this current for a few more days for any new comments, and open the next thread now, ready for Natalie's choice tomorrow.

[Pamela]

I've finally gotten to reading this short story and quite enjoyed it even before I looked at the explanations of certain language of which I was unfamiliar. It is a very good read. Thanks, Connie, for an excellent choice of story and the many details that help flesh out the story even more.

[Connie]

Pamela wrote: "I've finally gotten to reading this short story and quite enjoyed it even before I looked at the explanations of certain language of which I was unfamiliar. It is a very good read. Thanks, Connie, ..."

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Pamela! It seems like we only hear about Hardy's novels and poetry, so I'm glad Jean planned for the group to read some of his short stories this summer. Hardy is a talented story writer too!