Far From the Madding Crowd 2nd Thread Chapters 9 - 20

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Oh how interesting! I just took it literally as difficult for a shepherd as Dorset sheep usually just seem to give birth to one young (though they can have up to 4!) But twin lambs are something special.

I'm sure you're on to something here though Lee, as Thomas Hardy's knowledge of the Bible was profound. It has been said he knew the Bible better than any other Victorian writer.

There's also the story of Cain and Abel already referred to. Although they were brothers not twins, the conflict is there.

[Bridget, Moderator]

Bionic Jean wrote: "Like Gabriel, Boldwood tends to idealise Bathsheba, so he has initially forgotten about her non-traditional position of authority. Yet we see that at the sheep washing, Bathsheba reigns naturally o..."

Jean, I hope you got all your computer troubles worked out (not fun!) No worries about posting late. I don't know about others, but on Sundays it's hard to find time alone to sit down at the computer for me.

I liked this thought of yours:

"Bathsheba had been satisfied with Boldwood merely noticing her. She did not expect, or even really consider the possibility that such attention would not stop there"

I think that's spot on. I struggled with Bathsheba's actions, but I can also see how Bathsheba's youth and vanity prevent her from thinking about the consequences.

and Lee, thank you for sharing the insight about biblical twins. The way the men talked about the oddity of so many twin lambs made me feel uneasy. Like something is off with Nature. Some superstitious people might blame a woman running the farm for these freaks of Nature occurring. I like the additional biblical foreshadowing. Combining those two elements is very much like Hardy.

[Bridget, Moderator]

One more thing . . . just wanted to thank Jean for posting the illustration by Helen Paterson. The line she chose to illustrate
("‘I feel—almost too much—to think,’ he said" ) made me so sad for Boldwood when I read it.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Oh I agree Bridget, Boldwood feels real to me, and tugs at our sympathies, rather being a standard Victorian male (one of the tropes we were talking about).

David commented that: "Hardy’s description does make me think that Boldwood’s temperament is possibly due to loneliness, perhaps isolation ..." and although the obsessive brooding (Rochester) male is almost there, I think we are learning about Boldwood's uniqueness of character.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Chapter 20: Perplexity - Grinding the Shears - The Quarrel

Bathsheba thought that Boldwood seemed very kind, trying to offer her everything she could wish for. Many women in her situation would have jumped to accept such an offer. Boldwood was of sufficient standing, good character, respected and esteemed. But she did not love him, and the novelty of her position as farmer had still not worn off. Nonetheless, she felt uneasy, knowing that she had started the game and should accept the consequences. Though she was impulsive, the narrator tells us, she also had a deliberative spirit, and now these were both at odds.

The next day Bathsheba found Gabriel grinding his shears, helped by Cainy Ball. She sent Cain on an errand so that she could speak with Gabriel alone. She began to help him as Cain had done.

Bathsheba asked Gabriel if people had remarked on her private discussion with Boldwood the day before. He said that they had, but did not think it was odd as they imagined the two would be soon married. Bathsheba scoffed at that idea, whereupon Gabriel looked incredulous; sad, but also relieved. Bathsheba wanted him to contradict the farmhands, but Gabriel said:

”I bain’t going to tell a story and say he didn’t to please you. I have already tried to please you too much for my own good!”

adding that he could give an opinion on what she had done, but she said she didn’t want it. Bitterly, Gabriel turned back to his work.

Then after a while, Bathsheba asked what he did think. Gabriel responded that her action was unworthy of a woman as thoughtful and attractive as she was. She blushed scarlet, and he said while he had been rude, he thought it would do her good. She replied sarcastically:

“On the contrary, my opinion of you is so low, that I see in your abuse the praise of discerning people!”

losing her temper, and adding that he probably thought she was unworthy in not marrying him. He had long ago ceased thinking of that, he said quietly, and when she added, “or wishing it”, he agreed, to her secret chagrin.

Gabriel added that Bathsheba was to blame for playing pranks on a man like Boldwood. She angrily said that she would not allow any man to criticise her private conduct, and she ordered Gabriel Oak to leave the farm at the end of the week. He acquiesced, saying he would prefer to go right then, took his shears and left.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Well what a cliff-hanger! I have been feeling that although Gabriel Oak is not the bailiff, in fact he probably quietly does some of the work involved. He seems to know more than the others about managing a farm. And even just sticking to his work as a shepherd, would Cainy Ball really be able to cope with the duties? He was being trained up to do the job.

I do not have a good feeling about this ...

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

And a little more ...

We are learning a bit more about Bathsheba’s personality. Apparently she was based on Thomas Hardy’s aunt (his mother, Jemima’s, sister).

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) was regarded as shrewd and calculating, whereas Mary Stuart (1516-1558) was impulsive and rash.

‘Eros’ - In Classical mythology Eros, or ‘Cupid’, was the god of love and often represented as a boy with a bow and arrow(s). The reference could be to a painting by the 18th century artist Rafael Mengs titled ‘Cupid Sharpening his Arrows’.

‘Ixion’s punishment’ - In Greek mythology, Ixion was punished by being bound to a perpetually revolving wheel of fire.

‘a Danby sunset’ - refers to the English painter James Francis Danby (1816-75) who was famous for the brilliant colours of his sunsets.

At the end of the chapter, when Gabriel left Bathsheba ”like Moses left the Pharaoh”, this is an allusion to Exodus 10: 28-29. Pharaoh’s words “Get thee from me … see my face no more” are echoed by Bathsheba’s “Don’t let me see your face any more”, and Gabriel’s response is also based on those verses.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

We now have a day free. We begin Installment 5 with chapter 21 on Tuesday, in a new thread.

If you have not commented for a while – or at all yet – do feel free to add your thoughts on all the chapters in any thread. We’ll enjoy reading them!

[Kathleen]

So interesting how Hardy gets to the impulses behind the actions in this chapter.

I particularly liked the way, after he made a generalization about men and women, that men married because it was the only way to "take possession" of a woman, while women put up with husbands because they want marriage, he tells us something very important about Bathsheba. "But the understood incentive on the woman’s part was wanting here. Perhaps the reason behind her prior refusal of Gabriel was more not wanting marriage than not wanting him specifically.

[Connie]

It's difficult because Bathsheba and Gabriel have a prior personal relationship as well as a present working relationship where she is the employer. When Bathsheba asks for Gabriel's opinion, he is not the type of person to lie about his feelings to keep her happy. He's answering as a man, not as an employee. But Bathsheba retaliates by dismissing him from his job. Bathsheba is very intelligent, but she does not have the years of farming experience that Gabriel or a baily would have.

[Bridget, Moderator]

I can see how Bathsheba would feel the need to enforce her authority on the farm and let Gabriel go after he speaks so frankly to her. But like everyone else I have a bad feeling about this. She’s not a very observant person, is she? She’s not aware of Gabriel’s influence on the other workers.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Thanks for these insights Connie, Kathleen and Bridget.

Have you noticed how steeped in the seasons this novel is? On our break day, I'd just like to share this passage - I missed it out of the summary for ch. 19, but think it is quite a beautiful pastoral picture, reflecting Boldwood's burgeoning hope and passion as he approaches Bathsheba:

"It was now early spring—the time of going to grass with the sheep, when they have the first feed of the meadows, before these are laid up for mowing. The wind, which had been blowing east for several weeks, had veered to the southward, and the middle of spring had come abruptly ... The vegetable world begins to move and swell and the saps to rise, till ... where everything seems helpless and still after the bond and slavery of frost, there are bustlings, strainings, united thrusts, and pulls-all-together, in comparison with which the powerful tugs of cranes and pulleys in a noisy city are but pigmy efforts."

When Bathsheba’s figure shone upon the farmer’s eyes it lighted him up as the moon lights up a great tower...

He approached the gate of the meadow. Beyond it the ground was melodious with ripples, and the sky with larks; the low bleating of the flock mingling with both."

[Pamela]

Connie wrote: "It's difficult because Bathsheba and Gabriel have a prior personal relationship as well as a present working relationship where she is the employer. When Bathsheba asks for Gabriel's opinion, he is..."

I agree with you, Connie. She asked and then she punished him for answering as he did. It shows her immaturity there because we know he would answer honestly.

[Chris]

Pamela wrote: I agree with you, Connie. She asked and then she punished him for answering as he did. It shows her immaturity there because we know he would answer honestly.

Amen to that!! I was so angry with Bathsheba when she sacked Gabriel.. I thought how immature and that she doesn't think about the impact for the long-term.

And Holy Cow, speaking of being short-sighted, her actions inre the Valentine. How could she have NO clue about how that may impact someone that she did not know at all given the standard manners of the day. Boy, I felt for Boldwood, despite not thinking it would be a good match. He is a person who has been socially apart and has kept strong feelings in check.

[Pamela]

Chris wrote: "Pamela wrote: I agree with you, Connie. She asked and then she punished him for answering as he did. It shows her immaturity there because we know he would answer honestly.

Amen to that!! I was ..."

Agreed.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Just checking that everyone spotted the new thread starting yesterday LINK HERE.

[Lori]

I’m still trailing behind.

Chapter 15, A Morning Meeting,
The Letter Again

Jean: What a wonderful job you’ve done with the chapter summary and thank you for all the information about the editing.

This may be a bit of a stretch, but the image of Gabriel Oak carrying the lambs into the malt house reminded me of Isaiah 40:11,
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

Gabriel is indeed a good shepherd and watches over the sheep night and day, and in fact hadn’t slept for the sake of the lambs. He gathered the lambs in his arms in a way of protection. But once in the malt house he is not only protector of the newly born, weak lambs but also of Bathsheba. He remains faithful to her in spite of his own disappointment and puts an end to the talk about her which has been cast in a negative tone.

Yes, I’m falling for Gabriel, lol!

I don’t know if Hardy would have had that verse in mind but for me there was a connection. I’m seeing Gabriel as protector of the weak. The lambs were weak due to the circumstances of their birth and maybe he sees Bathsheba’s weakness as something that is also due to her circumstances, youth and inexperience perhaps? I like to think that Gabriel sees great potential in both the lambs and Bathsheba given time and the right amount of nurturing.

[Bionic Jean, Moderator]

Lori wrote: "Chapter 15, A Morning Meeting,
The Letter Again

Jean: What a wonderful job you’ve done with the chapter summary and thank you for all the information about the editing ...

the image of Gabriel Oak carrying the lambs into the malt house reminded me of Isaiah 40:11 ...

I’m seeing Gabriel as protector of the weak."

Lori, I don't think this is a stretch at all. I think it is a wonderful insight! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. It seems absolutely spot on for our hero. 😊

And thank you!

[Bridget, Moderator]

I just wanted to pop into the conversation to say I also like the idea Gabriel as protector of the weak. I love that you are falling for him, Lori. It's easy to see why. So glad you are joining this read!