Works of Thomas Hardy discussion
Far from the Madding Crowd
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Far From the Madding Crowd 6th Thread Chapter 48 - 57
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Initial-page to Installement 11, by Helen Paterson, Victorian Web
Chapter 48 – **Doubts Arise: Doubts Vanish
Bathsheba feels surprised, then relieved, though mostly indifferent, at Troy’s absence. Her youthful pride has weakened, and her anxiety with it. Sooner or later, he’ll return, and their days on the farm will be numbered. There was initially some concern about Bathsheba as her uncle’s successor, as a woman, but her success until her marriage had put off such fears.
On Saturday she goes to Casterbridge alone for the first time since her marriage. At the market, she hears a man asking for Mrs. Troy. He needs to tell her that her husband has drowned. Bathsheba gasps, then faints. Boldwood, who’s been watching, catches her. The stranger imparts the news: a coast guard found Troy’s clothes by the shore. Boldwood’s face flushes. He carries Bathsheba to a private room, where she opens her eyes, and asks to go home.
Boldwood gathers his senses, still thinking of the feeling of Bathsheba in his arms. He offers to get her a driver, but she declines, and once recovered drives home herself. Liddy meets her, asking if she might find some mourning clothes to wear. But Bathsheba no, because Troy must be alive, the evidence points to it and she feels it.
On Monday, though, Bathsheba’s conviction begins lessening. The newspaper contains the testimony of a young man from Budmouth who says he was passing over the cliff and saw a bather carried by the current. After dusk set in, he saw no more. Then, Troy’s clothes arrive, and she’s convinced that he undressed meaning to dress again soon. Bathsheba wonders if Troy wanted to follow Fanny into the next world. She opens his watch case and makes to throw the lock of hair into the fire, but then pauses, she’ll keep it in memory of the poor girl.
**The original title of this chapter was “Boldwood again: the clothes”. In 1912 Thomas Hardy changed it again to “Doubts Arise: Doubts Linger”. These are two of many changes pertaining to Hardy’s hindsight stress on Bathsheba’s denial of Troy’s death.
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"He saw a bather carried along", Helen Paterson, Victorian Web
The wild emotions that characterized Bathsheba’s initial courtship with Troy, as well as the discovery of his relationship to Fanny, have ceded to indifference, even as Troy’s abandonment threatens to ruin her prior independence and authority as owner of the farm. (I’m not certain of what is happening legally here, to threaten Bathsheba might lose the farm. I think it might have something to do with not paying the January rent, but I’m not certain. Maybe someone else knows?)
Just as Boldwood watched Bathsheba for the first time at the market after receiving her valentine, now Boldwood continues to observe her, ready to intervene at any sign of trouble. The tragedy of Troy’s apparent death presumably means something quite different for Boldwood.
Initially, Bathsheba refuses to believe the evidence of Troy’s death—she has come to understand the extent of his trickery and deception and is unwilling to fall for it as she has before. It is only when Bathsheba is faced with strong proof of her husband’s death that she decides she can trust the reports.
Bathsheba is left alone, abandoned by Troy; and aware he preferred Fanny over her. Still, Bathsheba’s rivalry with Fanny mingles with both pity and with the knowledge that they were both made to suffer by Troy.
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The word “indifferent” is used repeatedly in this chapter to describe Bathsheba. I’m not sure I find her indifferent. Her emotions cause her to faint at the news of Troy. She’s still got enough pride to ride back home on her own. She’s caring towards the memory of Fanny. I think she is resigned to the consequences of her bad choices, but not indifferent to them.
And then there is this paragraph, another negative comment about women in general (though a back handed compliment to Bathsheba):
"She was not a woman who could hope on without good materials for the process, differing thus from the less far-sighted and energetic, though more petted ones of the sex, with whom hope goes on as a sort of clockwork which the merest food and shelter are sufficient to wind up; and perceiving clearly that her mistake had been a fatal one, she accepted her position, and waited coldly for the end."
It makes me wonder what kind of silly-headed women Thomas Hardy knew.
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Real Life Locations
Troy took his dramatic swim in the real-life Lulworth Cove (Hardy calls it "Lullwind Cove") which is one of the prettiest coves in Dorset, being almost perfectly circular in shape:
It is land-locked, apart from a gap on the south side where the sea has broken through the rocks. This is called Durdle Door:
The Old Corn Exchange in "Casterbridge", where Bathsheba fainted, existed in Dorchester as described from 1792. It had an archway to North Square and first floor balcony. It had already been replaced by the time of this novel with the current building, in 1848.
Of course, we all know the inn in Casterbridge which Boldwood carried Bathsheba into ... It is the King's Arms a fine old coaching inn and now the poshest hotel in Dorchester, where we have our cyber-chat lounge 😉
The Kings Arms Hotel, Dorchester, Dorset (as it is today)
This was Thomas Hardy's favourite hostelry. He wrote part of The Mayor of Casterbridge in one of the upstairs rooms. You can see that it has a prominent bow window above the entrance portico.
Bridget and Jean--you are making this read so special! I'm thoroughly enjoying the images here. I am totally distracted by that beautiful leather jacket--what a great piece of vintage clothing! :-) But I also love the cove engraving, though not as much as the real place. How beautiful! And to know Hardy was writing in that special room of the Kings Arms ... these details are so fun.And speaking of details, is it normal to have knowledge of so many revisions? I was shocked by the different endings of Chapter 47. No mention of Troy joining the sailors' voyage in my copy. It seems so odd to have these different versions, but I'm finding it's also the case with Under the Greenwood Tree, which I'm also currently reading. These novels must have been published quickly before final decisions made?
Anyway, thanks tons, Bridget and Jean!
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Bridget and Jean: Thank you both for all of the commentary and photos! All of your efforts have truly been enriching to this reading experience! Bridget: I am also a bit puzzled as to why Bathsheba would be suddenly fearful of losing her farm in the event of Troy’s death or absence. Considering how counter productive he was to achieving that goal, I would think she would be in a better financial position without him. Unless she fears he has already spent too much of her money? The farm will surely operate more efficiently and be more profitable under Gabriel’s care and without interference from Troy.
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Oh that's fascinating, Kathleen. I didn't realize there were revisions in Under the Greenwood Tree as well. That's another Hardy book I'd like to read some day.
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Bridget: I am also a bit puzzled as to why Bathshe..."
I think you're onto something there, Lori, with Troy having spent too much money already. It makes sense that Troy has gambled away too much of Bathsheba's money for her to pay the January rent.
Maybe the next couple chapters will enlighten us.
I was wondering how inheritance and ownership worked then. It seemed like Troy had to ask her for money; so I guess the husband didn't automatically control a wife's wealth as in earlier times? But Bathseba's worries made me wonder if there was something strange in the inheritance laws that I wasn't understanding.
Greg: I am also wondering about Bathsheba’s inheritance. She is referred to as “James Everdene’s successor”. Perhaps she is responsible for paying on a mortgage of some type?Then we read this line: “She had latterly been in great doubt as to what the legal effects of her marriage would be upon her position; but no notice had been taken as yet if her change of name…”.
A lot happens off stage in this book and we are left wondering about details like this because of that. In this case, we don’t know what the estate agent would have presented to her concerning the terms of succession.
Perhaps Bathsheba’ uncle was a tenant farmer and not really the owner of the farm. That would explain “rent” being due.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married...
I also found a paper written by Briony McDonagh, University of Hull where she says of FFMC: "The novel was in part a response to unease at changes in the law on women’s property rights – specifically, the Married Women’s Property Acts of 1870 and 1882".
I have no idea if that's true or not, but you can read about it here:
https://theconversation.com/far-from-...
And for now, onto the next chapter :-)
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As winter goes on, Bathsheba reaches a mood of calm, though not peace; she feels pain that Troy is not still hers. She’s lost interest in the farm but keeps it going out of instinct. She installs Gabriel as bailiff to take on what she no longer cares to do.
Boldwood lives secluded. He neglects his farm, even though his workers remind him of what needs to be done. It’s whispered that forgetfulness has nothing to do with the ruin of his crops. Finally, Boldwood suggests that Gabriel take over supervision of his farm as well. At first Bathsheba objects, though languidly, that it’s too much, but Boldwood insists, giving Gabriel a horse so that he can manage the farms efficiently. Gabriel grows wealthier and more handsome than ever, though some whisper that he’s cheap (he lives in no better style than before). But he cares little for public opinion and is a man of habit.
Boldwood, meanwhile, has begun to nourish a renewed hope regarding Bathsheba, who has now been persuaded to wear mourning clothes. He hopes she might be chastened from her past, and willing to marry him, in the future. He gets a chance to ask Liddy about this during the haymaking. He awkwardly gets around to asking if she ever considers marrying again. She never alludes to it, Liddy says, thinking Boldwood is acting stupidly, but then says she once supposed she might marry after seven years. When Liddy asks if Boldwood has talked to her about it, he reddens, then goes away.
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Despite her suspicion, maturity, and knowledge, Bathsheba still does love Troy, "While she had known him to be alive she could have thought of his death with equanimity; but now that it might be she had lost him, she regretted that he was not hers still." a sentiment that persists and comingles with her general indifference.
Bathsheba’s quietude and grief are in some ways echoed by Boldwood’s own seclusion. His strange ways preceded Fanny’s death and can instead be traced back to his refusal by Bathsheba and his humiliation by Troy. Meanwhile, Gabriel’s steady ascendance begins to provoke rumors, though the narrator intervenes against them.
Boldwood’s intervention when Bathsheba fainted, having just learned of her husband’s death, has reintroduced the woman to him in the flesh, rather than as an abstraction or idea. Liddy obviously thinks that Boldwood’s hopes regarding Bathsheba are deluded, but the information she gives him will end up being of sufficient weight for him to grasp and cling onto, even as he recognizes how far he has fallen from his former pride. Boldwood's neglect of his farm suggests either depression or obsession with Bathsheba on his part. Either way, its quite sad.
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sit and ponder what a gift life used to be - alludes to a Robert Browning's poem "The Statue and the Bust" (218-19). The poem is a commentary on the themes of love, social convention, and betrayal. Set in Florence, the poem tells the story of a Duke who falls in love with a young bride at a wedding. Despite the social constraints and expectations of the time, the bride reciprocates his feelings. The poem explores the complexities of love and desire, as well as the consequences of breaking societal norms.
Here is a link to the poem
https://allpoetry.com/The-Statue-and-...
like a grain of mustard seed - is a biblical allusion to Christ’s parable in Mark 4:30-32 in which a mustard seed “when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds. . . .But . . . it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs”. Boldwood’s hopes are disproportionately large, in light of the facts.
original phantom of delight . . . too good for human nature’s daily food - alludes to William Wordsworth's poem "She Was a Phantom of Delight”
“A Creature not too bright or good
For human nature's daily food;”
Here is a link to the poem:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
Jacob and Rachel - another biblical allusion. Genesis 29. Custom decreed that the first-born daughter, Leah, should be married before her sister, Rachel – chosen by Jacob, who undertook seven years’ service to win her only to find himself presented with Leah. So he undertook an additional seven years’ service to secure Rachel.
Bridget wrote: "I’m not certain of what is happening legally here, to threaten Bathsheba might lose the farm. I think it might have something to do with not paying the January rent, but I’m not certain. Maybe someone else knows?"Hardy's exact words at that point were: "Soon, or later --and that not very late-- her husband would be home again. And then the days of their tenancy of the Upper Farm would be numbered." So the threat to tenancy of the farm would arise, not from Troy's absence, but from his return. I read this as her realistic recognition of the only possible result that his wild waste of money, coupled with his lousy farm management (typified by leaving the grain unprotected earlier) could have.
Bionic Jean wrote: "The Old Corn Exchange in 'Casterbridge' ...had already been replaced by the time of this novel with the current building, in 1848."
Hmmm! Hardy never explicitly states a date in the text of this novel. Without one, and barring other explicit indications of a different intended date in a novel or story, I usually assume the date to be the author's present. So I've pictured this tale as taking place in the early 1870s. The fact above, though, could argue for an intended date much earlier. There's also the line in Chapter 42 that states, "Travellers --for the variety tourist had hardly developed into a distinct species at this date...." That also poses a difficulty for the "early 1870s" theory. (But then, there's the possible influence, mentioned above, of the Married Women's Property Act in 1870....) Does anyone else have light to shed on this?
Maybe I'm hung up on minutiae, but I was struck by the talk of Oak "sometimes even making his bed with his own hands." Why wouldn't he? The options are leaving it unmade (not great, but surely not uncommon either) or hiring a servant, which I absolutely cannot see Everyman Gabriel doing. Any enlightenment?
Keith: I could be completely wrong about this but when I read that Gabriel was “making his bed with his own hands” I guess I thought it might mean that he was stuffing his own mattress with straw or feathers. If anyone knows for sure what Hardy meant by that please enlighten us all. It is a curious statement about an otherwise mundane chore.
My impressions (from reading a fair number of books set in Victorian or Edwardian England) is that the common cultural expectation was that, if you could afford to pay somebody else to wait on you, it was a foregone conclusion that you obviously would. Having to wait on yourself marked you as part of the lower class; being able to delegate that job marked you as having graduated to the middle class. (And in the minds of very class-conscious people, wanting to take that step up, if it were possible, would be a no-brainer.)
Bridget: Thank you for such a splendid summary and all the extra posts!
Werner: That’s a fair point and social hierarchy has a strong presence in Victorian literature.
I found this an interesting chapter, not only because the community settles as if Troy never existed, Bathsheba has finally put Oak in charge of managing her farm, and she seems to be giving herself time and space to think about her possible future. I would think it would be very hard for Bathsheba not to have found that with his absence, she still has feelings for Troy.It is Boldwood who still surprises. It is smart that he hires on Oak to also tend to his farm (he'd be a fool not to at this point), but I find it surprising that he is still thinking about a future with Bathsheba, even if it takes several years.
I'm trying to remember — did we discuss or Hardy say, how old Boldwood is? I just have a feeling that seven years is a big chunk of time at his age to want and wait for a love that may never happen.
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I think this is a good question, Keith. Thanks for bringing it up.
We know that Gabriel is making more money now being bailiff, and his arrangement with Boldwood stands to be even better as it involves a share of the profits.
Now the community is starting to gossip about Gabriel:
"Out of this there arose, during the spring succeeding, a talk in the parish that Gabriel Oak was feathering his nest fast" (in other words saving lots of money)
and also
"Some were beginning to consider Oak a “near” man" the word "near" here means "cheap".
Think about Oak's ascendency from the point of view of Poorgrass and Coggan. Now that Oak has all this money, he's rising above them, and he's not sharing. If he hired people to do some of this work for him, he would be spreading his wealth around amongst his friends.
That was my reaction to this, though I'm sure there are many ways to interpret this section.
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I think Boldwood is in his late forties. Waiting six or seven years for Bathsheba is a crazy at any age, but as you said even more so for a man past middle age.
And upon further reflection: In a world where all manner of tasks are transactional (e.g., young Jude Fawley scaring off birds with a noisemaker), I am willing to believe that people might expect Oak to pay for light housekeeping. On we go!
Fascinating discussion--I stumbled over making his own bed too. So helpful!I didn't think of the "near" meaning, so really appreciate that, Bridget. One thing I will remember in future when reading Hardy: always choose an edition with footnotes. My FFMC copy is spare--no notes or intro or anything, so I am so grateful to have all of this help. :-)
Kathleen: I have also decided that a copy of Hardy’s work with footnotes would be helpful in future. BTW, I agree with you about Bathsheba’s leather jacket, it’s beautifully made.
Bridget wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I'm trying to remember — did we discuss or Hardy say, how old Boldwood is? I just have a feeling that seven years is a big chunk of time at his age to want and wait for a love that m..."In Chapter 9 Bathsheba asks Liddy how old Boldwood is. Liddy said, “Forty, I should say—very handsome, rather stern looking, and rich.”
We're told that Gabriel is 28 at the beginning of the book. In his conversation with Bathsheba in Chapter 29, he says Boldwood is ten years older than he is, which would make him 38; but Gabriel might be guessing, just as Liddy is. When Hardy introduces Boldwood, he says, "Thirty-five and fifty were his limits of variation --he might have been either, or anywhere between the two."
Jean I loved the pictures, I especially was taken of the one of Durdle's Door. A gorgeous shot!Since Troy had disappeared for month, I was surprised at Bathsheba fainting when she heard of Troy's drowning and then later feeling that he wasn't dead but alive. Her moods are so up and down, and has had contradictory actions throughout the novel, it's hard to get a bead on her true character. She hasn't won me back over yet.
If she is worried about being able to keep farm, I suppose that could be motivation for considering Boldwood's plan for a future marriage. I feel so sorry for Boldwood. He lost all desire to maintain his life/livelihood after Bathsheba married and now dares to think that all will be right with the world if but Bathsheba will promise to marry him even knowing that she does not love him. So sad.
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I didn't think of the "near" meaning, so really appreciate that, Bridget. One thing I will remember in future when readi..."
I'm so glad you find it helpful, Kathleen. Sometimes, when the chapter is really long, I feel that I've given everyone too much to read in the summaries and extras. But hopefully, everyone picks and chooses what to read and what to skip :-)
I don't know how I would manage any of this without the notes section of my edition. Well, except for when Jean lends us her expertise, which is always a huge help!!
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I agree with this sentiment, Chris. Bathsheba is so illusive.
I had not thought ahead to reasons Bathsheba would decide to marry Boldwood. But I very much like your reasoning, that marrying Boldwood, would help her keep the farm. I think that's right!
Well, onto the next chapter, which may make Boldwood change his plans drastically. . . . .
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Woodbury Hill Fair, Dorset
In September the Greenhill Fair takes place, drawing crowds from far away. Bathsheba’s and Boldwood’s flocks require attention to get there, though Weatherbury isn’t as far.
On another part of the hill a circus tent is being erected, preparing for a performace of "Turpin's Ride". Coggan and Poorgrass, among many others, jostle each other to enter the tent. At the back, in one of the dressing tents, is Sergeant Troy.
After Troy had embarked in Budmouth he traveled to the United States and earned his keep as professor of gymnastics, sword exercise, and fencing. After a few months of this precarious life, he recalled his taste for comforts, and thought of Weatherbury. Finally, he did return to England, though kept putting off going home because of the unpleasantness that would await him—not to mention his responsibility for Bathsheba should the farm fail.
That summer, Troy fell in with a travelling circus, where he was hired based on his shooting skills from his time in the army. He decided to stay on when he was offered the role of Turpin for a few weeks, though he had no definite plan for after that.
Bathsheba also wants to see Turpin, the grandest show in the fair. As she waits outside, Boldwood comes up to her. They begin to talk and Boldwood offers to reserve a seat for her. When she hesitates, he adds that he won’t stay. Bathsheba agrees and Boldwood escorts her to an isolated reserved seat covered in red cloth, separate from the rest of the crowd making her conspicuous.
Troy peers out of the tent to see his wife sitting like a queen above the rabble. He realizes she’s bound to recognize his voice and feels entirely unprepared to be found. He also feels shame at his embarrassing employment. He rushes over to the manager and claims that he has an enemy in the tent who will nab him if he opens his mouth. The manager tells him to go on without the speeches.
Troy disguises himself with even more make up and the plan works. At the end of the second performance, he exchanges glances with Bailiff Pennyways, his wife’s enemy, who has surely recognized him. Now he knows his only chance is to make a friend of Pennyways.
Troy dips into the refreshment tent, where he cannot see Pennyways, though he can see Bathsheba at the other end. He goes around the back and listens: she’s talking to a man. He makes a cut in the tent cloth so as to peer in from above. She’s with Boldwood, and Troy feels unexpected jealousy. But he thinks of her pride and how she’d respond learning he’s a circus performer.
Suddenly Pennyways approaches Bathsheba and tells her he has private information for her. She coolly says she can’t hear it now. He says he’ll write it, and writes, “Your husband is here. I’ve seen him. Who’s the fool now?” then folds it and tosses it into her lap, leaving with a laugh.
Boldwood offers to destroy the note, but Bathsheba says carelessly that it would be unjust not to read it. She holds it in her hand and, taking a piece of bread, allows her hand to drop close to the tent. Skillfully, Troy slips his hand under the cloth, snatches the note, and races away as she screams in astonishment. He goes in search of Pennyways, whom he finds and whispers and beckons to him:
” and with a mutual glance of concurrence the two men went into the night together.”
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The narration dips back into the last several months of Troy’s life, including his wanderings around the world—wanderings that signal again Troy’s self-centeredness and lack of determination or ambition, as well as his relatively lack of pride compared to Bathsheba, Gabriel, or even Boldwood.
Only now, when he sees Bathsheba in person, does Troy recall a sense of pride—a sentiment that isn’t an independent character trait for him so much as part of his general attitude towards women, whom he always wants to impress and seduce.
The sheep prove to be an unproblematic conversation point between Bathsheba and Boldwood, though also an opportunity for Boldwood to try to get closer to her yet again. Still, he knows now that it’s better not to break forth with passion as he did in the past.
Troy uses his quick wit to get out of speaking out loud in front of Bathsheba and buys some time to reflect on his next move. Troy recognizes a fellow trickster in Pennyways and understands that in order to get what he wants (whatever he decides that means) he’ll have to work with him.
Initially, Troy is jealous that Bathsheba is talking to a man, as he continues to think of her as his own “property.” In addition, the presence of Bathsheba reminds Troy that he was always, indeed, attracted to her physically, which makes her continue to have a certain power over him.
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Nijnii Novgorod - a city in Russia once famous for its large annual fairs attracting visitors from both Europe and Asia.
according to the fancy of the colourist and custom of the farm - flocks were identified by color-branding/stamping the owner’s initials upon the sheep’s skin after shearing
Turpin’s Ride . . . Black Bess - Dick Turpin was an infamous 18th century highwayman, famed for his 12 hour ride between York and London on his horse, Black Bess.
Tom King (Turpin’s friend) - a highwayman accidentally killed by Turpin on his flight from London to York
Bridget: Thank you for the lovely summary of this lengthier chapter. Also, tge photo and extras are so helpful! The sheep fair reminds me a lot of the county fairs we have here in the states. The county fair I attended each August when I was a girl always had all the choice livestock from local farms on display. Of course there were many differences between the fairs of my youth and Hardy’s sheep fair there are enough similarities for me to draw upon for visual aid as well as other sensory details.
I very much enjoyed the humor supplied by Coggan and Poorgrass!
I would say shame on Troy but he doesn’t have any shame. This installment brings to mind Gabriel’s assessment that Troy didn’t have any conscience at all. I would say Gabriel was spot on.
Lori, I'm reminded too of our County Fairs--those sensory details do come back to me. :-)Excellent summary, Bridget. Hardy gave us lots of physical details in this one, but I was impressed by how well I could picture the sheep and the tents and Troy's shenanigans.
Maybe this is partially due to spreading out the read, but my feelings for these characters keep changing. I'm starting to like Bathsheba's illusiveness (perfect description, Bridget). I am sad for Boldwood, but also a little annoyed by him. Troy remains a scoundrel, and my feelings for Oak are as dependable as he is!
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Thanks Bridget for finding the legal references to the Married Women's Property Act, which I was a bit vague about at this time.
Lori, Keith and others - Yes, since Gabriel Oak is now assuming a more senior position, and it has been highlighted by Thomas Hardy that he dresses for the part, English readers might assume that one of the females on the farm (such as Temperance or Soberness Miller) might be called in to "do the rough" work, such as taking in his washing, rough cleaning, a bit of cooking and so on. Lower middle classes were beginning to have just one servant now and then, but this was more standardised in towns and cities.
Around this time my paternal grandparents (whom I never knew, and who lived in a city) had a servant just to prepare and serve tea, and believed that this made them a cut above others in their lower middle class society. My father said that they "gave themselves airs", but spoilt their pretensions by saying "Please pass the butter" using a long "a" for pass (pronouncing it "parse" i.e. posh) and short "u" for butter (Northern working class).
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For instance the added gargoyles to "Weatherbury church" are fictitious, as you can see for yourself from the photograph of St. Mary's Puddletown, which he based it on. It is a part of his construct for the fictional Weatherbury. The information on the church is also in Hardy's Wessex locations by F.P. Pitfield - a great book I often use to check and extend my local knowledge, and which I recommend.
There are many locations in Far From the Madding Crowd, which I've mentioned, and some instances of this type of discrepancy. It sounds from one edition (Penguin) as if the Artillery Barracks at "Casterbridge" were relocated, though Waterstone house ("Weatherbury Upper Farm") is still there; also the relocated Roman Milestone, locations of Fanny's last walk, the Union Workhouse, the Kings Arms etc. are all pretty accurately described. Thomas Hardy seems also to have indicated Abbotsbury Barn by his picture, but several barns could have fitted this which are no longer around. In a way, he is describing a type which he wants to preserve, but since it is not entirely fictitious, we have to do a double-think sometimes.
The information about the Old Corn Exchange in "Casterbridge", from 1792 is also from Hardy's Wessex locations by F.P. Pitfield. The building I am familiar with is the one built in 1848. You may remember that Thomas Hardy described this older 1792 corn exchange much earlier in the book too, when Bathsheba was first seen trading (and when she first saw Boldwood unnoticing of her).
What I find reading Thomas Hardy, is that unlike some other Victorian authors, we have to give him a lot of scope. Most of them do not invent their landscape and concerns in the same way at all. Nor do they continue to develop their created county all through their lives, extending it and adding more detail. You only have to compare the two maps at the beginning of the 1st thread, of the simple "Wessex" of Far From the Madding Crowd - the first time he had begun to conceive it - and the complicated and extensive map of his final works to see this.
Because he chooses to include recognisable places, we might assume the authenticity extends further, but I'm afraid it doesn't. He will happily move a building to a "more convenient" location for his plot, or include one from a past time which was no longer there (when we assume the events to be contemporary) and I would not be surprised if the legal position he assumes at certain dates is also a bit lax. These were not his primary concerns. In the same way we tend to assume his rustic characters have a verisimilitude, but country life was not the pastoral idyll he often describes. (Later on he included more authentic passages, e.g. the harrowing description of the female land-workers hoeing turnips in Tess of the D’Urbervilles.)
So we have the mythical county of Wessex, mythical country folk, moveable buildings and conflated times! But stating it as I have done, does not take account of the very real sense we have of his world. Because he includes so much that is, or once was, real and true, he has built a rosy picture we love to read about. He was passionate about the old country ways, and saw modern industrialised farming methods as destructive. His novels are full of regret for what he saw as being lost, and they do preserve much information about about country traditions - even details such as the folk songs. He was passionate about saving ancient buildings from destruction, or destructive modernisation, so including earlier ones such as the Old Corn Exchange which was actually no longer standing in Dorchester (if we assume he is setting the novel contemporaneously), could well be part of his rose-coloured mythical Casterbridge!
Different essays in the Norton edition do try to nail the time, and compare editions to get a consensus, but point out several discrepancies. Once we remember that the whole thing is a construct, and that he is not a "realist" author in the same sense as, say, George Eliot with whom he is often compared, it makes more sense. Both had similar concerns about Victorian rural society, but they approached them differently. Plenty of Victorian authors did use invent a fictitious town based on an idea of a real life one for a novel, but apart from the "Five Towns" of Arnold Bennett, I can't think of anyone who created such a large, integrated geographical area based on several actual English counties, and with an entire larger-than-life culture of its own.
Sorry this is so long ... it's a difficult concept to express, and we have a natural tendency to try to find a "truth" when presented with so much that is real, and not simply accept certain inconsistencies. This is not always helped by the fact that Hardy experts and scholars continue to analyse them all at great length 🙄
Maybe the best thing to bear in mind, is that when he was writing Far From the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy said he wanted to be thought of as "merely a good hand at a serial". And reading it as we are doing - slowly, thoroughly taking on board all the implications, and enjoying the mounting suspense - I think we can all agree that he did this superbly!
Jean: Please don’t apologize for the long posts. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates all this extra information. I will definitely keep in mind while reading Hardy that his locations are inspired by real places and honestly that’s enough for me, as long as I know the difference. So, thank you for taking the time to point that out, it’s most instructive. The fact that he has preserved something of rural life during his time still has tremendous value for me and I will take his artistic license in stride. 🙂
Lori wrote: "Jean: Please don’t apologize for the long posts. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates all this extra information. I will definitely keep in mind while reading Hardy that his locations are ..."I agree, Lori! It makes it an even more interesting read.
I've caught up with my reading, and I've enjoyed Bridget's and Jean's long posts. Since I live in the US, all the extras about England make for fascinating reading.I have not watched any of the movies of Far From the Madding Crowd yet. When I was reading the scene when Troy grabs Pennyway's note, I was picturing it as a movie scene. I was thinking what an interesting role it would be for an actor to play Troy. Troy has been a dashing soldier, and a passionate seducer. He's been through the emotions of losing Fanny and planting flowers on her grave. Then he experienced near death by drowning, and a rescue. He's dramatically played Turpin in the show with Black Bess. Now, he has a comic scene snatching the note from Bathsheba. Troy may be an unlikable cad, but whenever he's in the book, he has a vivid memorable role.
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"What I find reading Thomas Hardy, is that unlike some other Victorian authors, we have to give him a lot of scope.
Its good advice to keep in mind as we read more and more of Hardy's works.
Connie, your thought about an actor having a wonderful time playing Troy make me smile. It's so true!!
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Bathsheba accepts Boldwood’s offer to ride aside her as she drives herself home. Suddenly, Boldwood asks if Bathsheba will marry again someday. She says she hasn’t thought of it, and indeed she’s not legally a widow. Gently, she says she would never think to marry another. After a pause, Boldwood reminds her of when he carried her, fainting, in his arms, and says he will never recover from her refusal to marry him.
Boldwood asks if Bathsheba likes or respects him. She says: ”It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs”. She admits regretting her behavior towards him. He asks if she might repair the wrong by marrying him. She cannot say now, but he prods her and finally she says maybe at a future time. He suggests in six years, when she is legally a widow.
Almost afraid, she says she’ll never marry another while Boldwood wishes her to be his wife but won't promise to marry him in six years. He won't let up and she agrees to think about it until Christmas and give her answer then. B
Weeks pass and Bathsheba finds opportunity to discuss this with Gabriel. She worried Boldwood would go insane if she didn’t promise to consider it. Gabriel tells her that his manner has always been dark and strange, but that it couldn’t hurt to make the conditional promise.
Bathsheba says the scheme is absurd and asks if it wouldn’t be immoral. Gabriel says a mere contract isn’t wrong, but it is a sin to marry someone one doesn’t love. Bathsheba says she’s willing to pay that penalty for her idle jest.
Gabriel suggests she speak to Mr. Thirdly, but she says she wants a broad-minded opinion. In love, though, she sticks to her own opinion: Gabriel, with a sad smile, says there’s a mistake in that logic. She pauses, then bids him good evening. She has a slight pang that he never once wished her free so that he could marry her himself.
Works of Thomas Hardy
Books mentioned in this topic
Far From the Madding Crowd (other topics)Tess of the D’Urbervilles (other topics)
The Pilgrim's Progress (other topics)
The new and complete dictionary of the English language : To which is prefixed, a comprehensive grammar / By John Ash. Volume v.2 1775 [Leather Bound] (other topics)
The Young Man's Best Companion (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Thomas Hardy (other topics)Thomas Hardy (other topics)
William Shakespeare (other topics)
Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Peter J. Casagrande (other topics)
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Bathsheba (Carey Mulligan) 2015 movie
Installment 11
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Installment 12
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57