this article about copy and paste from the internet. i dont know what is inside cause i forgot

8/13/2019 this article about copy and paste from the internet. i dont know what is inside cause i forgot.

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http://www.gradesaver.com/the-mayor-of-

casterbridge/study-guide/short-summary/

Short Summary

The novel opens on a dirt road near the village of Weydon-Priors, in the English

county of Wessex. Michael Henchard,a hay-trusser, is traveling with his wife, Susan, and

young daughter, Elia!eth-"ane. However, a passing far#er tells the Henchards that there is

no chance of finding e#ploy#ent or housing in the village. $iscouraged, Michael ta%es his

fa#ily to a fur#ity seller&s tent in Weydon-Priors. The fur#ity seller adds li'uor to Michael&s

#eal, and after several servings Michael !eco#es an angry drun%. (ecause he !elieves his

#arriage at a young age ruined all his chances for success, he offers to sell his wife anddaughter to the highest !idder. )fter several unanswered calls for !ids, Susan says that

so#eone should !uy her, since her present owner isn&t to her li%ing. Most of the other

custo#ers in the tent treat the auction as a *o%e, !ut soon a passing sailor hears the

announce#ents and enters the tent. He offers to !uy Susan and Elia!eth-"ane for five

guineas, first #a%ing sure that Susan is willing to go. When Michael ta%es the #oney, Susan

and Elia!eth-"ane leave with the sailor. (efore leaving, Susan hurls her wedding-ring at

Michael. Michael #erely falls into a drun%en slu#!er as the rest of the shoc%ed custo#ers

leave.

The next #orning, Michael awa%ens. Seeing the wedding ring and the #oney !rings

the events of the previous evening !ac% to hi#. He realies that he was partly to !la#e for his

actions, !ut he also !la#es Susan for actually thin%ing that the auction would !e !inding.

+evertheless, !ecause his excessive drin%ing caused the whole situation, he #a%es an oath

he will a!stain fro# all li'uor for twenty-one years. Then he sets out to search for his wife

and daughter. )t first the search is unsuccessful !ecause Michael refuses to explain the

circu#stances of their parting. inally he learns that three people #atching the descriptions of

the sailor, Susan, and Elia!eth-"ane have *ust e#igrated. esigned, Michael gives up the

search and goes to another town in Wessex, the town of /aster!ridge.

Eighteen years later, Susan and Elia!eth-"ane return to Weydon-Priors searching for

Michael. Elia!eth-"ane !elieves that Michael is *ust a relative, since Susan has %ept her

previous #arriage a secret. Susan see%s Michael !ecause she !elieves that he can help the#

now that the sailor, na#ed +ewson, has died. The wo#en stop in the fur#ity seller&s tent,

which is still there. They learn that Michael stopped in the tent a year after the auction and
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left word that he lived in /aster!ridge. Susan and Elia!eth-"ane leave for /aster!ridge right

away.

When the wo#en arrive in /aster!ridge, they learn that Michael has !eco#e

extre#ely influential as a prosperous #erchant and as the #ayor of the town. The night they

arrive, the townspeople are discussing Michael&s !ad !usiness deals in selling sprouted grain.

) young Scots#an, $onald arfrae, overhears the discussion and gives Michael so#e

suggestions for #a%ing the grain usa!le. arfrae also engages in a light flirtation with

Elia!eth-"ane.

Eventually Michael and Susan #eet secretly. They decide to %eep their past

relationship a secret fro# Elia!eth-"ane. 0n fact, Michael suggests that they !egin their

relationship again. Susan should rent a cottage and allow Michael to court her in a respecta!le

#anner. Susan co#plies, and soon after they #arry. Michael hopes that so#eday he can

openly ac%nowledge Elia!eth-"ane as his daughter. )t the sa#e ti#e, Michael has success in

!usiness as well !y choosing arfrae as his general #anager and confidant. arfrae&s char#

i#presses all the townspeople and gains the attentions of Elia!eth-"ane once again. Michael

has ta%en the young #an under his wing and regards hi# al#ost as a !rother. The only ene#y

arfrae has is "oshua "opp, a #an who wanted the position of general #anager.

When Susan and Michael re#arry, Michael has another period of prosperity than%s to

arfrae&s s%ills. The new wealth to which Elia!eth-"ane has !een introduced produces a new

!eauty in her. Michael !eco#es fond of her and wants her to ta%e his na#e legally. Susan,

however, is reluctant to agree. arfrae also ta%es an interest in Elia!eth-"ane. However,

Elia!eth-"ane&s shyness and discord !etween arfrae and Michael have stopped any hope of

a ro#ance. arfrae and Michael first have a disagree#ent over the punish#ent for an

ha!itually late wor%er, )!el Whittle. +ext, during a pu!lic cele!ration, arfrae&s diversions

are a success while Michael&s are a co#plete failure. The townspeople openly praise arfrae,which leads Michael to re#ar% that arfrae&s ter# as general #anger is ending. arfrae

resigns and opens up his own corn and hay store.

Susan dies, leaving a letter for Michael that is not to !e opened until Elia!eth-"ane&s

wedding-day. Michael is lonely fro# the argu#ents with arfrae and the lac% of any tie with

Elia!eth-"ane, so he tells the girl that he is her father. )fter thin%ing it over, Elia!eth-"ane

is convinced. Meanwhile, Michael finds Susan&s letter and reads it. The letter reveals that

Michael&s own daughter died, and this Elia!eth-"ane is the child of the sailor +ewson. The
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discovery shoc%s and angers Michael, and he !eco#es cold to Elia!eth-"ane without telling

her the truth.

Elia!eth-"ane is confused, !ut tries to win the love of Michael !y i##ersing herself

in her studies. She also visits her #other&s grave. 1ne day she #eets a wealthy and char#ing

young wo#an at Susan&s grave, and she pours out her story to the wo#an. The lady, Miss

2ucetta Te#ple#an, says she will soon !e a resident of /aster!ridge, and she would li%e it if

Elia!eth-"ane can !e her co#panion. Michael allows it despite his #isgivings, and

Elia!eth-"ane leaves that day.

2ucetta invites Michael to her ho#e, even going so far as to send Elia!eth-"ane away

on errands *ust to convince hi# to visit. Michael and 2ucetta had an agree#ent long ago

when he was in "ersey, !ut it had !een put on hold !ecause of his #arriage. +ow that Susan is

dead, 2ucetta wishes to renew the agree#ent. To her *oy, a caller co#es--!ut it is arfrae

co#ing to call on Elia!eth-"ane. 2ucetta and arfrae are instantly attracted to each other,

and she !egins to ignore Michael co#pletely. While Michael tries to propose to 2ucetta

despite the presence of an un%nown rival, Elia!eth-"ane realies that arfrae and Michael

are in love with 2ucetta, and she renounces any interest she #ay have had in arfrae.

The co#petition !etween arfrae and Michael extends into !usiness, co#plicating the

situation. Michael hires "oshua "opp as his general #anager, and orders "opp to do all he can

to force arfrae out of !usiness. Michael tries to !ase his grain purchase on the predictions of

a weather-prophet, !ut the prediction is incorrect, and the !ad invest#ent drives Michael into

de!t. arfrae !uys wisely and gains #oney.

$espite his losses, Michael is still deter#ined to #arry 2ucetta. )fter learning that

arfrae is the secret suitor, Michael forces 2ucetta to agree to #arrying hi#--or he will reveal

their past connection !y using her earlier love letters. 2ucetta reluctantly agrees. The next

day, Michael hears the trial of an old wo#an. The old wo#an is the fur#ity seller fro# long

ago, and she tells the story of the wife auction. 2ucetta is so horrified that she runs away to

Port-(redy. There she #arries arfrae secretly, and she tells Michael a few days later.

Meanwhile, Michael has terri!le luc% in !usiness. 1ne of his de!tors fails3 his #en #a%e !ad

decisions a!out corn to !ring a!out Michael&s !an%ruptcy. arfrae ta%es the opportunity to

!uy Michael&s head'uarters and offer a *o! to Michael. Michael accepts, !ut feels real hatred

at arfrae&s success. )fter all, arfrae is the popular choice for #ayor, and he has 2ucetta.

Michael loo%s forward to the ending of his oath not to drin% li'uor.


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Elia!eth fears that Michael will hurt arfrae, and the townspeople %now all a!out

Michael&s hatred of arfrae. )lthough arfrae gives up the idea of giving Michael his own

shop, he cannot leave /aster!ridge !ecause he is offered the position of #ayor. 2ucetta !egs

Michael to return her letters, and a co#!ination of pity and conte#pt #a%es hi# agree.

"oshua "opp #eets 2ucetta after her #eeting with Michael. He as%s her to help hi#

get a position with arfrae. 2ucetta refuses. Michael gives "opp a pac%age to deliver to

2ucetta, and "opp reasons that they are love letters. He shares the letters with so#e poor

townswo#en who hate 2ucetta. They plan to have a s%i##ity-ride through town the next

night. When the effigies of Michael and 2ucetta ride through town, 2ucetta sees and is so

shoc%ed that she has a seiure that %ills her.

The whole world has crashed around Michael, yet he still has the love of Elia!eth-

"ane. Even this reconciliation is threatened !y a surprise visit fro# +ewson, who# everyone

thought dead. Michael tells hi# that Elia!eth-"ane is dead, and the sailor accepts this, then

leaves. )lthough Michael and Elia!eth-"ane soon settle into a peaceful life, Michael

constantly worries a!out +ewson&s return.

Meanwhile, arfrae returns to court Elia!eth-"ane. Michael is nervous a!out their

courtship, and he !eco#es even #ore nervous when Elia!eth-"ane says she #ust #eet

so#eone. She #eets +ewson, who tells her the truth a!out her !irth. )t the wedding of

Elia!eth-"ane and arfrae, Michael co#es to reconcile with his step-daughter, !ut he sees

+ewson and decides to never trou!le Elia!eth-"ane again. 2ater, Elia!eth-"ane realies that

Michael wanted to #a%e peace with her, and she sets out to find hi#. )!el Whittle, the #an

who# Michael wanted to fire once, cared for Michael in his last days. He tells Elia!eth-"ane

that Michael is dead. Michael&s last will states that no #an should re#e#!er hi#. Elia!eth-

"ane resolves to do as she is told, preferring to concentrate all her love on her hus!and and

fa#ily.

Character List

4 Michael Henchard

He is the #ercurial #ain character, the 5#an of character5 that the novel follows. 2i%e

his wife Susan, he !elieves that an evil fate is responsi!le for his #isfortunes. However,

unli%e his wife, he tries to fight !ac% against this fate with his !ullish nature. He does have a

%ind spirit, wanting to #a%e a#ends to Susan and Elia!eth-"ane, happily ta%ing arfrae


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under his wing, caring for the poor of the village. He also lives with high #orals, confessing

in several instances when he could easily lie. 6et when he !elieves he is crossed, he !eco#es

extre#ely angry and will stop at nothing to ruin his rival. 7nfortunately, he always co#es to

regret his anger, usually when it is too late to #a%e a#ends. The whole novel tries to

deter#ine whether his character wor%s against hi#, or if a heartless fate has !rought hi#

down.

8 Susan Henchard ewson

She !elieves that everything that happens to her is controlled !y a #enacing fate, and

the events of the novel see# to support her view. She acco#panies Michael Henchard to

Weydon-Priors, and see#s to !e a dutiful wife to hi#. However, upon !eing sold for five

guineas, she !eco#es angry and willingly leaves with +ewson the sailor, effectively

dissolving the #arriage with Michael. )fter +ewson&s death, she returns to Wessex to find her

hus!and. )lthough she eventually has a nor#al #arriage with Michael, she carries the secret

of Elia!eth-"ane&s !irth with her to her grave, revealing it in a letter that should !e opened on

Elia!eth-"ane&s wedding day.

9 !li"abeth-#ane Henchard

She is the first Elia!eth-"ane introduced in the novel. )s a s#all girl, she is sold with

her #other for five guineas to +ewson the sailor. Three #onths later after the auction, she

dies. She has !lac% hair, one trait that Michael re#e#!ers a!out her.

: $he furmity-seller

She is the owner of the fur#ity tent in Weydon-Priors, where Susan and Elia!eth-

"ane Henchard were sold. She is the one who adds li'uor to Michael&s fur#ity, which in turn

#a%es hi# angry enough to sell his wife. She only re#e#!ers the auction when Susan

#entions it eighteen years later. 2ater, she again leads Michael into despair !y disclosing the

whole story of the auction at her trial.

; $he townspeople of %eydon-&riors

These are the witnesses to the sale of Susan Henchard. 7nli%e the people of

/aster!ridge, they #a%e no atte#pt to get involved in the lives of others. )lthough they do

not approve of the sale of a wife, they #a%e no atte#pt to stop the auction or to show hi# the

error of his ways.


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He is the %ind sailor who offers to !uy Susan and Elia!eth-"ane Henchard, !ut not

!efore as%ing Susan if she is willing to go with hi#. )fter Elia!eth-"ane Henchard dies, he

!eco#es the father of Elia!eth-"ane +ewson. 2ater he fa%es his death at sea, planning to

return after a few #onths for Elia!eth-"ane. Even though he discovers that Michael has lied

a!out Elia!eth-"ane&s death, he as%s Elia!eth-"ane to forgive hi#.

= !li"abeth-#ane ewson

She is the daughter of Susan Henchard and +ewson the sailor, and fro# her parents

she inherited her fair hair. She is overly concerned with #anners and respecta!ility. )lthough

she has a #elancholy air, Elia!eth-"ane has a great a!ility to love, giving it to her #other,

her father, her stepfather, and later her hus!and.

> $he townspeople of Casterbridge

7nli%e the people of Weydon-Priors, the people of /aster!ridge #a%e it a point to

re#ar% and get involved in the affairs of the other townspeople. They are the ones who point

out that Michael&s crops don&t sell, that arfrae is a char#ing and wise young #an, that

2ucetta needs a co#euppance. Through these re#ar%s, they serve as a ?ree% chorus.

@ (onald )arfrae

He is a young Scots#an who passes through /aster!ridge on his way to )#erica.However, Michael 'uic%ly realies arfrae&s great head for !usiness, and #a%es hi# general

#anager. arfrae is well-rounded he %nows !usiness, and he also understands society&s

desires for courtly #anners and entertain#ent. Michael greatly respects arfrae and as%s hi#

for advice on several occasions. However, arfrae has everything that Michael doesn&t the

love of 2ucetta, the support of the townspeople, and eventually the #ayorship of

/aster!ridge. )t the end of the novel, arfrae finds happiness in his #arriage to Elia!eth-

"ane.

4A #oshua #opp

He is the first applicant for the position of Michael Henchard&s general #anager.

(ecause arfrae was chosen, "opp hates hi# and will do anything to ruin hi#. ro# this

point, "opp !ehaves as the typical villain. He hates 2ucetta !ecause she refuses to help hi#,

and he plays upon the hatred of the townspeople and the wea%nesses of Michael to ruin her.

44 *bel %hittle


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)!el wor%s in Henchard&s co#pany, !ut he is always a !it tardy. Michael !eco#es so

angry one day that he punishes )!el !y #a%ing hi# co#e to wor% without pants.

+evertheless, )!el re#ains a faithful e#ployee. (ecause Michael was %ind to his #other,

)!el willingly cares for Michael in his final days and delivers his last will to Elia!eth-"ane.

48 Lucetta $empleman +Le Sueur,

She is a flighty and indiscreet wo#an who follows her e#otions. 0n her youth, she

#et Michael Henchard in her native "ersey. She wishes to #arry hi#, !ut is stopped when

Susan returns. )fter Susan&s death, she #oves to High-Place Hall in /aster!ridge to %eep an

eye on Michael. However, she falls in love with Michael&s rival arfrae and #arries hi#. She

constantly fears that Michael will reveal their past connections through her scandalous love

letters. Eventually the letters are read !y the townspeople of /aster!ridge, and they hold a

s%i##ity-ride to #oc% the relationship !etween 2ucetta and Michael. The shoc% of seeing

the s%i##ity-ride %ills 2ucetta.

Summary and *nalysis of Chapters -

Chapter :

Su##ary

The novel opens in the early part of the nineteenth century. 1ne su##er evening, a

young fa#ily is wal%ing towards the village of Weydon-Priors, in the region of England

%nown as Wessex. ro# the !eginning, it is o!vious that so#ething is strange a!out this

fa#ily. )lthough the #an, wo#an, and child are not poorly dressed, the dirt that has collected

on the# during their *ourney #a%es the# loo% sha!!y. 0n addition, the #an and wo#an do

not regard each other at all, even though they are clearly traveling together.


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Eventually the fa#ily stops to rest. While they rest, a turnip-hoer spea%s to the#.

ro# hi#, the fa#ily learns that there is no wor% and no housing availa!le in Weydon-Priors3

however, since it is air $ay, there is so#e excite#ent in the village. The fa#ily goes to the

fair-field, !ut ignores all the goings-on in favor of finding food. They decided to stop in a

fur#ity tent, a place where they can !uy so#e pudding. The #an de#ands so#e li'uor for

his fur#ity, and drin%s it lustily, ignoring his wife&s pleas for lodging. Soon the #an, who has

!een called Michael, co#plains loudly a!out his #arriage and his poverty.

1utside, Michael hears an auction of horses, and he wonders why #en can&t sell their

wives at auction. So#e people inside the tent actually respond favora!ly to this 'uestion, and

Michael openly offers his wife for sale Bwith the child as a !onusC. )lthough the wife, na#ed

Susan, !egs her hus!and not to do such a thing, Michael ignores her. ) sailor soon spea%s

fro# the doorway. He will ta%e Susan and Elia!eth-"ane Bthe childC for five pounds and five

shillings--though he will not if Susan is unwilling. Susan sweeps out of the tent with

Elia!eth-"ane and the sailor, cursing her hus!and.

)s Michael drin%s, the villagers wonder a!out the sailor and the wo#an&s spirit.

Michael says that he will never ta%e his wife !ac%, and !egins to fall asleep in the tent.

Eventually, the other villagers depart, leaving Michael there to sleep off his drun%en state.

*nalysis:

The setting of the novel reflects the e#otions of the characters. 1n the way to

Weydon-Priors, nature is in a state of decay. The road is surrounded !y clouds of dirt3 the dirt

o!scures any radiance that the grass #ight have3 the leaves and the trees are rotting. Thus

nature ade'uately reinforces the feelings that !oth Michael and Susan have a!out their#arriage--Michael feels that his #arriage at a young age rotted any chance he had of living


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decently, while Susan is soiled !y the fact that her hus!and would sell her as he would sell a

horse.

0ndeed, the natural world fre'uently identifies with the characters and #irrors their

actions. This extends not only to trees, !ut to ani#als as well. or instance, while Michael

announces the auction for the first ti#e, a sparrow flies into the tent, and everyone watches

until the sparrow is a!le to fly away. The sparrow serves as a #etaphor for Susan&s plight. She

is seen as a sparrow her hus!and fre'uently dis#isses her co#plaints as 5!ird-li%e

chirpings,5 and everyone in the fur#ity tent is forced to watch until Susan can escape the tent

with the sailor.

Michael, the drun%en hus!and, is not seen as an ani#al, !ut his physical appearance

hints at his inner nature. He is a tall #an 5of fine figure.5 This outward goodness is reflected

in his haste to get food for his fa#ily and his as%ing a!out e#ploy#ent and lodging. 6et he

will fre'uently show his dar%er side as a sharp contrast to his goodness. "ust as he is dar% and

5swarthy5 while he is of a fine figure, he does harsh things while he !ehaves ad#ira!ly. He

searches for food for the fa#ily, then wants to drin% hi#self into a state and actually sells his

wife and child. The alternate title for the novel is 5) Story of a Man of /haracter,5 and the

contrasts such as these in the character of Michael will !e what drives the novel.

Hardy wrote a nu#!er of novels set in the fictional shire of England %nown as

5Wessex.5 eaders followed the novels that Hardy set in this region !ecause of Hardy&s s%ill

in !ringing life to the Wessex natives. The Weydon-Priors characters are exa#ples of this

s%ill. )lthough we don&t see the turnip-hoer for #ore than a few lines, we have already

learned that he is a #orose #an, intent on finding the negative in every situation Beven the

happy events such as the village fairC. 0n a novel dealing with the character of one #an,

Hardy also tries to explore how one character touches others--another the#e that one should

trace through the story.

Chapter :

Su##ary

The next #orning, the hay-trusser awa%ens, confused a!out his surroundings and

a!out the events of the previous evenings. 7pon discovering his wife&s wedding-ring and the

five guineas the sailor gave as pay#ent, the #an suddenly re#e#!ers the auction. He decides

that he #ust find his wife and Elia!eth-"ane, and he leaves the fur#ity tent. )s he wal%s

fro# the deserted fair-field, he realies that no one ever learned his na#e. Then he !eco#es


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angry that his si#ple-#inded wife actually thought the auction was !inding. Soon he returns

to !la#ing hi#self and searching for his fa#ily.

(efore he !egins his investigation, the hay-trusser resolves to swear an oath he will

not drin% any strong li'uors for twenty-one years. He enters a near!y church, places his head

upon the !i!le, and #a%es the oath. Then he !egins loo%ing for the wo#an and girl. $ays,

then wee%s pass, and he gets no clues fro# anyone. (ecause he cannot explain why he is

searching for his fa#ily Bhe is asha#ed of his actionsC, his search is ha#pered. Eventually, he

stops at a seaport. Three people that #atch his descriptions have left the country so#e ti#e

!efore. $iscouraged, he gives up his search and heads for /aster!ridge, a town in the

southwestern part of Wessex.

*nalysis:

0n the last chapter, we saw the dar% side of Michael Henchard through his

drun%enness, greed, and te#per. 0n this chapter, we realie that Michael does have positive

attri!utes. He shows great deter#ination in tirelessly searching for his wife and daughter, and

he ta%es responsi!ility for his actions in accepting the !la#e for the sale. However, his

negative 'ualities also return in this chapter. He !lindly !la#es Susan for !eing si#ple

enough to !elieve that such a sale is lawful. He also shows his excessive pride when he

refuses to tell anyone why he has lost his fa#ily. The tension !etween Michael&s good and

!ad 'ualities will !e one #a*or the#e of the !oo% that concerns itself with 5a #an of

character.5

This chapter also concludes the develop#ent of the pri#ary dra#atic conflict within

the novel. )lthough there will !e other conflicts arising later in the novel, the wife auction

will co#e !ac% to haunt all the characters involved. 0t will shape the later decisions of

Michael, Susan, +ewson, and Elia!eth-"ane.

Chapter 0:

Su##ary

Eighteen years later, a #other and daughter travel on the road to Weydon-Priors. They

are the cast-off wife and daughter of long ago, Susan Henchard and Elia!eth-"ane. Susan

re#e#!ers that this is where she #et +ewson the sailor, and the wo#en #ourn the #an who

is now lost at sea. +ow they have returned to Weydon-Priors to find their lost 5relative,5

Michael Henchard. Elia!eth-"ane does not %now the real connection !etween Susan and

Michael, and Susan wants to %eep it that way.
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The #other and daughter stop at the old fur#ity tent. Elia!eth-"ane tells her #other

that it is not respecta!le to stop there, !ut Susan ignores her and goes inside. She is greeted !y

the old fur#ity seller, who says that she has seen !etter days in her !usiness. Susan as%s if

she re#e#!ers the wife auction, and after a few #o#ents of thought, the wo#an does

re#e#!er. 0n fact, the hus!and returned to the tent a year later and said he lived in

/aster!ridge. Susan leaves the tent. She tells Elia!eth-"ane that they will go to /aster!ridge,

even though a lot of ti#e has passed since Michael&s last visit to Weydon-Priors.

*nalysis:

This chapter !egins with a recreation of the wal% to Weydon-Priors that occurred in

the opening of the novel. However, the scene is different. This ti#e there are two wo#en who

o!viously have connections to each other. They !oth dress in si#ilar !lac% gowns

Be#phasiing their connection through their #ourning for the dead +ewsonC, and they wal%

hand in hand. We can infer that Susan&s #arriage to +ewson has #ade her #ore a!le to

connect with people, as well as !ringing Elia!eth-"ane to a #ore loving lifestyle.

Elia!eth-"ane does see# to !e a very nice girl. She loves her #other, as we can see

fro# her willingness to wal% hand in hand with her #other and her un'uestioning !elief in

her #other&s story. However, Hardy in*ects a !it of irony into her character in #a%ing her

concerned with what is proper and what is not. She tries to %eep her #other away fro# the

fur#ity tent !y saying, 50t isn&t respecta!le5--despite our !elief that Elia!eth-"ane ca#e fro#

the sa#e i#proper conditions within the tent, with her wor%ing-class parents.

Hardy also includes a few ele#ents of suspense into the story. We wonder why Susan

is so deter#ined to find Michael, and why Susan has never told Elia!eth-"ane a!out her

for#er #arriage. Then the 'uestion arises What will happen when she finds MichaelD Will

he ta%e his fa#ily !ac%, or has he #ade another engage#ent in the years since his #arriageD

We #ust also re#e#!er the fur#ity seller, who is now desperate for any sort of !usiness.

+ow that she re#e#!ers the auction, can she ruin the Henchards !y announcing itD Hardy

!rings all these 'uestions to #ind to %eep the reader engaged and eager to see how the story

will unfold.

Chapter 1:

Su##ary

The chapter !egins !y recounting the eighteen previous years for Susan and

Elia!eth-"ane. Elia!eth-"ane grew up !elieving that +ewson and Susan were legally


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#arried, !ecause Susan !elieved it. The new fa#ily traveled to /anada and stayed a while

!efore returning to England. When Susan told +ewson that she could no longer live with

hi#, he left on a trade ship and was lost at sea. While Susan gained peace of #ind fro# her

5hus!and&s5 death, she wanted to #a%e a !etter life for Elia!eth-"ane. eturning to Michael

#ight give the wo#en a !etter life, and Susan planned the trip specifically to find Michael.

The wo#en arrive in /aster!ridge, and Elia!eth-"ane finds it an 5old-fashioned

place.5 )s they wal%, they hear two #en arguing. The #en drop Henchard&s na#e in their

argu#ent, and the wo#en hear it. However, Susan stops Elia!eth-"ane fro# tal%ing to the

#en, since their relative could !e a cri#inal. They continue through the town, passing shops

and churches. They as% a group of wo#en where they can find good !read. The wo#en

explain the town&s latest crisis. There is no good !read !ecause the cornfactor has !een sellinggrown wheat. The grown wheat has #ade the !read flat. Susan and Elia!eth-"ane !uy a

couple of !iscuits at a near!y shop, then go towards a place that has #usic playing.

*nalysis:

Hardy hastens the present action of the novel in his flash!ac%. (y relating the events

of the past eighteen years 'uic%ly instead of relating the#, he forces us to focus on the events

of the present and on the characters who will !e directly influenced !y those events. 0n

addition, he heightens suspense in the events of the present !y #entioning

We learn #uch #ore a!out Susan&s te#pera#ent and !eliefs in this chapter. We %now

that she is naive she !lindly !elieves that the auction #a%es #arriage to +ewson !inding.

She is also swayed !y pu!lic opinion. )fter sharing the events of her #arriage with a friend

who ridiculed her position, she instantly changes her #ind and decides she cannot live with

+ewson any#ore. 6et she is intensely devoted to Elia!eth-"ane and will do anything for her.

eturning to find her for#er hus!and is a sign of this devotion although she fears hi#, she

will return to hi# if her can provide Elia!eth-"ane with a future.

/aster!ridge is descri!ed in great detail. Hardy&s gift for description !rings the town

to life. ro# his description, we can learn a lot a!out the people here. They have a connection

with the land, as we can see fro# their stores selling 5scythes, reaphoo%s, sheep-

shears...plough-harness...5 and other agricultural needs. However, the people are all

concerned with the gathering places. They gather at the church, the !ar, the streets. They also

share gossip, as shown in the willingness of the townswo#en to share the town gossip with


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the strangers. The pu!lic opinions will !e a force in /aster!ridge, as we shall see through the

novel.

Chapter :

Su##ary

The #usic is co#ing fro# /aster!ridge&s #ain hotel, the ing&s )r#s, where people

are having fun and drin%ing. Susan is nervous, !ut she sends Elia!eth-"ane inside to as%

a!out Michael. )n old #an, /hristopher /oney, tells the young wo#an that a pu!lic dinner

has !rought everyone to the inn, including the #ayor--Michael HenchardF Susan overhears

this and hurries to her daughter&s side. They get a gli#pse of Michael in his finery. Susan

!eco#es agitated and says she wants to die. Elia!eth-"ane is confused in her eyes, their

relative see#s very grand, although no one fills his wineglass. The old #an says that the

#ayor never drin%s !ecause he swore an oath. )nother old #an, Solo#on 2ongways, says

that the #ayor punishes any wor%er who is drun% in his presence. He also tells the wo#en

that he is a powerful #an in the wheat, oats, and !arley !usiness.

0nside the tavern, Michael is telling stories of his !usiness exploits when a group of

#inor trades#en #oc% his sales of grown wheat. The poor people watching outside ta%e up

the *eers. Michael grows angry, and tells the# that !usinesses have accidents. However, he is

loo%ing for a general #anager who can help hi#. When a !a%er as%s how the #ayor will

repay their losses, Henchard says he cannot change the grown wheat, then sits down stiffly.

*nalysis:

)s we can see, the events of eighteen years ago still haunt the personalities of Susan

and Michael. Susan continues to !e swayed !y the power that #en have over her. She is awed

at the power and splendor of her hus!and even as she fears that her hus!and can actually

overpower her. Meanwhile, Michael re#ains true to his oath, even to the extent of forcing

others to follow his exa#ple Bthough no one %nows why he has #ade such an oath, a very

i#portant o#issionC. He still has the paradoxes inherent in his character. He reveals his caring

side in his concern for the wheat that is unhealthy to his citiens. 6et again Hardy proves that


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Michael also has a dar%er and angrier side, su!tly shown in !oth his 5coarse !uild5 and his

sharp retort at the end of the chapter.

2i%e $ic%ens, Hardy is very s%illed in !ringing his #inor characters to life, a talent

that is revealed in portrayal of the townspeople of /aster!ridge. These villagers actually

co##ent upon the action, ta%ing #ore of a role in the story than the people of Weydon-Priors

were willing to ta%e. (ecause of their running co##entary on all the events, the

/aster!ridgians serve as a ?ree% chorus. )s such, they all carry a dar% and pessi#istic tone,

as !efits the chorus in a tragedy. However, Hardy tries to give each villager a distinct

personality that can so#eti#es !e deter#ined in his or her na#e. or instance, Solo#on

2ongways fre'uently !ehaves as his (i!lical counterpart, giving a rational perspective on the

events.

Summary and *nalysis of Chapters 2-3

Chapter 2:

Su##ary

The crowd of poor people watching outside has grown during the conversation in the

inn. 1ne young #an, ruddy and !right-eyed with a Scotch accent, stands out of the crowd. He

'uic%ly writes a note and orders so#eone to give it to the Mayor. He then as%s for lodgings,

and the waiter points hi# toward the Three Mariners 0nn. Meanwhile, the note is delivered to

the Mayor, who reacts with shoc% and surprise.

Elia!eth-"ane, who watched the young #an with interest, now suggests that she and

her #other spend the night at the Three Mariners as well. )fter the wo#en leave, Michael

as%s a!out the note writer. When the #ayor learns that the young Scots#an is staying at the

Three Mariners, he wal%s there. (efore entering the inn, Michael tries to 5tone hi#self down

to his ordinary everyday appearance.5

*nalysis:

The chapter opens with a description of the young Scots#an, who is 5ruddy and of a

fair countenance, !right-eyed, and slight in !uild.5 /o#pare this description to that of

Michael fro# /hapter ; 5a #an... of heavy fra#e, large features... his general !uild !eing

rather coarse than co#pact.5 The two #en are co#plete opposites in physical appearance.

Here their appearances serve as a sort of foreshadowing of their personalities. We %now thatMichael !ehaves as he loo%s coarse and !ullish, relying upon his strength. We can assu#e


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that the young Scots#an will act as his appearance indicates wea% !ut relying #ore on his

intellect than his strength.

Through his use of #etaphorical place na#es, Hardy shows that his characters are

#otivated !y a power stronger than their free will. elying first upon the (i!le, Hardy sends

Michael away fro# the ing&s )r#s Hotel. The 5ing&s )r#s5 could represent the control

exerted !y ?od&s force Bthe weapons that the ing of Heaven uses to guide #enC. The

Henchards are drawn to the Three Mariners in !ecause they act as three #ariners, adrift on

the tu#ultuous sea of /hance.

0ndeed, chance do#inates this chapter. (y chance the Scots#an hears the

conversation a!out the corn and happens to have the solution. (y chance Elia!eth-"ane

notices the young #an, and !y chance all three stay at the Three Mariners. Michael *ust

#isses his fa#ily on the way to find the #an. /oincidence plays a #a*or role in Hardy&s

novels. The coincidences in this chapter are *ust a few exa#ples of the wor% of a greater

power that see#s to constantly wor% against #an%ind--at least in Hardy&s view.

Chapter 4:

Su##ary

Elia!eth-"ane and Susan arrive twenty #inutes !efore the #ayor arrives. They are

shown to a roo#, which is so #arvelous that the wo#en fear that they cannot afford such a

fine roo#. Elia!eth-"ane decides to go downstairs and offer her services as a helper, in the

hope that the landlord will give the# a discount. )s she wor%s, the Scots#an calls for supper,

and Elia!eth-"ane is ordered to carry his #eal. The landlady follows her, and %indly tells her

to see to her own dinner. Elia!eth-"ane finds her #other listening to the conversation that is

ta%ing place in the roo# next door--the Scots#an&s roo#.

Michael is there to see the note writer, !elieving that he is an applicant for the positionof general #anager, so#eone na#ed "oshua. The Scots#an introduces hi#self as $onald

arfrae, a young #an leaving for )#erica. He has a #ethod for turning the !ad grain into

usa!le grain, and he gives it to Michael freely. Michael is so pleased that he offers arfrae the

position of general #anager, !ut arfrae declines. Michael says the young #an re#inds hi#

of his !rother, and arfrae see#s to have a wonderful head for figures. arfrae is touched, and

offers to drin% with Michael, !ut Michael tells hi# a!out the oath. arfrae is #oved !y

Michael&s honesty, !ut says he cannot stay !ecause he wants to see the world.

*nalysis:
http://www.gradesaver.com/character.html?character=665http://www.gradesaver.com/character.html?character=665http://www.gradesaver.com/character.html?character=665http://www.gradesaver.com/character.html?character=665


16/61

Hardy applies a !it of irony to Elia!eth-"ane&s character here. The girl desperately

wants to stay at a fancy inn !ecause 5we #ust !e respecta!le.5 6et she offers her services in

the disreputa!le *o! of serving-#aid. While Hardy tries to put a no!le spin on it, saying that

Elia!eth-"ane sacrifices her dignity to save #oney for her #other, we #ust re#e#!er that

the townspeople can still see Elia!eth-"ane acting as a #aid, a fact that will return later to

haunt the girl.

The inn itself serves as a #etaphor for Michael Band /aster!ridge as a wholeC. The inn

has so #any instances of 5aw%wardness, croo%edness, and o!scurity5 that it atte#pts to cover

up with 5'uantities of clean linen.5 2i%ewise, /aster!ridge is covered up with 5clean linen,5

the false fronts of the villagers, that will eventually !e swept away to reveal the croo%edness

of the gossipy villagers. Michael stands at the center of this, dressed in #ayor&s clothing thatcovers the o!scurity of his past.

6et Hardy prevents us fro# seeing Michael as a co#pletely wic%ed #an. We learn

that he regards his previous #ista%e as a cross to continually !ear. Michael see#s to !e a

lonely #an, wanting so#eone to help hi# run the !usiness and give hi# advice. )lthough

arfrae is different in #indset fro# Henchard Bfreely giving the solution and wanting to

travel to different landsC, it see#s that he will !e a worthy candidate for friendship and

partnership. +evertheless, Hardy gives another hint that Michael is a fic%le #an--he cannotre#e#!er the previous applicant&s "opp&s na#e.

Chapter 5:

Su##ary

The wo#en hear the whole conversation. Susan is especially affected !y the

confession of the oath. Elia!eth-"ane collects arfrae&s tray, then hangs !ac% to watch the

events in the sitting-roo#. arfrae has *oined the townspeople gathered there, and at the

re'uest of the trades#en, he sings a !eautiful Scottish song, full of pathos. The listeners are

#oved, and they convince hi# to sing two #ore songs. (y the end of his songs, the

townspeople are char#ed !y arfrae, and they try to convince hi# to stay. Elia!eth-"ane has

watched the whole scene, scoffing at the co##ents of the lower classes and #arveling at the

!eauty of arfrae&s voice and ideals. The landlady tells her to turn down arfrae&s !ed, and she

hurries off to do so. 1n her way downstairs, she passes arfrae on the staircase. )lthough she

is a plain girl, he s#iles at her and softly hu#s a love song to her. The girl flees in

e#!arrass#ent.


17/61

When Elia!eth-"ane returns to her roo#, Susan scolds her for helping out in the inn.

Her conduct could !ring sha#e to the Mayor. Elia!eth-"ane !elieves her #other spea%s of

arfrae, and says that he see#ed to a char#ing and refined #an. Meanwhile, Michael, who

has heard the singing, !elieves that he would give anything to #a%e the young #an stay as a

cure for his own loneliness.

*nalysis:

/hance appears to play another vital role in this chapter. arfrae *ust happens to !e

a!le to entertain the guests with his songs, and the villagers happen to !e in the #ood for his

sad, sweet songs. Elia!eth-"ane, who has !een eyeing the young #an all evening, passes hi#

on the staircase, and see#s to have won his heart. 0s it all really !ased upon chance, thoughD

irst, the townspeople ta%e to arfrae not !ecause they were #anipulated, !ut !ecause

the young #an has char#. He willingly answers their 'uestions, shows %indness, and sings

li%e an angel. 0n addition, the fact that he has other talents apart fro# !usiness and wor%

appeals to the townspeople, who have no ti#e to waste upon creative exploits. inally, the

townspeople love arfrae&s sad songs !ecause they reflect their own lost ideals--love of

country, a longing for freedo# and ho#e. The townspeople, who have a sour and ill-te#pered

tone through the chapter, find a sy#!ol of hope and longing si#ultaneously in arfrae, *ust as

Michael does.

)s for Elia!eth-"ane, she is o!viously attracted to the so!er and idealistic arfrae as

well. While their #eeting on the staircase was an accident, his song to her was teasing. Thus

Hardy introduces foreshadowing to the plot. Elia!eth-"ane #isinterprets !oth $onald&s song

Bas a sign of affectionC and her #other&s 5he5 Bas referring to $onaldC. These #ista%es

foreshadow the larger, #ore da#aging #isco##unications that will occur later in the story.

Chapter 6:

Su##ary

The next #orning, Elia!eth-"ane sees the Mayor calling up to arfrae fro# the street.

arfrae #eets the #ayor to wal% through town !efore his coach co#es. Elia!eth-"ane feels

regret at arfrae&s departure. Susan thin%s that Michael will accept the#, since he accepts the

strange young #an so easily. )s they tal%, they see five of Michael&s haywagons pass. The

sign of such wealth convinces Susan to send a note to Michael. Elia!eth-"ane carries the

note through the !ustling town. When she finally arrives to #eet Michael, she is shoc%ed to

find arfrae there. 1n the wal% to the coach, the #ayor !egged arfrae to stay, and arfrae


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agreed. The #ayor happily #a%es arrange#ents in his office, leaving arfrae to #eet

Elia!eth-"ane.

*nalysis:

This chapter !egins the process of furthering the plot !y using parallel scenes. (oth

Susan and Michael have to save the#selves with the help of the younger and #ore idealistic

people. Susan decides to salvage her #arriage to Michael !y sending Elia!eth-"ane with the

note. Michael decides to salvage his stu#!ling !usiness !y persuading arfrae to stay as

general #anager.

The event that lin%s these reunions of #arriage and !usiness is the wal% through the

city. Elia!eth-"ane&s wal% not only gives Hardy a chance to show his careful attention to the

details of the Wessex town. 0t also serves to create suspense for the reader, !oth delaying the

#eeting !etween Michael and Elia!eth and shrouding the conversation of Michael and

arfrae in secrecy. More i#portantly, it reinforces the social standing of Michael as the #ost

powerful #an in the co##unity. )s we continue through the novel, we will slowly watch that

standing fall.

Chapter 3:

Su##ary

)s Elia!eth-"ane waits, so#eone new is presented--"oshua "opp, the previous

applicant for general #anager. Michael coldly sends the #an away, saying the post has !een

filled. He then turns to Elia!eth-"ane, who announces that Susan is in town. Michael is

visi!ly sha%en, !ut he invites Elia!eth-"ane to his dining-roo#, where he as%s a!out her life.

The girl tells her story, saying that her father left the# 5not very well off.5 Michael writes a

letter to Susan, enclosing a five-pound note. )fter Elia!eth-"ane leaves, Michael thin%s the

wo#en could !e i#postors, !ut cal#s down. Still, arfrae wonders at his new friend&s now-

cold de#eanor.

Elia!eth-"ane delivers the note to Susan. The note says that Susan should #eet hi#

at the ing a#phitheater that evening. Susan waits i#patiently for the close of the day.

*nalysis:

1nce again, the two sides of Michael&s personality are revealed. )t first, he !ehaves

%indly towards Elia!eth-"ane, treating her with tenderness when he learns who she is and

who sent her. 0n addition, he shows great tact in in'uiring after Susan&s finances,


19/61

foreshadowing other ti#es when he will care for those in financial need. He even appears to

!uy Susan !ac% !y enclosing the five guineas, showing a great chivalry in the sy#!olis#.

ro# all outward appearances he is a very respecta!le #an, even owning the three !oo%s that

every respecta!le household of Hardy&s ti#e owned--the (i!le, a copy of "osephus Bwho

chronicled (i!lical ti#esC, and Whole $uty of Man Ba !oo% of devotionsC.

6et his dar% side now !egins to #anifest itself #ore openly. He coldly turns "oshua

"opp away, ignoring the pro#ised interview and thus creating a new ene#y. )lthough he is

%ind to Elia!eth when she is present, later he explodes into a rage, convinced that the

wo#en are i#postors, and is !arely a!le to cal# hi#self down. Most i#portantly, his own

pride leads hi# to #eet Susan in a secret place--he is too asha#ed to #eet her openly, lest

so#e villagers learn the truth and #oc% hi#. 1ver ti#e, pride, anger, and tactlessness willcontinue to !ring hi# down.


Chapter :

Su##ary

Hardy descri!es the ing as a o#an a#phitheater in /aster!ridge, a city that was

!uilt in the spirit of old o#e. )lthough the ing was the /aster!ridgian e'uivalent of

o#e&s /oliseu#, it was now a #eeting place for any other groups needing secrecy--!ut

never for lovers. Henchard chose this place !ecause it would !e i#proper to invite her to his

house.

Michael and Susan #eet in the #iddle of the arena. He !eings !y saying that he no

longer drin%s3 then he as%s why she has never contacted hi#. Susan says she was #oved !y

faithfulness to +ewson. Michael says she is innocent !ecause of her faith. They agree that

Elia!eth-"ane #ust not %now the truth of their relationship. Michael suggests that Susan ta%e

the na#e Mrs. +ewson and live in a cottage with Elia!eth-"ane. Michael will #eet, court

and #arry her. This will save his reputation and !ring his child !ac% to her proper ho#e.

Susan #ee%ly agrees. Michael pro#ises to provide the# with #oney to %eep a wealthy

lifestyle. Susan is pleased to repeat her #arriage. She runs away, leaving Michael to run to

his ho#e a few #o#ents later.

*nalysis:


20/61

Hardy descri!es the ing in grueso#e detail at the !eginning of the chapter. 0t is a

#arvelous exa#ple of Hardy using his life experience. The description of the ing&s shape

and di#ensions reflects his #any years as an architect, and his co#parison of the ing to the

/oliseu# as well as noting the other o#an features shows his lifelong interest in the

classical world.

6et the place, despite its architectural glory and reflection of cultures past, has a

sinister aura. ) spot such as the ing is a co##on setting in Hardy&s wor%s--an outdoor

place, steeped in pagan superstition, with a grotes'ue past. +othing positive can ta%e place

within the ing the !oys cannot #a%e the ing a good cric%et arena, lovers cannot #eet

there, and no one can #eet there without having a hidden secret.

The one thing %eeping the positive experiences away are the ghosts of the past the

gladiator %illed in !attle or in a sporting contest, and the wo#an who was strangled and

!urned. These past ghosts serve as 5#etaphors5 for Michael and Susan, who have their own

past pro!le#s haunting the#. )lthough the #eeting see#s to !ring the couple together, they

are actually !eing led to their destruction as those in the past were. Michael will fall in a

5!attle5 for his pride, while Susan is !eing strangled !y Michael&s control.

Chapter :

Su##ary

arfrae has !een !usily wor%ing in the office while Michael had his #eeting. Michael

enters and orders the young #an to *oin hi# for supper. )fter dinner, Michael wants to tell

the young #an a!out his fa#ily #atter. arfrae listens intently as Michael tells hi# a!out his

early #arriage, his sale of his wife, and how his fa#ily has returned. Michael says that

another wo#an is wronged !y the return of his fa#ily. ) young, well-!red wo#an in "ersey

nursed the young Henchard to health, and during his recovery they fell in love. The young

wo#an was careless of appearances3 through her carelessness a scandal arose. She wrote

#any letters to Michael descri!ing the severity of the scandal. inally Michael pro#ised to

#arry her if his wife never returned. +ow that Susan is alive, Michael #ust honor his

pro#ise to her. arfrae agrees that a letter #ust !e written to the young lady to tell her of the

situation, and to let her go. He also thin%s that Elia!eth-"ane should %now the truth, !ut

Michael refuses to tell her. arfrae writes the letter to the young lady in "ersey, and Michael

sends it.

*nalysis:


21/61

Hardy now co#!ines foreshadowing and the previous i#plications in this chapter. 0n

/hapter 9, we speculated that Michael #ay have an attach#ent to another wo#an, and here

we learn that there was, in the for# of the young lady fro# "ersey. Having learned that Hardy

never introduces anyone who does not affect the plot, we %now that the young wo#an fro#

"ersey will not !e forgotten that easily.

Michael re#ains true to his #ercurial character, and Hardy presents these traits in

e'ual portions, !oth good and !ad. Here he shows real re#orse for all his actions against the

wo#en in his life, and a deter#ined willingness to #a%e everything right again. He wants to

relieve his loneliness, so he confesses to the #an who# he regards as his !est friend. 6et he

shows rec%lessness and i#pulsiveness in revealing his past to a #an he has %nown for only a

day.

arfrae also has the a!ility to handle stic%y situations with people. )lthough he

planned to eat alone, he changes his plans to acco##odate Michael&s whi#. He also gives

Michael good advice in handling the wo#an fro# "ersey. However, there is a sign of discord

!etween the friends. Michael disregards arfrae&s advice on telling Elia!eth-"ane the truth.

This foreshadows future disagree#ents for the #en.

Chapter 0:

Su##ary

Michael !egins calling upon the wo#en in the cottage near the o#an ruins. The

conversation is so s%illfully #ade that Elia!eth-"ane has no idea of the plot her parents have

created. Susan worries that this is ta%ing up too #uch of Michael&s ti#e, !ut Michael says he

will have free ti#e now that he has a new #anager.

Soon the town !egins to gossip openly a!out the relation !etween the #ayor and the

widow. Most of the townspeople are confused !y his choice !ecause Mrs. +ewson is so paleand fragile. Still, no one can tell that Michael courts only out of a sense of duty to Susan and

as a punish#ent to hi#self. The townspeople agree that the couple will eventually grow tired

of each other.

*nalysis:

Michael finally lives up to his pro#ise, #a%ing a#ends to Susan !y openly courting

and #arrying her. $espite this, the whole chapter carries a tone of ill will and #elancholy that

is revealed in the natural world and within the townspeople of /aster!ridge. Hardy uses


22/61

pathetic fallacy--the act of having nature reflect the feelings the characters--to show the

couple&s true feelings a!out the wedding. The wind and rain that fall as they enter the church

foreshadow the dar%ness, oppressiveness, and futility of their relationship, as well as showing

the tur!ulent feelings of the #an and wo#an who have no feelings for each other.

The townspeople also give a sense of uneasiness a!out the wedding. )lthough they

don&t %now the secrets !ehind the proceedings, they understand that so#ething is not 'uite

right with the #arriage. 0ronically, they feel that Susan is of lower !irth than Michael, a

strange *udg#ent since Susan exhi!its #ore restraint and delicacy than Michael should as a

gentle#an.

)t the center of the tur!ulence Michael and Susan stand. )gain Michael is willing to

lower hi#self to #a%e a#ends to Susan--going so far as to a!ase hi#self in the eyes of the

co##unity. Susan is in a difficult position she secretly fears hi# and feels that their

deception is wrong, !ut again she succu#!s to her #ee%ness and allows Michael to have his

way.

/hapter 4:

Su##ary

Susan and Elia!eth-"ane settle into their new household happily. Elia!eth-"ane in

particular flourishes in her new environ#ent, !eco#ing #ore !eautiful over ti#e. However,

her change in status does not change her #indset in any way. She is still respecta!le and

so!er in tastes.

1ne day, Michael loo%s at Elia!eth-"ane&s !rown hair and as%s Susan if the girl&s hair

was !lac% when she was a !a!y. )n astonished Susan *er%s Michael&s foot, and he saves

hi#self fro# giving away their secret. However, after Elia!eth-"ane leaves, Michael

continues to press for a deeper connection to his daughter. He wants her to ta%e the na#e

Henchard. Susan is hesitant, !ut agrees only if Elia!eth-"ane will accept it. 2ater, the #other

goes to her daughter and convinces her not to ta%e the na#e Henchard.

Elia!eth-"ane watches her stepfather&s !usiness and relationship fro# her new

position as well. 7nder arfrae&s guidance, the corn !usiness runs #ore s#oothly. Michael

also regards the younger #an as a !est friend, and he refuses to !e separated fro# hi# for

any reason. Elia!eth-"ane wants the attentions of the handso#e arfrae, !ut notices sadly

that he never loo%s at her.


23/61

1ne day, Elia!eth-"ane finds a note fro# so#eone who wants to #eet her at the

granary on $urnover Hill. )s she waits there, arfrae arrives, loo%ing for so#eone as well.

Elia!eth-"ane hides, !ut a #achine covers her in wheat hus%s and the noise catches the

attentions of arfrae. They realie that so#eone has sent the# the sa#e letter. arfrae thin%s

so#eone has played a tric% on the#. He tells Elia!eth-"ane not to #ention the incident to

anyone. (efore she leaves, arfrae helps dust the e#!arrassed young wo#an off. He loo%s at

her thoughtfully, affected !y her !eauty.

)nalysis

Hardy introduces #ore ele#ents of suspense in this chapter. 1!viously so#ething

a!out Elia!eth-"ane&s !irth is a#iss. We can see this in Michael&s insistence on her hair color

and in Susan&s reluctance to give her Michael&s na#e. 0n addition, Hardy hints that the

relationship !etween Michael and arfrae #ay not !e as rosy as it see#s. arfrae tries to

separate fro# Michael and do his *o!, !ut Michael dis#isses his feelings !y saying, 5don&t

ta%e too #uch thought a!out things.5 inally, we wonder who wants to !ring Elia!eth-"ane

and arfrae together--is it really an act of fate, or has so#eone li%e Michael planned to !ring

the# togetherD

Elia!eth-"ane !egins to grow in this new environ#ent, gaining !eauty and #ore

freedo#. However, she still retains the lessons that her previous lifestyle has taught her. She

retains her #other&s #istrust of destiny, !elieving that Providence will ruin her if she shows

too #uch happiness and gaiety. She also retains her sensitivity, offering to change her na#e if

Michael really wishes it.

/hapter 4;

Su##ary

Hardy !egins !y descri!ing Elia!eth-"ane&s rise in stature as the town !eauty.

Michael gives her so#e tinted gloves one day, and she slowly purchases articles that #atch

the gloves. When she finally co#pletes the ense#!le, she wears it into town, delighting

everyone with her !eauty. )t ho#e, she expresses wonder at her new status, !ut then feels

sadness !ecause she hasn&t received a good education.

$ownstairs, Michael and arfrae are watching the wor%ers leave for the day. Michael

stops one wor%er, )!el Whittle, and says that )!el should show up on ti#e for wor% the next

day. )!el has a history of oversleeping and !eing late for wor%. The next #orning, )!el is


24/61

late, and Michael is so angry that he threatens to get )!el out of !ed hi#self if he is late

again.

)gain, the next day )!el is late. Michael #arches to )!el&s ho#e on (lac% Street,

yan%s hi# out of !ed, and orders hi# to wor%--without his !reeches. arfrae sees the #an

arriving without pants, and is shoc%ed. 0n front of all the wor%ers, arfrae orders )!el !ac%

ho#e to get his pants. When Michael o!*ects, arfrae threatens to leave. Michael !ends to his

wishes, !ut not without feeling e#!arrass#ent. 2ater in the day, arfrae learns that Michael

cared for )!el&s #other last winter. Michael continues to !ehave coldly towards the young

#an.

1ne day a young #essenger as%s for arfrae to loo% at a haystac%. The #essenger

says that the townspeople have #ore respect for arfrae. When Michael #eets arfrae later in

the day, Michael explodes in anger. He accuses arfrae of trying to hurt his feelings. When

the confused arfrae apologies, Michael 'uic%ly forgives hi#, !ut !egins to regret confiding

in hi#.

)nalysis

This chapter has a !it of allegorical progression. Elia!eth-"ane and Michael serve as

opposing forces Byouth and old age, respectivelyC that open and close the chapter. (oth use

arfrae as a #easure of how far they have co#e or fallen, with arfrae and the townspeople

acting as catalysts for change. Through the characters of father and stepdaughter, Hardy

see#s to i#ply that youth has #ore freedo# to fight fate, si#ply !ecause young people are

not as set in their ways as their elders are.

Elia!eth-"ane, the e#!odi#ent of gentle youth and !eauty, is appreciated !y arfrae

alone at first. )s she !egins to wear finer clothing to i#press hi#, the /aster!ridgians

!eco#e #ore aware of her and !egin to regard her as a good person. While she does feel a

little prideful, however, she chooses to find ways to i#prove herself, so that she can properly

#eet the high regard of the townspeople. Michael, however, closes the chapter with a #ore

negative view. (ecause the wiser arfrae is present, the townspeople are not as fond of the

older and !ullish Michael. His outdated #orals Bsevere punish#ent for a tardy !ut

overwor%ed #anC and headstrong nature #a%e hi# see# foolish. ather than atte#pt to

change hi#self for the pu!lic, Michael places all the !la#e on his young friend, !eco#ing

cold and #oody.


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0n the character of )!el, Hardy utilies several levels of (i!lical allegory. )!el

represents his na#esa%e in the /ain and )!el story, who in turn has !een ta%en to !e a

#etaphor for /hrist. Here Michael acts as a /ain figure, slaying his !rother Bthat is, fellow

wor%er&sC with a weapon Bthe e#!arrass#ent of going to wor% without pantsC. )fter that, )!el

!eco#es a /hrist figure, crucified !y the 5#ortification5 of losing his pants. His fear that the

townswo#en are 5laughing #e to scorn5 cites a (i!lical passage, 5)ll they that see hi# laugh

hi# to scorn5 BPsal# 88C, often used to foretell the /rucifixion scene.

Summary and *nalysis of Chapters 2-3

/hapter 4


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)lthough Hardy adopts the o#niscient narrator&s voice through the novel, he

#anipulates the viewpoint throughout the novel to get inside a character&s head. 0t is a way of

understanding the character&s #otivations and a #eans of creating sy#pathy for the

characters. 0n this chapter, Hardy writes so we see the events unfolding fro# Michael&s view.

This is an ironic choice, since we are loo%ing at the events of a pu!lic holiday fro# the

viewpoint of a private person who is nearly disconnected fro# the co##unity. 6et we can

experience Michael&s frustrations !y hearing only the *i!es of the townspeople and the

council#en, and we can feel the *ealousy that Michael feels upon seeing arfrae&s successful

dance.

Even nature sides with arfrae. The rain that ruined Michael&s entertain#ent

#agically disappears in the evening, when arfrae&s dance is a!out to !egin. The naturalworld appears to wor% for the success of the dance the trees provide convenient, living poles

for the tent cloths. 1f course, arfrae is the one who had the idea to use this spot in the first

place. 2i%e the townspeople, he is a!le to understand and adapt to nature. Perhaps the fate

that is wor%ing against the !usiness-oriented Michael wor%s so well for the nature-loving

arfrae.

/hapter 4=

Su##ary

Elia!eth-"ane feels asha#ed when a friend tells her that she should have considered

her position as the Mayor&s stepdaughter !efore dancing. Susan has already left the !all, so

Elia!eth-"ane leaves alone. arfrae runs into her and offers to wal% her ho#e. )s they wal%,

he says that he #ust leave /aster!ridge !ecause he has offended her stepfather. He also

reveals that he would 5as% her so#ething5 if he were richer. Elia!eth-"ane shyly hopes that

he will not leave, then rushes ho#e. She spends the following days waiting to hear any news

a!out arfrae.

arfrae is not leaving /aster!ridge3 in fact, he plans to open his own hay and corn

!usiness. 7pon hearing this, Michael openly calls arfrae his ene#y in front of the city

council. The council#en, however, practically ignore Michael&s hurtful words, since Michael

is rapidly falling out of favor in the town. 7ndaunted, Michael for!ids Elia!eth-"ane to have

any relationship with arfrae. +ext, he writes arfrae to say that Elia!eth-"ane has pro#ised

to o!ey her stepfather and stay away.


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arfrae&s !usiness grows 'uic%ly, !ut he avoids any co#petition with arfrae&s

co#pany as a gesture of goodwill. He even sends away a custo#er who had dealt with

Michael&s co#pany three #onths ago. +evertheless, eventually the two #en #eet at the

wee%ly #ar%et. When arfrae receives an official stall at the #ar%etplace, Michael considers

the action to !e a new attac%. Michael !eco#es so !itter that he cannot stand it when Susan

and Elia!eth-"ane #ention the Scots#an&s na#e at ho#e.

)nalysis

The chapter gives the upright Elia!eth-"ane #ore of a hu#an character. )lthough her

rec%less dancing #a%es her !lush, she indulges herself with fantasies of arfrae&s love letters.

0n addition, she also voices the sa#e concerns that we as readers have. What will happen to

their courtship now that Michael and arfrae are on !ad ter#sD While Susan see#s to

encourage the suit !y conveniently leaving the dance early and !y tal%ing a!out arfrae,

Michael si#ply silences her.

1nce again, Michael 'uic%ly changes his #ind a!out his friends. He drags his hatred

into the !usiness arena !y encouraging co#petition. $espite this, arfrae continues to act

friendly, even refusing !usiness fro# custo#ers to %eep his friendship. 0t is worth noting that

the city council#en don&t see# to share the !elief that Michael can ta%e arfrae in

co#petition.

5/haracter is ate, said +ovalis.5 This is one of the #ost de!ated co##ents in

Hardy&s novels. )t first it see#s to run against all of Hardy&s insistence that #an is ruined !y

an i#personal fate. 0s Michael&s fate deter#ined !y the gods, his own flaws, or a co#!ination

of the twoD ) case can !e #ade for each response, since the novel see#s to change opinions

in several places.

/hapter 4>

Su##ary

To Elia!eth-"ane&s shoc%, Susan !eco#es too ill to leave her roo#. Michael sends for

the richest and !usiest doctor in town. Elia!eth-"ane spends the ti#e at her #other&s !edside.

1ne #orning, Michael receives a letter fro# his for#er lover, the young lady in

"ersey na#ed 2ucetta. She writes that she understands the situation of his re#arriage, and

that he is not to !la#e for her #isfortunes. She only hopes that he can return the letters that

she wrote to hi# early in their relationship. She plans to get the# next Wednesday as she


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passes through town. Michael sighs and wishes that he could have #arried 2ucetta. 1n the

appointed day, he waits for her, !ut she does not appear, to his relief.

Meanwhile, Susan grows wea%er. 1ne day she as%s to write so#ething. )fter pen and

paper are !rought to her, she writes for a short while, then seals the letter, addressing it to

5Michael Henchard. +ot to !e opened till Elia!eth-"ane&s wedding day.5 Then she loc%s the

letter in her des%.

Elia!eth-"ane, who has !een lovingly watching over her #other, awa%ens at Susan&s

call. Susan confesses that she was the one who wrote the notes to the girl and arfrae as%ing

the# to #eet each other. She says that she wanted arfrae to #arry the girl, and la#ents that

she will never see the# wed.

1ne Sunday #orning, arfrae passes the house only to notice that all the !linds are

down. When he rings the !ell, he is infor#ed that Susan has died. The townspeople discuss

her death around the water pu#p.

)nalysis

)s usual, Hardy introduces #ore ele#ents of suspense as he furthers the plot. Susan

dies, !ut not !efore writing a cryptic letter that cannot !e opened until a certain ti#e. To

replace Susan&s role in #ore ways than one, 2ucetta appears once #ore through her letters,

though she does not appear when she is expected.

Susan leaves the novel with no real change in her outloo% on life. ate continued to

treat her cruelly until the very end. )s she says, 5+othing is as you wish it.5 0n a sense

nothing in her life has !een as she wished it. Her 5first5 #arriage ended horri!ly !oth ti#es,

and her 5second5 #arriage was loving !ut eventually unlawful in her eyes. Her plan to !ring

arfrae and Elia!eth-"ane together failed #isera!ly. Through it all, she has re#ained #ee%,

#oved !y the whi#s of her #en. She cannot control the a#ount of happiness that Elia!eth-

"ane gets after she is gone, though she lived for the girl&s happiness. The poor wo#an does

not even have the power to die in our presence--we only learn that she has died fro# arfrae&s

'uestioning. 0s the writing of this letter her last atte#pt to #anipulate fate and ta%e so#e sort

of controlD Mrs. /uxso# foreshadows that the secret of the letter will !e har#ful 52ittle

things a& didn&t wish seen, any!ody will see.5

(oth Michael and the townspeople have little regard for Susan&s death. Michael

wishes that he had #arried 2ucetta as Susan is dying. Mrs. /uxso# shares the details of

Susan&s death with the eager listeners over the water pu#p. /oney even digs up the pennies


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that Susan had placed on her dead eyes and !uried in the garden. These actions continue the

disregard that everyone in /aster!ridge has for Susan&s feelings. They also e#phasie the

grueso#e touch that Hardy !rings to every novel.

/hapter 4@

Su##ary

Three wee%s after Susan&s funeral, Michael and Elia!eth-"ane spea% of the old ti#es.

Elia!eth-"ane repeatedly refers to +ewson as her father. This annoys Michael after his

wife&s death and arfrae&s forced estrange#ent, the #ayor feels a deep loneliness again. )fter

a few #o#ents, he confesses that he is her real father, and tells her an a!!reviated version of

their first #arriage Bcarefully o#itting the auctionC. Elia!eth-"ane !ursts into tears as

Michael says he will do anything to !e a real father to her. He then as%s if she is willing to

change her last na#e to Henchard, and she helps hi# write up an announce#ent for the

/aster!ridge /hronicle. With that, he sends the girl to !ed, telling her that he will have proof

for her in the #orning.

)s he searches for the proof in Susan&s des%, he thin%s *oyfully of his daughter and her

good sense. Soon he co#es across the letter that Susan wrote on her death!ed. The letter was

not sealed very well, and as a result, the letter was already opened. (elieving that the note on

the front was *ust a whi# of Susan&s, Michael opens the letter and reads it. 0n the letter, Susan

confesses that Elia!eth-"ane is actually +ewson&s daughter. The Elia!eth-"ane that was sold

with Susan died three #onths after the sale. )t first, Michael doesn&t !elieve the letter, !ut the

sleeping Elia!eth-"ane&s features are definitely li%e +ewson&s features.

Michael spends the rest of the night cursing his fate. He wal%s past the *ail and the

gallows in the northeastern side of town, the #ost !arren part of /aster!ridge. When he

returns, he is convinced that he #ust continue the lie rather than tell the truth and face

hu#iliation. He experiences a deep !low to his e#otions when Elia!eth-"ane ad#its that she

!elieves Michael&s confession fro# the night !efore, and she resolves to call hi# ather.

)nalysis

Hardy delivers the #ost painful !it of irony yet in this chapter, revealing that

Elia!eth-"ane is actually the sailor&s daughter *ust as Michael convinces her of his clai# to

her. Mrs. /uxso#&s words fro# the last chapter were prophetic 52ittle things a& didn&t wish

seen, any!ody will see.5 Michael is forced to see everything that Susan didn&t want hi# to


30/61

see, !oth the letter that reveals the secret and the rese#!lance to +ewson evident in

Elia!eth-"ane&s face.

Hardy has again shifted the viewpoint of the chapter !ac% to Michael. We feel

sy#pathy for hi# !ecause we experience the *oy of #a%ing her his daughter, followed

'uic%ly !y the defeat the letter sy#!olies, all through his eyes. We even see +ature #oc%ing

the fact that he does not have a child, as he wal%s through the section of /aster!ridge that is

the #ost !arren, where 5frost lingered5 in springti#e. )s !efore, however, 5/haracter is

ate.5 0f Michael had not !een so insistent on #a%ing Elia!eth-"ane his daughter, he would

not have felt such a crushing !low when he learned the truth. 0f he had not !lindly ignored the

note on the front of the letter, he could have saved hi#self the pain. The !ullish nature that he

cannot sha%e has !rought all of this upon hi#.

/hapter 8A

Su##ary

Elia!eth-"ane is extre#ely shoc%ed to feel Michael&s cold de#eanor so soon after his

announce#ent. Soon he !egins #oc%ing the girl in the open, critical of her country dialect,

her !old handwriting, and her consideration of the servants. )nother fact !rings hi# great

sha#e. 1ne day, when Elia!eth-"ane !rings +ance Moc%ridge so#e !read and cider,

Michael scolds her for helping the co##oners. +ance indignantly tells Michael that

Elia!eth-"ane once wor%ed as a waitress in the Three Mariners. Elia!eth-"ane tries to

explain, !ut Michael is convinced that her actions have cast hi# into the deepest sha#e. His

!eliefs see# to !e confir#ed when he is infor#ed that he is not in the running for the position

of alder#an when his ter# as #ayor ends. 0n addition, he !eco#es even angrier when her

realies that arfrae will !e given a position on the council. Wishing to rid hi#self of the girl

who see#s to have !rought all of his #isfortune, he invites arfrae to continues his courtship

of Elia!eth-"ane.

+ow that her 5father5 avoids her, the #isera!le Elia!eth-"ane tries to win hi# !ac%

!y devoting herself to her studies, teaching herself 2atin with !oo%s and fro# the relics of

/aster!ridge&s past. 1n the nice winter days, she spends so#e ti#e at her #other&s grave. 1ne

day, she goes to the graveyard to find a pretty young lady reading her #other&s gravestone.

The young lady is not fro# /aster!ridge, !ut Elia!eth-"ane cannot catch up to spea% to her.

1n another visit, the young lady finally spea%s to Elia!eth-"ane after overhearing her

la#entations. She is so sy#pathetic that Elia!eth-"ane pours out her heart to the young


31/61

wo#an. The young lady is so #oved that she offers the girl a position as co#panion.

Elia!eth-"ane *oyfully accepts, !ut the young wo#an pro#ises to return for her final answer

in a wee%.

)nalysis

The suspense continues in this chapter. Who is the #ysterious young lady that

Elia!eth-"ane #eets in the graveyardD Why is she so concerned a!out Elia!eth-"ane&s

pro!le#sD What will happen when arfrae gets the letter a!out courting Elia!eth-"aneD

+ow the viewpoint of the chapter shifts to Elia!eth-"ane. We auto#atically feel for

the young lady who is !eing treated so cruelly !y her 5father.5 Hardy is so s%illed at evo%ing

pathos for her that we can easily turn on Michael, the #an who# we sy#pathied with in the

last chapter. 6et Hardy avoids #a%ing the girl into a saint and tries to #a%e her !ehavior

#ore hu#an. Elia!eth-"ane wor%s hard at !eing the perfect girl for Michael, !ut she does it

with tears strea#ing down her face and while wishing that she would die. ortunately, the

chapter also hints that good things are in store for the girl. She has a position with a char#ing

young lady, and she has the pro#ise of a courtship fro# arfrae. 0n addition, she atte#pts to

grow closer to the townspeople, giving the# food and trying to learn #ore a!out the town.

Michael !ehaves very ironically in this chapter. He as%s his stepdaughter, 5Why do

you lower yourself so confoundedlyD5 when in fact he see#s to lower hi#self. He also shows

that he prefers to !elieve !oth factions of pu!lic opinion. He is concerned with what the

upper classes thin%, as in his concern for the girl&s handwriting and her speech. 6et he also

easily !elieves the lower classes, listening to +ance&s words rather than Elia!eth-"ane&s

explanation. The ulti#ate irony is that the townspeople don&t even li%e Michael any#ore,

choosing arfrae over Michael for the city council.


/hapter 84

Su##ary

Elia!eth-"ane concentrates on High-Place Hall and the lovely new stranger who has

offered her a position there. The town is tal%ing a!out the new lady who is co#ing to live

there. 1ne evening she snea%s away to have a loo% at the outside of the Hall. (ecause of its

location directly over the #ar%etplace, #any of the previous owners have not spent very long

at the hall. However, the lights upstairs and the #overs have signaled that the new owner is


32/61

here to stay for a while. )s she turns to run ho#e, she hears footsteps and runs to hide. She

does not see that the footsteps !elong to Michael, and he does not see her !ecause she is so

well hidden.

When Michael returns ho#e, Elia!eth-"ane as%s if she #ay leave ho#e to go

so#ewhere where she can gain so#e education. Michael 'uic%ly agrees, eager to have the

girl out of his sight. Elia!eth-"ane later #eets the lady, Miss Te#ple#an, at the churchyard

again. Together the wo#en decide that Elia!eth-"ane will #ove into High-Place Hall that

evening. Michael is surprised to see her leave so 'uic%ly, and tries to #a%e her stay.

Elia!eth-"ane assures hi# that she won&t !e far away--*ust at High-Place Hall. Michael is

shoc%ed to learn her destination.

)nalysis

Hardy draws upon his architectural experience again. He descri!es the facades,

parapets, and other sections with the eye of an architect. His talent for architectural detail also

!enefits the story. High-Place Hall has #any little grueso#e features that act as #etaphors for

the corruption within its walls. There are 5da#p noo%s where fungi grew5 and a #as% over an

archway that has !een so !eaten that it see#s to have !een 5eaten away !y disease.5 0n

addition, the place#ent of the house in the center of town is significant. 0t i#plies that

everyone who lives here will !e at the center of the events in town. Since !oth Elia!eth-"ane

and Michael are secretly visiting the house, the house already draws the i#portant personages

near.

Elia!eth-"ane and Michael continue to act as opposites. (y this point, Michael see#s

to have no affection for Elia!eth-"ane whatsoever, treating her with 5a!solute indifference.5

B6et, as in his relationship with arfrae, he also see#s to regret sending the girl away so

'uic%ly.C However, Elia!eth-"ane continues to have a loving spirit. +ot only does she

pro#ise to return if Michael needs her, she also regards the house as a place where she can

find love--she co#es there 5with a lover&s feeling.5

/hapter 88

Su##ary

)s Elia!eth-"ane considers going to High-Place Hall to see 2ucetta, Michael

receives a letter fro# 2ucetta saying that she is staying at High-Place Hall. He has learned

that the Hall is !eing rented !y a Miss Te#ple#an, not a Miss 2e Sueur Bthe na#e !y which

Michael had %nown 2ucetta in "erseyC. 2ater 2ucetta sends hi# another note she has ta%en


33/61

the na#e of Te#ple#an fro# a recently deceased aunt, the wo#an who left the Hall and her

fortune to 2ucetta. 0n this note, 2ucetta also explains her choice of co#panion. When

Michael co#es to visit his daughter, he can conveniently call upon 2ucetta at the sa#e ti#e.

Michael is pleased !y her inheritance and a#used !y her tactics to lure hi# to the hall. He

leaves i##ediately to call on 2ucetta, !ut is told that she is engaged and will see hi#

to#orrow. )nnoyed !y her 5airs,5 he plans to punish her !y staying away fro# her for a few

days.

That evening, Elia!eth-"ane and 2ucetta tal%. )lthough she planned to introduce

herself as a wo#an fro# (ath, she tells Elia!eth-"ane a!out "ersey, the half-rench, half-

English region. Elia!eth-"ane is fascinated !y the young wo#an, even if she see#s a !it

flighty.

The next #orning 2ucetta eagerly awaits Michael&s visit. )s she and Elia!eth-"ane

watch the town fro# their window, they watch Michael wal%ing through the #ar%et. He

accidentally #eets arfrae, !ut ignores hi#. 2ucetta wonders if the girl is interested in

anyone outside.

Two #ore days pass, and still Michael has not visited. Elia!eth-"ane tells 2ucetta

that her stepfather will not co#e !ecause he is angry with her. 2ucetta !ursts into tears

!ecause her sche#e is failing. She sends Elia!eth-"ane on several errands, then writes a

'uic% note to Michael, telling hi# that she will !e alone today. When so#eone finally calls,

2ucetta hides !ehind a curtain. She leaps out, only to discover that the caller is not Michael.

)nalysis

The situation that 2ucetta suggests acts as a parallel scene to Michael and Susan&s

plan to fool the residents of /aster!ridge. Michael is placed in the position that Susan held.

2ove does not figure into Michael&s plans of #arriage either li%e Susan, Michael feels that

having a wealthy wife can only !enefit hi# 5though he was not a fortune-hunter.5 2ucetta

holds the role that Michael had. She suggests that she ta%e the new na#e and ho#e Bas Susan

was forced to doC. Elia!eth-"ane will again play a part in the courtship she is again the lure

that !rings Michael to the house.

Hardy #a%es 2ucetta a stoc% character as the flighty renchwo#an, and she serves as

a foil to the #ore upright Elia!eth-"ane. )s we saw in /hapter 8A, 2ucetta is concerned with

fashion Bwhile Elia!eth-"ane only flirted with fashion and stuc% to her own so#!er

clothingC. 0n this chapter, 2ucetta focuses on putting things into pretty rench phrases, sitting


34/61

in pretty poses Bas if she were posing for the painter TitianC, and #anipulating people. How

can the so#!er and shy Elia!eth-"ane ever co#pare to 2ucettaD )lthough 2ucetta

#anipulates Elia!eth-"ane, she still finds herself telling her new co#panion her past life.

Thus, we see that 2ucetta has the capacity for %indness despite all her deception.

inally, Hardy closes the chapter with a cliffhanger to %eep the readers interested in

the story. Who is the #anD Why has he co#eD $oes he have a connection to 2ucetta as wellD

/hapter 89

Su##ary

)s it turns out, the visitor is $onald arfrae, handso#e and i#pecca!ly dressed. He

has co#e to see Elia!eth-"ane. 2ucetta and arfrae are e#!arrassed at their surprise

encounter, !ut soon they find that they are !eco#ing attracted to each other. They converse

pleasantly, engaging in light, flirtatious co##ents the whole ti#e.

7nderneath the window, a !usiness transaction ta%es place. ) young #an #ust wor%

on a distant far#, leaving his sweetheart !ehind. 2ucetta and arfrae are !oth #oved !y the

great e#otion shown !y the lovers. arfrae hurries outside to hire the young #an, and 2ucetta

is touched !y his %ind spirit. Soon after, arfrae leaves with the pro#ise to visit again, having

co#pletely forgotten a!out Elia!eth-"ane.

Three #inutes later, a #aid announces that Michael has co#e to call on 2ucetta.

2ucetta says she has a headache and will not see hi# today. Michael leaves. When Elia!eth-

"ane returns, 2ucetta resolves to %eep the girl around as a way to %eep Michael fro# visiting

her.

)nalysis

Hardy&s wry hu#or shines through in this chapter. 2ucetta&s invitation to arfrae to sit

is a good exa#ple. arfrae 5hesitated, loo%ed at the chair, thought there was no danger in it

Bthough there wasC, and sat down.5 Such ironic hu#or is typical of Hardy.

This chapter !rings arfrae !ac% into the story and re#inds us of his outloo% on

things.

this article about copy and paste from the internet. i dont know what is inside cause i forgot

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