This is a tale set in the countryside of Thomas Hardys Wessex. The story is about a young and beautiful woman who inherits a farm, and the men who fall in love with her.
The main characters are..
Gabriel Oak.... Trained as a shepherd his social status varies during the book, but his farming skills are the ones that gain him the respect of others in the main. He is 28 years old well built and mild mannered. His features are unremarkable, Hardy describes them like this....’ Gabriel’s features adhered throughout their form so exactly to the middle line between the beauty of St. John and the ugliness of Judas Iscariot, as represented in a window of the church he attended, that not a single lineament could be selected and called worthy either of distinction or notoriety.’ Although confident with sheep and farm work he was awkward and prone to blushing when in the company of an attractive woman.
Bathsheba Everdene... A young and attractive woman with black hair. She is aware of her beauty and likes men to notice her , but she also inexperienced and lacks judgement in these matters. She also has the difficult task of running the farm that she inherited from her uncle, it being unusual in those times for a woman to be in charge of such a business.
Mr Boldwood.... A gentleman farmer , middle aged, and rumoured to have been jilted when younger. The gossips think that he is likely to remain a bachelor as many women have attempted to court him and failed.
Sergeant Troy...A dashing young cavalry officer. He is clever and confident with words, his looks and flair for flattery make him very attractive to women. He first meets Bathsheba while walking along a path at night, his spurs get entangled in the hem of her dress and he makes the most of freeing the dress.
’You are a prisoner , miss; it is no use blinking the matter, ’ said the soldier drily. ’I must cut your dress if you are in such a hurry.’
’Yes-please do!’ she exclaimed helplessly.
’It wouldn’t be necessary if you could wait a moment’; and he unwound a cord from the little wheel. She withdrew her own hand, but, whether by accident or design, he touched it. Bathsheba was vexed; she hardly knew why.’
Fanny Robin... A pretty young woman who worked as a maid. She only makes a few short appearances in the book but is vital to the outcome.
The estate workers and local malthouse owner. Hardy sometimes refers to them as ’natives’. These serve two purposes, one is a touch of comedy and the second allows Hardy to pass on information and histories of the gossiping of the workers.
One of my favourite lighter moments is in Warrens Malthouse. Gabriel Oak is drinking there after putting out a fire and the maltster offers him some food...
’The cider will go down better with a bit of victuals. Don’t chaw quite close, shepherd, for I let the bacon fall in the road outside as I was bringing it along, and maybe ’tis rather gritty. There ’tis clane dirt, and we all know what that, is as you say, and you bain’t a particular man we see, shepherd.’
’True, true-not at all, ’ said the friendly Oak.
’Don’t let your teeth quite meet, and you won’t feel the sandiness at all. Ah! ’tis wonderful what can be done by contrivance.’
The setting .... Hardy set his novels in an area he called Wessex which was centered around Dorset. He didn’t want a completely ficticious area so he revived an old one, he based his towns on real places but gave them his own names ie. Casterbridge was actually Dorchester. Describing the countryside and buildings in great detail was very important to Hardy, and this can slow the book down at times.
The fate of the characters is brought about by nature and coincidence rather than planned by unworthy characters. Some of the key events in this book are brought about by ... a young sheepdog, an inheritance, a valentines card, mistaking a church name and a storm.