Far from the Madding Crowd: Analysis of Major Characters
"Far from the Madding Crowd," a novel by Thomas Hardy, presents a rich tapestry of characters navigating love, ambition, and moral dilemmas in rural England. Central to the narrative is Gabriel Oak, a steadfast farmer whose loyalty is tested when he faces rejection from Bathsheba Everdene, a beautiful yet unpredictable woman who inherits a farm. Bathsheba's character evolves as she grapples with her own desires and the consequences of her choices, particularly in her tumultuous marriage to the charming but irresponsible Sergeant Francis Troy. Troy's character serves as a cautionary representation of selfishness and deceit, ultimately leading to tragedy that impacts all involved. Mr. Boldwood, a determined suitor of Bathsheba, offers a contrast with his steadfast love and tragic downfall following a violent confrontation. The story also touches on the lives of supporting characters, like Fanny Robin, whose fate highlights the vulnerabilities of women in the face of male exploitation. The interplay between these characters reveals themes of resilience, the complexity of human relationships, and the impact of societal expectations, making "Far from the Madding Crowd" a poignant exploration of love and loss.
Far from the Madding Crowd: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Thomas Hardy
First published: 1874
Genre: Novel
Locale: Wessex, England
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: 1869–1873
Gabriel Oak, a sturdy young English farmer. Refused as a husband by Bathsheba Everdene, he also loses his farm through ill luck. Disheartened by these events, he becomes a shepherd and is taken on at the farm just inherited by his beloved. Although the girl proposes to manage the farm herself, she soon puts more and more of its affairs into the hands of Gabriel Oak, whose skill and loyalty she can trust. Saying no more of love or marriage, Gabriel watches the courtship of Bathsheba by Mr. Boldwood, a well-to-do farmer of the neighborhood. He also watches when she is courted by Sergeant Francis Troy and becomes the latter's wife. During this time, although disappointed in love, Gabriel is so successful at managing his beloved's farm that he becomes the manager of Mr. Boldwood's farm as well. When Bathsheba's marriage ends tragically and Mr. Boldwood is imprisoned for murder, Gabriel still loyally serves both. He finally decides to leave England. When he informs Bathsheba of his intention, she suddenly realizes that she loves the loyal young farmer. She reveals her love for him, and they are married.
Bathsheba Everdene, a vain and unpredictable young woman of great beauty, loved for many years by Gabriel Oak. Despite her personal weaknesses, she is a practical woman after taking over the farm inherited from her uncle. She hires Gabriel as a shepherd but soon makes him the bailiff in all but name. She rejects the proposal of Mr. Boldwood, a well-to-do neighbor, but she readily falls to the audacious lovemaking of Sergeant Troy. Though she loves him, she distrusts his character; she travels to Bath to break the engagement with him, but her trip results in their marriage. The marriage is unfortunate, for her husband is a wasteful, disloyal man who has married her without love, attracted by her beauty and her money. After being revealed as the seducer of one of the farm girls, he disappears and is presumed dead. His wife gradually admits Mr. Boldwood as a suitor once again, but Troy suddenly reappears to claim his wife and her fortune. His effort is cut short by a blast from a shotgun in the hands of Mr. Boldwood. For Bathsheba, who loved her wastrel husband despite his faults, the shock is deep, but as the months go by, her emotional wounds heal. Given an opportunity, she recognizes the worth of Gabriel Oak, whom she marries. She has learned by bitter experience what to value in a man.
Francis Troy, an arrogant, selfish man. Reared as the son of a doctor and his French wife, Troy is reputedly the son of the doctor's wife and a nobleman who was her lover. Though given a good education, Troy enlists in a regiment of dragoons and becomes a sergeant. A handsome man and a pleasant one when he wants to be, he has many successes with women, including Bathsheba Everdene, who becomes his wife; he is attracted by her beauty, wealth, and position. With her money, he buys himself out of the army, leads a pleasant, wasteful life, and almost ruins his wife's farm. One of his earlier victims appears and, with her infant, dies. For Troy, who really loved the woman, the shock is great. After a violent scene with his wife, he disappears and is presumed dead, although he actually lives a hand-to-mouth existence as an actor in a cheap company. Tiring of that life, he returns to claim his wife. His brutal and surprising reappearance is cut short when he is killed by Mr. Boldwood, his wife's suitor.
Mr. Boldwood, a confirmed bachelor of middle age who falls in love with Bathsheba Everdene and courts her, only to lose her to another man. His love endures and, after her husband's disappearance, he courts her again. His patient courtship, about to succeed, is ended by the reappearance of Francis Troy, who brutally tries to force his wife to go to her home with him from a Christmas party at Mr. Boldwood's house. Boldwood, outraged by Troy's behavior, shoots Troy and kills him. Mr. Boldwood is convicted of murder and sentenced to hang, but his sentence is commuted to imprisonment when evidence is brought forward that he is mentally deranged.
Fanny Robin, a pretty servant in the Everdene household. She foolishly allows herself to be seduced by Francis Troy while he is in the army. Though he promises to marry her, she finds herself deserted and expecting a child. She returns to her home community just in time to have her baby, only to die along with the infant. Their deaths, caused in part by Troy's refusal to help the girl when he finds her on the road in need, reveal him for what he is.
Jan Coggan, a worker on the Everdene farm, a good friend to Gabriel Oak.
Lydia (Liddy) Smallbury, Bathsheba's loyal and trusted maid.