The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character" explores the complex interplay of personal relationships, pride, and the consequences of past actions through its major characters. The protagonist, Michael Henchard, is a once-prosperous corn merchant whose life spirals downward after a drunken mistake leads him to sell his wife and child. His inflexible nature and jealousy towards his former manager, Donald Farfrae, culminate in a tragic downfall marked by bankruptcy and social humiliation.
Henchard's wife, Susan, initially escapes his tyranny but later returns, believing her first husband to be dead. Their daughter, Elizabeth-Jane, develops a bond with Farfrae, ultimately marrying him after the death of Lucetta Templeman, a woman who once captivated Henchard but fell prey to societal judgment. Other notable characters include Richard Newson, Susan's second husband, whose arrival further complicates Henchard's life, and Jopp, a resentful employee who takes cruel pleasure in exposing Lucetta's past. The narrative delves into themes of redemption, the impact of societal norms, and the tragic consequences of human flaws, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of character and destiny.
The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Thomas Hardy
First published: 1886
Genre: Novel
Locale: Wessex, England
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: Nineteenth century
Michael Henchard, the mayor of Casterbridge and a prosperous corn merchant. In his youth, while drunk, he had sold his wife and child to a seaman. Years later, this information becomes known in Casterbridge; as a result, Henchard is ruined. Too stern and unyielding to resume his friendship with Donald Farfrae, his former manager, the headstrong ex-mayor faces declining fortune. Finally, he is forced to declare bankruptcy and is publicly humiliated during the visit of royalty. At last, broken in spirit, he takes refuge in a shack and dies practically friendless.
Susan Henchard-Newson, Henchard's wife. A plain, simple woman, she finally tires of her husband's repeated threats to sell her to the highest bidder. When he offers her for sale, she throws her wedding ring at him and leaves with the sailor Newson, her baby in her arms. Years later, thinking Newson drowned, she returns and remarries Henchard.
Elizabeth-Jane Newson, Henchard's attractive stepdaughter. A proper young woman, she is attracted to the personable young Farfrae. After the death of Lucetta, she marries the young corn merchant.
Donald Farfrae, a corn merchant in Casterbridge and Henchard's thriving business competitor. At first Henchard's good friend and manager, he gradually drifts apart from the mayor when the latter becomes jealous of the young man's capability and popularity. The estrangement, however, helps to bring Farfrae increasing prosperity. He captures much of the grain market and, against his will, gradually takes away much of his former employer's business. When Farfrae marries Lucetta, the break between the two men is complete.
Lucetta Templeman, a woman Henchard had known as Lucetta Le Sueur, later Farfrae's wife. An attractive but aging coquette, she intended to marry Henchard until she encountered the handsome Farfrae. After meeting him, she decides that she does not care to see Henchard again, even though the latter was once her lover. Her marriage to Farfrae goes smoothly until Jopp reads some love letters, which Lucetta had sent to Henchard, aloud to the denizens of Mixen Lane. Learning she is exposed as a loose woman, she has a miscarriage and dies.
Richard Newson, a bluff, hearty sailor. In his youth, he had bought Henchard's wife and child. The ex-mayor's destruction is complete when the sailor comes to Casterbridge to claim his daughter, Elizabeth-Jane.
Jopp, a surly former employee of Henchard. Snubbed by Lucetta, he gets his revenge when he has the chance to read her love letters aloud in the Three Mariners Inn and takes part in a parade that exposes her to the people.
Abel Whittle, Henchard's simple-minded employee. Although abused by his former employer, Abel, remembering how good the sick man had been to Abel's mother, takes care of him in his final illness.