A Literary Classic

It cannot be denied that British literature is one of the richest literature in the world. It has a long tradition of producing top-caliber writers whose works swept the world over. British literature boasts literary titans such as Daniel Defoe who is said to have written the first English novel in history; Charles Dickens who is renowned for his character and plot-rich novels; Jane Austen and the Brontë Sisters whose names remain relevant in the contemporary discourses vis-à-vis romance and women; and, of course, William Shakespeare. They are just among the long list of talented writers and storytellers whose works have captivated the world. Their works are among the most revered across the world. Their works have transcended time as they are still inherent in literary discourses.

Another revered name in British literature is Tomas Hardy. Born on June 2, 1840, in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England, Hardy was the eldest of four children of a stonemason. Before pursuing a career as a writer, Hardy was first apprenticed to John Hicks, a local architect. In 8862, he moved to London and became a draftsman in the office of Arthur Blomfield, a leading architect. He originally planned to attend university but the lack of funds prompted him to abandon it. He then redirected his energies to poetry but none of his earlier works were published. It was at this point that he turned to prose, albeit reluctantly. The ascent to the zenith, however, was not instantaneous. His first written novel, The Poor Man and the Lady, was not published while his succeeding works were published but were met with lukewarm receptions.

A change in fortune and a welcome development came with the publication of Far from the Madding Crowd in 1874. Hardy’s fourth published novel catapulted him to global prominence. The book’s critical success made it part of several must-read lists, including the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. It was also adapted into a film. In the landscape of Hardy’s literary career, Far from the Madding Crowd occupies a special place. It marked a critical change in Hardy’s literary career. It was the first of his novels to be set in the fictional region of Wessex; Hardy referred to the counties of southwestern England. Hardy would collectively refer to this set of novels as his Wessex Novels.

“She did not adjust her hat, or pat her hair, or press a dimple into shape, or do any one thing to signify that any such intention had been her motive in taking up the glass. She simply observed herself as a fair product of Nature in a feminine direction—her expression seeming to glide into far-off though likely dramas in which men would play a part—vistas of probable triumphs—the smiles being of a phase suggesting that hearts were imagined as lost and won.”

~ Thomas Hardy, From from the Madding Crowd

At the heart of Far From the Madding Crowd was Bathsheba Everdene, the orphaned daughter of townspeople. She arrived in the Wessex town of Norcombe to live with her aunt, Mrs. Hurst. While in a carriage checking up on herself, Gabriel Oak caught a glimpse of Bathsheba. Gabriel was a young shepherd although he was eight years Bathsheba’s senior. Over the past year, Gabriel leased and stocked a farm using the savings of a frugal life, and a loan. Their first encounter did not end well as Bathsheba, embarrassed, would rather not be associated with Gabriel. However, when Gabriel finds himself involved in a near-death accident, Bathsheba saves him just in the nick of time. This experience drew them closer and before he knew it, Gabriel started falling in love with Bathsheba.

Unable to contain what he feels, Gabriel mustered the courage to propose marriage to Bathsheba but upon his arrival at Mrs. Hurst’s household, Bathsheba wasn’t home. Mrs. Hurst told Gabriel that Bathsheba has other suitors which Bathsheba denied. She nevertheless rejected Gabriel’s offer of marriage because she valued her independence. Soon after, Bathsheba moved to Weatherbury, a nearby village, following the news of her Uncle’s death. She inherited her uncle’s farm. Gabriel, on the other hand, suffered another major setback when his entire flock was mistakenly driven over a cliff by Gabriel’s sheepdog in training. This misfortune drove him to bankruptcy as the amount he could salvage was used to pay off his debtors. His bankruptcy prompted him to seek employment elsewhere.

Gabriel’s search for employment took him to Weatherbury where he spotted a barn on fire. He managed to save the barn which he, later on, learned belonged to Bathsheba. With the prodding of the locals, Bathsheba hired Gabriel as a shepherd. The novel then charted her romantic overtures with William Boldwood and Sergeant Francis “Frank” Troy. Boldwood, a neighboring landowner, was a middle-aged bachelor. Bathsheba, out of whim, sent him a Valentine’s Card because he was nonchalant of her existence. Unaccustomed to men ignoring her, Bathsheba sent an anonymous note with a joke seal that said, “Marry me.” To Bathsheba’s surprise, Boldwood took the note seriously and started courting her. He also proposed marriage but again, Bathsheba turned down the offer. The rejection, however, did not deter Boldwood from pursuing her.

A pivotal moment came after Boldwood’s second proposal It was at that juncture that Bathsheba crossed paths with Sergeant Troy who had recently returned home to Weatherbury. At the onset, she disliked him but the handsome and charismatic Sergeant Troy captivated Bathsheba with his private display of swordsmanship. His presence made her reconsider her vow to live independently. She was falling for him but news of their growing romance enraged Boldwood who even vowed violence toward his rival. Boldwood’s threats and even Gabriel’s dissent did little to dissuade Bathsheba who rushed to Bath to warn Sergeant Troy of Boldwood’s threat. At Bath, Sergeant Troy convinced Bathsheba to marry him to which she acquiesced. Is this a turning point for the independent and free-spirited Bathsheba? Is Sergeant Troy finally the man who will awaken Bathsheba’s passion?

“This good fellowship – camaraderie – usually occurring through the similarity of pursuits is unfortunately seldom super-added to love between the sexes, because men and women associate, not in their labors but in their pleasures merely. Where, however, happy circumstances permit its development, the compounded feeling proves itself to be the only love which is strong as death – that love which many waters cannot quench, nor the floods drown, besides which the passion usually called by the name is as evanescent as steam.”

~ Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd

Far from the Madding Crowd, which was derived by Hardy from  Thomas Gray’s poem “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” (1751), on the surface, masquerades as a romance story. Bathsheba, beautiful but tempestuous, is the object of desire by the men she encounters. She captivated men from all walks of life. Each of her suitors also offered different types of love. Gabriel was the quintessence of hard work and reliability. Whenever Bathsheba finds herself in a bind, Gabriel is always willing to lend a hand or provide a piece of advice. Sergeant Troy was his antithesis. Sergeant Troy was shrouded in an enigma. Bathsheba found this air of mystery seductive. Boldwood, on the other hand, represented affluence and respectability. His love was manifested in the form of physical gifts and physical possessions.

Love, as Bathsheba would learn from her experience, can be complex. Hardy was unflinching in laying out the landscape of love as he vividly captured the follies and the dangers that are inherent in falling in love and, consequently, marriage. While romantic relationships involve deep emotions, they can be undermined by inconsistencies and betrayals. Marriage, which is supposed to be the union of two souls as one, can be eroded by deceit, dishonesty, and infidelity which can emanate from either spouse. It can also be undermined by a spouse’s vices. In Far from the Madding Crowd, we read about couples where love is unequal, where one partner is more in love than the other. This imbalance can lead to disastrous results. Nevertheless, pure love can have the power to heal.

The novel, however, does not reduce itself to a mediocre romance story although it was in Bathsheba’s romantic journey that Hardy also captured her growth and development as a character; this makes her a compelling character study. At the onset, she was vain, proud, and even shallow. She was full of herself, so much so that she sent the letter to Boldwood. She found Gabriel’s attributes unappealing and old-fashioned. She is a flawed character which makes her growth as the story progresses more riveting. Pride, however, was not limited to Bathsheba. The other characters were as proud and stubborn as she was. However, pride was seen differently between the two genders. In men, pride was seen as something admirable. It was seen as a sign of maturity and self-discipline. On the other hand, pride in women was projected as vanity, a vice.

This glaring dichotomy in how pride is seen between the two genders is an instance of the gender dynamics of the time, a subject prevalently underscored in the novel. Bathsheba was a woman caught up in a highly patriarchal society; she must learn to navigate this world that heavily favored men. She had an independent streak that distinguished her from the typical woman of her era. However, men, particularly those who worked under her, overlooked her because of her gender. She was dismissed despite the competence she displayed in managing the farm and handling the issues that arose. Women But even in the guise of providing a voice for women, Hardy was critical of female attributes. He subtly underscored how Bathsheba remained dependent on the men in her life. Her yearning for independence was merely a delusion.

“He had just reached the time of life at which ‘young’ is ceasing to be the prefix of ‘man’ in speaking of one. He was at the brightest period of masculine life, for his intellect and emotions were clearly separate; he had passed the time during which the influence of youth indiscriminately mingles them in the character of impulse, and he had not yet arrived at the state wherein they become united again, in the character of prejudice, by the influence of a wife and family. In short he was twenty-eight and a bachelor.”

~ Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd

One of the novel’s finest facets was Hardy’s quality of writing. It was able to bring out the character of Wessex. It was a form of escape from the bedlam in crowded places, as referenced to in the book’s title. The idyll of domestic life was vividly painted by Hardy. He captured the interplay between man, agriculture, and nature. However, the novel is riddled with ironies. Rather than being away from the frenzied crowd, life in Wessex was far from the idyll it was meant to be. Wessex was a landscape fraught with conflicts which came in different forms. Conflicts can be between man and man, man and nature, and even nature and nature. Nature can indeed be a cruel force, like in the case of Gabriel. On the brighter side, it was from these experiences that Gabriel learned to navigate the natural world.

Indeed, Far from the Madding Crowd is a compelling read from one of literature’s most revered names. It comes as no surprise that it was the novel that gained him recognition. While it was without its flaws – Hardy can be quite critical of female attributes – it nevertheless introduced an interesting and eclectic cast of characters whose individual differences and complexities gave the novel different complexions. It was through the intersection of their individual threads that Hardy explored a plethora of subjects. On the surface, it was a romance story where love came in different forms. All the while, the novel endeavored to dismantle the stereotypes of Victorian women. Ultimately, it was a homage to the place that cradled Hardy, a place he called Wessex, exploring the facets that make it beautiful and also its quirks. Now considered a literary classic, Far from the Madding Crowd has evolved into a hallmark of Hardy’s literary heritage.

“The poetry of motion is a phrase much in use, and to enjoy the epic form of that gratification it is necessary to stand on a hill at a small hour of the night, and, having first expanded with a sense of difference from the mass of civilized mankind, who are dreamwrapt and disregardful of all such proceedings at this time, long and quietly watch your stately progress through the stars. After such a nocturnal reconnoitre it is hard to get back to earth, and to believe that the consciousness of such a majestic speeding is derived from a tiny human frame.”

~ Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd
Book Specs

Author: Thomas Hardy
Publisher: William Collins
Publishing Date: 2015
No. of Pages: 429
Genre: Romance

Synopsis

I shall do one thing in this life – one thing certain – that is, love you, and long for you, and keep wanting you till I die.

Independent and spirited, Bathsheba Everdene owns the hearts of three men. Striving to win her love in different ways, their relationships with Bathsheba complicate her life in idyllic Wessex – and cast shadows over their own. With the morals and expectations of rural society weighing heavily upon her, Bathsheba experiences the torture of unrequited love and betrayal, and discovers how random acts of chance and tragedy can alter life’s course dramatically.

About the Author

Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840, in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England. He was the eldest of four children born to Thomas Hardy, a stonemason and jobbing builder, and his wife, Jemima (née Hand). His mother was well-read and was his first teacher. He attended Mr. Last’s Academy for Young Gentlemen in Dorchester, where he learned Latin and demonstrated academic potential. In 1856 he was apprenticed to John Hicks, a local architect. Shortly before his 22nd birthday, he moved to London and became a draftsman for Arthur Blomfield, a leading ecclesiastical architect.

In 1867, he moved back to Dorset due to his ill health. In the mid-1860s, he abandoned his plans to attend university due to lack of funds and his declining religious faith. Known for his intensive study habits, he redirected his energies toward reading poetry. It was from this that his desire for writing started to sprout. None of his earlier poems, however, achieved immediate publication, prompting him to reluctantly turn to prose. From 1867 to 1868, he wrote The Poor Man and the Lady. Unfortunately, it was never published. In succession, he published three novels: Desperate Remedies (1871),  Under the Greenwood Tree (1872), and A Pair of Blue Eyes (1873). However, they received modest success.

Literary acclaim came in 1874 following the publication of Far from the Madding Crowd, the first of his novels set in Wessex, a fictional place inspired by the region he grew up in. The novel’s success made him give up architecture and pursue a full-time literary career. Over the succeeding decades, he published more novels. Among his most renowned works are The Return of the Native (1878), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), The Woodlanders (1887), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). He also published short stories and poetry collections; he has always favored poetry over prose. His first significant poetry collection, Wessex Poems and Other Verses, however, was published only in 1898. Hardy also wrote dramas.

Hardy passed away on January 11, 1928