The Mayor of Casterbridge is the one of novels of character and environment among Hardy's works.
Especially, it is the novel most often used to demonstrate the influence of Greek tragedy and it is the story of the rise and rail of a 'man of character...
The Mayor of Casterbridge is the one of novels of character and environment among Hardy's works.
Especially, it is the novel most often used to demonstrate the influence of Greek tragedy and it is the story of the rise and rail of a 'man of character.' What makes The Mayor of Casterbridge a great novel is precisely that Henchard's character is so constructed that he cannot react anyway ocher than he does.
Henchard's actions are always out of touch with his deeper reasoning, because his instinctive drive and egotism triumph over his personal human needs. His desire to dominate, and hits pride, alienate both Elizabeth-Jane and Farfrae, when he needs their effection. And Henchord, for twenty years, had done the atonement which was the abstinence from the drink that cause his crime, but hits crime is not forgiven, merely o postpone the punishement that always fellows the crime.
For Hardy's works, nature was the primary fact in lire, and nature is not only good but harsh, demanding, punishing those who did not live in tune in it. In this novel, the harvest which is a kind of nature has hardly begun when the weather breaks and proves the weather-prophet right after all. Althought Henchard's rash transactions have lost him a great deal of money.
Chance and coincidence is the one of characteristics of Hardy's works, hut in this novel, they were often used so awkwardly, it is pointed wish Hardy's faults.
In conclusion, The Mayor of Casterbridge represents Hardy's first successful attempt to create tragedy.