In chapter three Hardy continues his story eighteen years later. What has changed over the course of this time? How is Henchard changed? Who returns? Who makes matters worse by deciding to move to Casterbridge?
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This blog is for students in Mr. Getty's AP English class who are sharing their ideas about the works of Thomas Hardy. Students are to use this blog to keep an on-going record of their discussion about The Mayor of Casterbridge.
During the eighteen year span of time many things change. Henchard's wife and daughter return to the fair in search of Henchard. The fair itself had changed a great deal and the lady who owned the furmity tent was extremely old and had lost her business. Henchard himself vowed to sustain from drinking alcohol for the next twenty one years because of the horrible decision he made to sell his wife while he was under the influence of alcohol. Henchard underwent a huge personality change. He went from a poor quick-tempered drunk with no job to the the rich mayor of casterbridge who did not drink it all. It is a complete turn around for Henchard.
ReplyDeleteThe eighteen year span has changed the characters in the book alot. Henchard is now no longer a down and out drunk, but is a mayor of a town, and quite well off. Henchard also has a better personality ever since he quit drinking. Henchard's wife, Susan, is also different in the sense that she has spent the last eighteen years married to a man who she did not necessarily love, but treated her well. Now that he is dead, she is in search of Henchard, for her now adult daughter is still ignorant to the fact that Henchard is her father.
ReplyDeleteHenchard has changed over the 18 year span because he has seen what a horrible act he has commited because of the influence of alcohol. He is now completely alcohol free, and it has turned his life completely around. Henchard is the mayor of Casterbridge, and is very well-off. Now that his wife's new husband has died, she is on the search for Henchard. Now that Henchard's wife and child, Elizabeth, are back it could make it worse for Henchard to keep his high status. Also, with Lucetta, Henchard's mistress in town as well, it's a large love triangle which could tarnish his reputation for being a respectable mayor.
ReplyDeleteHenchard feels so incredibly guilty about selling his wife and daughter to a sailor passing thru town, that he swears to stay sober for the next 21 years. He makes a complete transformation from being the town drunk, to becoming the rich, Mayor of Casterbridge. After 18 years has passed by, his wife, Susan and daughter, Elizabeth Jane, come back to Casterbrige. Elizabeth does not know that Henchard is her father, she believes that Newson, the sailor, is her biological father. Newson died at sea, therefore Susan and Elizabeth come back to Casterbridge in search of Henchard. Henchard confesses that he has met another woman within those 18 years, but offers to write her a letter and end everything with her. Then when he goes to meet her to give her the love letters back, she is not there.
ReplyDeleteDuring the eighteen years that have passed, Mrs. Newson and EJ come to the conclusion that Mr. Newson has died while at sea. EJ has now grown into a a young woman who has no idea that Mr. Henchard is her long lost father. EJ has no idea that the father she once had who was a mentally abusive drunk is now the Mayor of Casterbridge. Michael had taken a vow the very morning after he sold his family to remain sober for the amount of years he had been alive (twenty-one). This change in Michael's life has caused him to become very tense and has caused him to hold onto other things very tightly because he can no longer hold onto alcohol (for example; Mr. Farfrae, his work, etc.). EJ and Mrs. Newson/Mrs. Henchard return to Casterbridge in hopes that Mr. Henchard will provide for them. By EJ and Mrs. Newson moving to Casterbridge, they make Mr. Henchards life more complicated because he is very busy with work. Mr. Farfrae moving to Casterbridge could also cause commotion due to his expertise in his work, this helps Mr. Henchard in the beginning but we learn that he eventually becomes a threat to Michael. Lucetta also makes matters worse by moving to Casterbridge. She finds that EJ's mother has passed away the first day she meets EJ so she decides to use her. She thinks that by asking EJ to move in with her that she will be capturing Mr. Henchard. Unfortunately, she soon finds that Mr. Henchard is not so pleased with EJ and kicks herself for being dumb enough to believe her plot would go according to plan.
ReplyDelete(pssst, I hate Lucetta!)
Obviously a lot of things on the facade have changed over a span of eighteen years… Henchard, the irresponsible and negligent drunk transforms himself into the Mayor of Casterbridge. Susan remains with the sailor, loses a child and has another without anyone in her past life knowing it. But the interesting thing about time is that it doesn’t always change everything. We’ve all heard the quote, “You can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl”, and even though it’s completely cheesy and seems irrelevant, it makes a lot of sense to me. =) I think that even though eighteen years have passed, and on the surface a lot of things have changed, it won’t be hard for people to fall back into the same old patterns and pick up from where they left off. I think that Hardy was battling the idea that time is an irrefutable force, and was trying to show us that human habits are forever and though some do, most people never completely change. For example, when Susan comes to Casterbridge, Henchard’s first thoughts are to re-marry her, even though they’ve spent eighteen years apart. And when Farfrae and Lucetta appear to stir up some trouble, all hell breaks loose. After this temporary (yes, I think that 3 years is temporary) fit of drama, Henchard lands right back where he started. As an uncontrollable and negligent drunk. Though the 21 year old Henchard and the 42 year old Henchard show some differences, the overall essence of his existence remains untouched over the years.
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