Analysis of Characters from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Analysis of Characters from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

A young Scot who arrives in Casterbridge at about the same time as

Susan and Elizabeth-Jane, Donald Farfrae becomes Michael Henchard’s

business manager. He quickly becomes Henchard’s only trusted friend

and, later, his adversary in both business and love.

Hardy draws Farfrae as Henchard’s counterpart in every way. He is

physically small, polite and charming, careful and controlled, forward

thinking, and methodical. Whereas Henchard propels his fate through

moments of rash behavior, Farfrae is cool and calculating in all he

does. Although his personality is friendly and engaging, Farfrae

maintains a certain detachment from people and events, always

considering the possible consequences of his decisions and actions

before he makes them. As a result, his path through life is as smooth

as Henchard’s is rough.

Farfrae initiates a relationship with Henchard by providing

information that is a great help to Henchard in solving a business

problem and by refusing Henchard’s offer of payment for the

information. Henchard is so grateful and impressed that he talks

Farfrae into abandoning his plans to go to America and convinces him

to take a job as Henchard’s business manager.

Because Farfrae is more organized and methodical than Henchard, the

business prospers under his management. Farfrae is ambitious enough to

eventually go into business for himself, though, and this enrages

Henchard even though Farfrae, in his typically principled way, tries

to minimize competition between the two firms.

Farfrae courts Elizabeth-Jane and even hints that he would marry her

if he were in a financial position to do so, but when he meets the

newly wealth...

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...ng woman who, like

Henchard, suffers several reversals of fortune and ends badly.

Henchard has an affair with her before Susan arrives in Casterbridge,

and this affair ruins Lucetta’s reputation. To try to repair the

damage, Henchard, thinking that Susan is probably dead, offers to

marry Lucetta. Before the marriage takes place, though, Susan returns,

and Henchard must call off the wedding.

After Susan dies, Lucetta inherits wealth, and Henchard renews his

interest in her. Lucetta is more interested in Farfrae, though, and

marries him. When Lucetta’s old letters to Henchard become public, the

scandal of their affair returns to haunt them both, and Lucetta is so

distraught by this that she suffers a seizure and dies. Farfrae soon

realizes that Lucetta was not a good match for him and that, had she

lived, their marriage would not have been happy. Themes