Compare the successes of Troy and Boldwood in courting Bathsheba
Boldwood and Troy both try to court Bathsheba however using different techniques and with varying success.
Boldwood is pictured by Hardy to be a nervous, stammering man, ‘but I am only just able to speak out my feelings – I mean meaning’, this quote shows him stammering and a ‘hopeless man for women’. Hardy has also shown this awkwardness when he pictures Boldwood ‘leaning over a chair’, an undignified position and thus shows how he is willing to lose all dignity in order to get Bathsheba.
Boldwood is stated to need Bathsheba, his ‘life is a burden’ without her, and is incredibly desperate to get her. This can be seen by the numerous proposals Boldwood makes as if it seems he cannot take no for an answer. This can be seen when having been proposed to Bathsheba replies ‘I do not feel – what would justify me to – in accepting your offer’, showing Boldwood’s awkwardness is spreading to Bathsheba, this quote shows Bathsheba trying to say no, however ‘giving back dignity for dignity’ however Boldwood will not take it and out pour his emotions in the ‘opening of the sluices’.
Troy however sees Bathsheba not as someone who he needs, but as another girl to add to the collection. Hardy shows Troy as more of an expert when it comes to courting girls. The reader already knows he is having a relationship with Fanny Robin so his courting Bathsheba conjures up antagonism from the reader.
As Troy is more experienced in courting girls he is seen much more confident when talking to Bathsheba. His dialogue is much more relaxing than Boldwood’s, he jokes by saying that he wishes ‘it was the knot of knots’ when they are tied together. This shows his not so subtle hint of marriage, which is prophetic irony, and it works as a good compliment.
This contrasts with Boldwood’s dialogue which mainly focus around himself, ‘I cannot live without you’, ‘my life is a burden without you’, these two statements show he is subject of the dialogue not her. Troy, however, having been more experienced knows what a woman wants to hear. He thanks Bathsheba ‘for the sight of such a beautiful sight’ when he sees her face.
As stated by Ulrich, Bathsheba was remembered in English and American sermons as “a virtuous housewife, a godly woman whose industrious labors gave mythical significance to the ordinary tasks assigned to her sex.” In the Proverbs, she is described as one who is willing to serve her family (Ulrich 14). Moreover, just with Ulrich’s initial description of this biblical woman in which she compares women of the 1650s-1750s to, readers are able to get a general understanding that a woman’s role in economic life was vital to the success of her
... was skeptical about Troy?s ways and behavior. However, as I continued reading the story about his hardship, I quickly realized that there is not just one way to be right. While his ways were somewhat antiquated, they were nonetheless effective. I can even identify with Troy?s character as he reminds me of my dad and how protective he was of my sister and I. I would like to believe that we are now better off because of the way he handled us. While I often questioned my dad?s motives, I now understand why he did the certain things he did. Troy?s family will eventually realize that he only wishes the best for them. I think this story emphasizes the fact that no one is perfect. No one needs to be perfect. We all need to realize that; after all, none of us are perfect.
Troy’s brother Gabriel, although minor, is important to the play for many reasons. The most important is that while Gabriel perhaps has highest and most impassable fence around him, he is the only one who ignores it; he is not bounded, at least not in his own mind.
Troy?s relationship with his father was one, which produced much tension, and had a strong influence on Troy?s relationships with his loved ones as an adult. He had very little respect for his father because his father did not, in Troy?s mind, make his family a priority. At an early age, Troy?s father beat him ?like there was no tomorrow? because he caught Troy getting ?cozy? with a girl (549; I,4). Troy said that ?right there is where [he became] a man? (549; I,4). It was at that moment that Troy made the decision to free himself from his father?s power. Despite the fact that he did eventually escape his father?s wrath, the struggle with his father?s aggressive behavior and lack of love resulted in a coldness that resided in Troy?s heart toward life and love. His father did not care about his children; children were there to work for the food that he ate first. Troy describes his feelings toward his father by saying, ?Sometimes I wish I hadn?t known my daddy. He ain?t cared nothing about no kids. A kid to him wasn?t nothing. All he wanted was for you to learn how to walk so he could start you to working? (548; I,4). Although Troy had very little respect for his father and vowed to be nothing like him, many of his father?s harsh personality traits show up in his own personality. Despite Troy?s continuous attempts to push himself away from anything he had ever known about his father, the inheritance of such irrational behavior was inevitable because it was all he had ever known. The inheritance of this angry behavior was, in turn, the cause of his damaging relationships with his own family. Just as Troy endured his father?s cruel ways, Troy?s family is left with no choice but to try to learn to live with his similar ways.
We are first introduced to Troy as he comes home from work with his best friend, Bono. The two became friends after Troy went to prison for killing a man. Despite this, Bono is said to look up to Troy, admiring his “honesty, capacity for hard work, and his strength, which Bono seeks to emulate” (1.1). Throughout the play, Troy and Bono’s relationship is relatively good. They often say that they love each other, and they
Troy was secretly having an extramarital affair with a woman named Alberta. Troy’s friends all knew the truth, but Troy continually denied any involvement with Alberta. Troy’s best friend, Bono, however, managed to convince Troy what he was wrong for continuing the affair. Troy then came clean to Rose, telling her he was going to be the father of a child Alberta was pregnant with. Rose became heartbroken. She told Troy, “I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot as you. Don’t you think I ever wanted other things? Don’t you think I had dreams and hopes?” (1606). Rose had given up her entire life to be with Troy. However, Troy never once apologized. Troy continually defended himself, and he went as far as to justify himself. Troy claimed Alberta was an escape for Troy. Troy stated, “It’s just… She gives me a different idea… a different understanding about myself. I can step out of this house and get away from the pressures and problems” (1605). Rose was hurt, however, and Troy never apologized nor stopped seeing Alberta. He continued to live in an illusion that he could keep both his family and his secret life separate. However, Alberta later died in childbirth. Her daughter, Raynell, was to be raised by Troy and Rose. Troy effectively destroyed his marriage because of his excessive pride. He refused to believe he was in the
... does tell the truth. He talks truthfully about his father and how he is a lot like him. He also admits that the only difference with him and his father is that he does not beat his children. Troy provided for his family. Additionally, even though he was very tough on Cory, he admitted that he was responsible for taking care of him and the rest of the family. In Act One, scene three, Troy explains to Cory why he treats him the way he does. Cory asks, “How come you ain’t never liked me?” (1346). Troy can’t admit to like his own son, so points out that he doesn’t have to like him in order to provide for him. “[…] ‘Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! […] I ain’t got to like you” (1347). Deep down, somewhere in the dark abyss that is Troy’s heart, he sincerely cares about his family. He just has a very different way of articulating it.
Perhaps the most important and fulfilling relationship a man can be involved in is one with his own flesh and blood. At the beginning of the play, we learn that Troy has two sons, Lyons and Cory. Lyons is Troy's son by a previous marriage and Cory is Troy's son by his current marriage. Neither Lyons nor Cory share a close relationship with their father and Troy is mostly to blame for that.
Losing the respect and company of people was one of the few things that caused him to feel some form of remorse for what he did to Rose. However, Troy did nothing to fix the problems he created, except to drink and pretend he was still respected. It becomes especially clear that nobody respects Troy when Cory blatantly says “I ain’t got to say excuse me to you. You don’t count around here no more” (II iv, 85). Although nobody else says it as obviously as Cory, most characters realize Troy’s failure. Even though he may have provided for his family in the physical sense, Troy neglected them a great deal emotionally. This once again proves that Troy is unsuitable to be a proper father for Cory and a respectable husband for
Troy is a very self-centered individual. He is only concerned with issues regarding him. For instance, he wants to be able to drive the trash trucks at his job like the white men do. In Act One, scene one, Troy tells Bono that he talked to his boss, Mr. Rand, about driving the trucks. “How come you got all the whites driving and the colored lifting?” (1332). If things in Troy’s life aren’t going the way he wants them to, he makes himself into the victim and searches for sympathy from others. In addition, if he ever does something erroneous, he never accepts responsibility, never admits his wrongdoing and no matter how much anguish he causes someone, he never apologizes for it.
...eless, he essentially lived his life in a constant low point. Troy’s anger is undoubtedly misguided, but entirely permissible considering his hardships. The story of Troy Maxon begs the question: is it ever justifiable to pass judgment on someone without understanding his or her life story? After analyzing Troy’s struggle and resulting attitude, it seems that passing judgment is exceptionally risky. Without recognizing the early hardships of Troy’s life, it is easy to dismiss him and his cynical outlook. What can be learned from his story is evident. Never judge someone for his or her seemingly unwarranted attitude because there is a good chance it is completely defensible.
... money – is often shown to be a man) where Rose is left to lead to her motherly, nurturing role (though an oversimplification, as Rose has her own power – the mother is not weak – Rose does end up taking care of his child with another woman). These duties each have, the obligations Rose feels to Troy, the responsibility Troy feels to his family, show the usual ideas of the man and woman in society. In addition, the dominant, demanding way Troy treats his family and the selfishness he shows all contribute to the image of a slightly arrogant and entitled man with traditionally masculine characteristics. Rose, in contrast, takes up the position of a doting wife, and her bitterness because of this is unveiled after Troy tells her of his affair. Like with many of his other characters, Wilson uses Rose and Troy to depict the social opinions, beliefs, and situations of
Virtually everything the Wife of Bath does or says regarding different aspects of her life demonstrates that she is very insecure about herself. She begins her prologue by informing the travelers that she has the authority to argue about and discuss marriage because of her experiences: “Experience, though noon auctori...
This is the reason why Troy fights against his family and himself, because he feels like he is the only one who can protect them. To Cory and Rose, Troy is destroying the family because of his stubborn thoughts but to Troy he is saving the family from falling apart and this distrust causes the family to eventually fall apart. Troy really does try his hardest to be a good father and is bothered by the fact that Rose and Cory do not see it as him trying to protect them but more of him destroying the family. This hurts Troy because his family is his everything they are what he “fights” for he works day end and day out to put food on the table and try to give them a life he thinks the deserve. August Wilson in “fences” Troy says, “ I love this woman, so much it hurts. I love her so much… I done run out of ways to love her.”(1.1) Wilson uses to show how much Troy actually cares for his wife, to Troy Rose is his everything, she is the light in his darkness, she try’s to guide him back to a sane man. Another Way Wilson shows how much Troy loves his family is when Troy is talking to his family and says that “ You all line up at the door, with your hands out. I give you the lint from my pockets. I give you my sweat and my blood…”(1.3) Troy is saying that he will give them everything until he has absolutely nothing but the lint from his pockets. He will go out of his way to make
The Wife of Bath is one of the most famous characters within Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. In her prologue, it is quickly made clear that she has had a lot of husbands and by a lot I mean five. Since she has all this experience with men, The Wife of Bath dedicates her prologue to describing how each of her marriages went. In her five marriages she has been accused of lusting too much, to being too controlling, and being abused. While some good husbands were good and some were bad, The Wife of Bath depicts a solid image of her feelings toward men. In her relationships, she must always have the upper hand. She is the type of woman who gets what she wants when she wants it. While describing one of her marriages, The Wife of Bath explains how