Henchard Character Analysis

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The novel begins with Henchard traveling with his wife and baby daughter across the countryside in hopes of finding Henchard work as a hay trusser. When darkness begins to threaten the day’s travel, the family decides to stop and rest at a local furmity tent of the village they happen to be passing through. However, many customers do not seem to be resting but instead enjoying spiked meals quietly provided by the tent’s owner. Henchard, a man fond of drinking, gives into the temptation and enjoys a spiked meal himself. It is when an innocent bowl 2 of furmity becomes an outlet for drunken fun that a frenzy …show more content…

Along with remarriage and the responsibility of a daughter, Henchard also adopts a work associate. Donald Farfrae, a young Scottish man, is appointed manager of Henchard’s dwindling corn business. In this point of the novel, the character development of Michael Henchard is proved through every outwardly observable aspect. Henchard holds postion of mayor, rekindles his marriage, and gains a friend. Alas this prosperity for Michael Henchard is not permanent. Although the managing skills of Donald Farfrae allow for a revival of Henchard’s corn business, Farfrae’s interest in becoming mayor drive the two apart. Henchard displays immense insecurity as he reverts to old habits and dismisses his colleague, Farfrae, despite the tremendous help he has provided Henchard with both his business as well as his well-being. This tendency is not odd though, Henchard also disowns his daughter, Elizabeth-Jane, for a similar reason. When Henchard is given the upsetting news of his daughter’s biological origins, he can no longer tolerate her presence in his household. Feeling as if he holds no importance in Elizabeth-Jane’s life, he lets insecurity and self-pity take control. Although Elizabeth-Jane was all Henchard had left after his wife’s death, the thought of caring for another man’s daughter was too much for Henchard to bear. Elizabeth-Jane eventually slipped out of Henchard’s life just as she had before that night at the furmity

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