Mayor Of Casterbridge Critical Analysis

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In Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, there are various themes the novel touches. Two of those themes are: the indelibility of the past and fate vs. free will. These themes revolve around the protagonist, Michael Henchard. In the novel, Michael Henchard is haunted by his past and remains conflicted throughout the story, therefore the indelibility of the past follows him. However, could he just be a victim of fate or perhaps he does not completely have a free will? Under the in influence of alcohol, Henchard sells his wife, Susan, and their daughter, Elizabeth-Jane, for five guineas at a country fair. Consequently, he suffers with an internal conflict, albeit the position he earned as as mayor should suffice his selfishness he is troubled by the burden of his own mistakes, thus he lives in the shadow of the indelibility of the past. Nevertheless, he attempts redeeming himself, but unfortunately it backfires him. He accepts the fact that the past cannot be buried or denied and succumbs in guilt and self-destruction. In his will, Henchard surprises the audience with a tragically, yet nostalgic request. He It’s not a rational act, in fact, it's hard to blame fate for his mishaps especially considering that Henchard never blames any external factors for what happens to him. It can be said that he can't control his bad temper, therefore he had no free will. However, the audience can infer that his mistakes drove him into a perpetual state of guilt because he is aware that he caused them. When he realizes the loathsome mistake he made by selling his wife and daughter, he makes an oath to God. He exclaims “I, Michael Henchard, do take an oath before God that I will avoid all strong liquor for the space of twenty-one. And this I swear upon the the book before me; may I be stricken blind and helpless if I break this oath!” His misfortunes are undeniably caused by his actions and internalized

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