Themes Presented In Far From The Madding Crowd

2227 Words5 Pages

Themes Presented In Far From The Madding Crowd

Thomas Hardy was born on 2nd June 1840 in Higher Bockampton, Dorset.

His father was a builder and mason and his mother a former servant was

a well read intelligent woman with a strong personality. Hardy was

impressionable from a young age and as a country boy was surrounded by

the traditional aspects of rural life with it's superstitions, folk

lore, culture and past times. In 1856 Hardy worked with an architect

and continued his studies under the guidance of a parish rector. This

friendship has been thought to affect to the tone of "Far From The

Madding Crowd". The book was published in 1874 and is one of his most

well-known novels. His unique style is never more apparent in this

novel with the focus on relationships in a rural community.

In this essay I will be discussing the power of love as it is

portrayed in "Far From The Madding Crowd". I will be discussing

different aspects of love and themes which affect the key theme love

in the novel. These themes include character and developement,

atmosphere, language and authorial intrusions.

From the start of the novel it is noted that Bathsheba is a very vain

and unconventional character. Right from the start while on horseback

she proved this. "A small swing looking glass was disclosed, in which

she proceeded to survey herself attentively. She parted her lips and

smiled". It is questioned that Bathsheba's vanity is uncurable and at

the end of it all, is it still uncured? She stands out from the world

around her because it is ruled by men but she is in charge of the

community around her. Bathsheba's love life follows a circular pattern

and by the endd she loses strength and stamina and eventually ends up

mar...

... middle of paper ...

... of love and the main characters

lives revolve around it. Hardy uses many different devices to show the

power of love which I have used to show the power of love. Hardy uses

peoples characters through the novel to show their feelings and

reactions brought on by love. He uses atmosphere throughout the novel

to potray the mood and set the scene to help show love in it's

different aspects. Hardy uses language also throughout the novel to

reflect both the times and the feelings of characters. Hardy also uses

authorial intrusions to give opinions of characters through the story.

All these topics help show the importance and power of love in "Far

From The Madding Crowd".

The story takes place in rural part of England at the end of 19th

century. Beautiful country and good description of many people

peacefully living there are great background for a love story.

Open Document