Thomas Hardys The Mayor of Casterbridge Essay - 1450 Words

Thomas Hardys The Mayor of Casterbridge. Sex is so intertwined in our society that it pervades each facet, including television, books, advertising, and conversation. Movies like The Matrix toss in gratuitous sex because the audience nearly expects it. Thomas Hardys The Mayor of Casterbridge, therefore, is exceptional in its lack of sexual situations. The subject of sexual motivation and its inherent ambiguity with regard to Henchards actions is a topic that caught my attention from the very first pages of The Mayor of Casterbridge. Continually in the novel there is tension, but it is never described as sexual. Much the same, there are countless marriages during the novel but no related sexual attraction is discussed. The†¦show more content†¦It seems that for Henchard, maturity involves a kind of assimilation of female suffering, an identification with a woman which is also an effort to come to terms with with [his] own deepest sel[f] (Showalter, 394). It is not until the end of the novel that Henchard realizes th is, withdraws from society, and loses his will to live. However, his wrongdoings are not completely restricted to women. For this reason, I believe that this indicates not misdirected sexual energy, but a general lack of knowledge. Henchards act of selling his wife had clearly been mentioned between husband and wife prior to the actual incident, but that does not mean that it was well thought out. In fact, it seems that Henchard rarely thought things out to a full extent. Selling his wife in the first place would lead me to believe that he never loved Susan at all. I married at eighteen, like the fool that I was; and this is the consequence. But a fellow never knows these little things till all chance of acting upon em is past (9). Further, this quote shows that Henchard did not even think thoroughly about marrying Susan. He claims that he was a fool because he was eighteen; I say that at this point in the novel, he had not grown emotionally in the least. Likewise, Henchards relationship with Lucetta seems to be centered on a debt he felt he owed her forShow MoreRelated Human Destiny and Chance in Thomas Hardys The Mayor of Casterbridge1228 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Destiny and Chance in Thomas Hardys The Mayor of Casterbridge Present readers might perceive that Thomas Hardys viewpoint in the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge is severe and depressing. However, most people adored Hardy during his living years. In an era when the Industrial Revolution was bringing dramatic and sometimes disturbing changes to England, he celebrated the nations roots in its rustic past. In an era when new ideas like Darwins theory of evolution challenged long establishedRead MoreJohn Hardy s Far From The Madding Crowd And The Mayor Of Casterbridge1544 Words   |  7 Pagesresolutions. 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