In the book, From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, we are presented with a dramatic and interesting portrayal of marriage and social class during the Victorian Era. Gabriel Oak is a stable shepherd, liked by all. Unexpectedly encountering the proud but poor girl, Bathsheba, he falls in love with her and pursues her, with the goal of making her his wife. But her pride does not do him justice, and she does not accept his heartfelt proposal. In a series of events, Bathsheba moves to Weatherall, and inherits a farm, and ensnares the attention of other men, attracted by her beauty and her vanity. One of her suitors would be William Boldwood, the forty year old rich bachelor. But only when the Sergeant Frank Troy shows up, she would fall in love and marry. But he does not return her affections, his love lies with Fanny, the very woman whom he abandoned at the altar for a petty misunderstanding. At the end, after dramatic encounters and shocking secrets, Bathsheba ends up with the man who has been there for her all this time: Gabriel. This novel has a focus on themes like social class, marriage, and the place of women in Victorian society.
The main characters of this story all come from different social classes, and they fall and rise in the ranks as the story progresses. Social class is determined mostly by their financial abilities, as the richer ones would automatically have more power than the poorer ones. For example, Gabriel was middle class during the beginning, but falls into poverty when he loses his herd. But in the end, by his own efforts and hard work, he rises to the upper class. Bathsheba also started out poor, but her inheritance made her rich overnight, and she is also hardworking and intelligent, as she manages to keep herself wealthy. Others like Boldwood are born and stay rich, until he is thrown in jail, and he loses all his assets, as he has no access to them in jail. Fanny Robin is a character who stays poor the whole time, as her work as a servant does not give her much money. Sergeant Troy is initially poor, but his marriage to the wealthy Bathsheba made him a rich man–by marriage. It is hard to rise in the ranks of society, as we can see poor people in the story got rich by either marriage, like Sergeant Troy or by being extremely hardworking, like Gabriel. The easiest way to rise is by marriage, as it does not require much work. Sergeant Troy did not do much for Bathsheba to fall into his grip, and he soon got access to her funds and her heart. Social class is a very important part in the development of the story.
Various marriages and proposals of marriage happen in the story, and they also depict the way social class is relevant in marital situations. It is safe to say that in most situations, we marry people who are similar to us socially and financially, as there would be less arguments and problems this way. However, in the story, some couples find trouble in their marriages for this very reason. For example, Troy and Bathsheba had a very tumultuous marriage as they had financial inequality. It could be inferred that Troy married her for the money, as his heart laid with the poor Fanny whom he abandoned. But Bathsheba loved him purely, and this created a lot of problems in the marriage such as unhappiness and jealousy. For the sergeant, this was a marriage of profits, which disappointed Bathsheba, who really loved him and married him as she was in love with him. On the other hand, when Gabriel and Bathsheba finally marry, they are happy as they are more or less the same. Gabriel helps with the farm and has some income, maybe a bit less than Bathsheba, but nevertheless the gap is smaller than when Bathsheba was with Troy. Love cannot dictate the outcome of the marriage, as other factors, such as money will always come into play. Bathsheba married Troy out of true and pure affection, but that only resulted in him taking advantage of her resources and breaking her heart. But a marriage of affection and money ends well, such as Bathsheba and Gabriel. There are good and bad marriages in the story, and the results are triggered by social class disparity, or the lack of thereof.
The role of women in the Victorian Era is also evident in the story, as we are shown how their personalities change as they get married. In the past and the present, men are usually in charge of relationships, making financial and other decisions. Bathsheba, an independent and flippant woman when single, becomes increasingly reliant on her husband to show her love as she gets married. She cries more often, even begs him to love her. Her pride came crashing down with her marriage, and she seemed determined to have her husband’s love. She is a fervent love believer, and that led to the end of her independence and pride. Fanny never ties the knot with Troy, but she is also an independent worker and a beautiful woman in the beginning. She works for her little money as a maid, and earns her keep. But when she falls into Troy’s trap, she becomes miserable as she sinks deeper into his insincerity. This shows that when some women fall in love, they become “weaker” and reliant on their boyfriends or husbands. This is a reality for many women, even today, as they believe firmly in love and think that their significant other is always good and forgives them too easily. This does not make them stupid, but rather pitiful, as this means they have not yet learned the possible cruelty of human nature. Fanny and Bathsheba, two beautiful and hardworking women, ruined by the same man, all because of their love for him.
In conclusion, From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is an accurate and fictionalized depiction of relationships during the Victorian era, and is also somewhat pertinent now. As the years flowed by, we are still similar to the past. Some of the core ways in relationships and marriages haven’t changed, and it makes us reflect on its problems. It is a very nice story to read and analyze, as it shows us different relationships, healthy and unhealthy, and also shows the emotional damage that a person undergoes when they choose the wrong person. It teaches us to weigh heavily on marriage, and not just marry for love and deny the other person’s faults.
Comments