locations in wessex, wessex of thomas hardy bertram windle, 1902, based on correspondence hardy.
eighteen years later, henchard successful grain merchant , mayor of casterbridge, known staunch sobriety. henchard has avoided explaining circumstances of loss of wife, allowing people assume widower.
on visit jersey on business, henchard falls in love lucetta le sueur, nurses him health after illness. although henchard never tells lucetta how lost wife, tell has wife dead, may return. besotted, lucetta develops relationship him despite risk. book implies have sexual relationship, , lucetta s reputation ruined. henchard returns casterbridge, leaving lucetta face social consequences of fling.
to rejoin polite society lucetta have marry him, although henchard technically married. yet henchard send lucetta, susan unexpectedly appears in casterbridge daughter, elizabeth-jane. newson appears have been lost @ sea, , without means earn income susan looking henchard again. susan believed long time marriage newson legitimate. recently, before newson s disappearance, had susan begun question whether or not still legally married henchard.
just susan , elizabeth-jane arrive in town, scotsman, donald farfrae, passing through on way america. has experience grain , corn merchant, , on cutting edge of agricultural science. befriends henchard , helps him out of bad financial situation giving him timely advice. henchard persuades him stay , offers him job corn factor, rudely dismissing man named jopp whom had offered job. hiring farfrae stroke of business genius henchard, who, although hardworking, not well-educated.
to preserve appearances, henchard sets susan in nearby house, pretends court her, , remarries her. both henchard , susan keep truth elizabeth-jane. henchard keeps lucetta secret. writes her, informing marriage off.
henchard s relationship farfrae deteriorates farfrae becomes more popular henchard. part company , farfrae sets himself independent merchant. rivalry , jealousy part one-sided, , farfrae conducts himself scrupulous honesty , fair dealing. henchard meanwhile makes increasingly aggressive, risky business decisions put him in financial danger.
henchard s jealousy leads him oppose marriage between farfrae , elizabeth-jane, until after susan s death, @ point henchard learns not elizabeth-jane s father letter susan, on deathbed, marked opened after elizabeth-jane s marriage. own daughter had died in infancy; second elizabeth-jane newson s daughter. henchard no longer concerned blocking marriage, conceals secret elizabeth-jane , grows cold , cruel towards her.
dorchester (hardy s casterbridge)
in meantime, lucetta arrives jersey , purchases house in casterbridge. has inherited money wealthy relative. hopes resume relationship, propriety requires wait while. takes elizabeth-jane household companion, thinking give henchard excuse come visit, not knowing of henchard s hatred of elizabeth-jane.
farfrae visits lucetta s house see elizabeth-jane , falls lucetta, not knowing has come marry henchard. lucetta attracted farfrae. @ same time, begins question henchard s character, when becomes public knowledge sold first wife. although reluctant, henchard decides wants marry lucetta, particularly since in financial trouble - believes creditors extend credit if married wealthy woman. frustrated stalling, henchard bullies lucetta agreeing marry him. point in love farfrae, , run away 1 weekend married. not tell henchard until after fact. henchard s credit collapses, goes bankrupt, , has sell personal possessions pay creditors.
farfrae buys henchard s old business , tries man helped him started, whom still regards friend , former mentor, employing him journeyman. not realise henchard enemy, though town council , elizabeth-jane both warn him.
lucetta keeps former relationship henchard secret, revealed when henchard lets enemy jopp deliver lucetta s old love letters. jopp makes secret public , townspeople publicly shame henchard , lucetta in skimmington ride. lucetta, point pregnant, dies of epileptic seizure.
when newson, elizabeth-jane s biological father, returns, henchard afraid of losing companionship , tells newson dead. twenty-first year of oath up, , starts drinking again. time elizabeth-jane, months later married donald farfrae , reunited newson, goes looking henchard forgive him, has died , left requesting no funeral
elizabeth-jane farfrae not told of death, or made grieve on account of me. & not bury d in consecrated ground. & no sexton asked toll bell. & nobody wished see dead body. & no murners [sic] walk behind me @ funeral. & no flours [sic] planted on grave, & no man remember me. put name.
Comments
Post a Comment