Thomas Hardys Far From the Madding Crowd :: Thomas Hardy Far from the Madding Crowd Essays

Thomas Hardys Far From the Madding CrowdThe name Thomas Hardy gives to the hero of his novel, Far From theMadding Crowd, is not precisely accidental. Hardy deliberately means toassociate Gabriel Oak with the Angel Gabriel. Gods hero lit up thedarkness, and it is important for the reader to note that when Hardyshero saves a space from having disastrous consequences, nearlyevery time he does so in darkness. Gabriels name is very significantin relation to his character, solely he is not just meant to be a holysaint, whose sole purpose is to pour oil on troubled waters. He is avery real mortal with very human feelings, and this becomes obvious ashis relationship with Bathsheba grows.To understand how the relationship between the two main characters haschanged at the end of the novel, I need to pardon how theirrelationship began. Previous to chapter four, Gabriel has seen andtalked to Bathsheba on quite an a few occasions, not least when she saveshim from suffocation in chapter three . By chapter four, Gabriel hasdeveloped a deep crawl in for Bathsheba and waits for her presence instrikingly the same way as his dog waited for his meals. He is socaptivated by her that he changes his opinion of an attractive charto suit her features - such as turning his taste over to black hair,though he had sworn by brown ever since he was a boy. Gabriel decidesthat marriage is better than his life of solitary isolation, a lifewhich he has always lived quite comfortably before the arrival ofBathsheba, and declares Ill make her my wife, or upon my person Ishall be good for nothingUsing a motherless lamb as an excuse to visit Bathsheba to ask for herhand in marriage, he sets off for her aunts house on a fine Januarymorning having made a toilet of a nicely-adjusted kind. He arrivesin hopeful spirits, but it is not Bathsheba that he talks to - it isher aunt, Mrs Hurst. Gabriels modesty comes through in hisconversation with Bathshebas aunt, and he leaves, mistakenlybelieving that Bathsheba has ever so many young manpower afterward her.However, as he is walking back along the down, he turns around todiscover Bathsheba running after him. Erroneously he believes that shehas chased after him to accept his proposal, so when she only wants totell him that her aunt had made a mistake in saying she had severalyoung sweethearts, he is understandably dismayed.Bathsheba has quite a flirtatious disposition and toys with Gabriels