“Far From The Madding Crowd” – By Thomas Hardy

Written By: Thomas Hardy

One of the most renowned poets and novelists in English literary history, Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in the English village of Higher Bockhampton in the county of Dorset. Hardy is primarily a storyteller and should be viewed more as a chronicler of moods and deeds than as a philosopher.

Character list:

·         Gabrial Oak

·         Bathsheba Everdene

·         Sgt. Francis frank Troy

·         William Boldwood

·         Fanny Robin, etc.

About the Novel:

 Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. The novel Far from the Madding Crowd, which raises many questions about society, religion, morals, and the contrast between a good life and its rewards, is bound to make us  curious about the author who brings them up.

In Far From the Madding Crowd almost all the scenes and incidents takes place in the world which is away from the superficial glittering light of city. Hardy shows the differentiated between rural people and city people. City people are more cunning, selfish, arrogant, etc.

In the novel the protagonist Gabrial Oak is very much close to the nature and also to the animals and he could predict what will happen with the change in the atmosphere.

Gabrial Oak fall in love with Bathsheba and also wants to marry with her. Bathsheba attracted towards the glittering light of city same as Bathsheba attracted towards the glittering light of city people but she cannot saw the shadow under the light and trapping by Troy. She was not aware about the evil mentality of Troy. She married with Troy and after marriage she comes to know about the reality of Troy. Boldwood also wants to marry with Bathsheba but he couldn’t marry. So, at the end out of revenge motif he killed Troy and Bathsheba goes with the hero- Gabrial oak.

Fanny Robin one of the important character in this Novel, who is victim of Troy and also of society. She wasn’t accepted by Troy and society. She suffering a lot compared to the other characters. Even in the novel of Hardy not only female characters but male characters also suffer.

So, we can conclude that, Thomas Hardy’s novel “Far From the Madding Crowd” is a romantic tragedy. In which, Hardy lets us know the politics of being a woman in 1870 England through his characters' actions, opinions and privileges. Life, it seems, is never easy, but once in a while it is light – hearted plesure.