Far From the Madding Crowd

Thomas Hardy
‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ by Thomas Hardy, grew up surrounded by the rural aspect of life. His tremendous love for the countryside is presented in the novel. The novel is revolves around a powerful and emotional woman named Bathsheba. Three men love the same woman. At first she marriage with third and then second killed him then she marry with first.
The novel open with the meeting of Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak, are the protagonist. Bathsheba inherits farm from his uncle. Gabriel Oak is shepherd but unfortunately his flock is drives by sheep-dog. He roams to find work. He found a farm and comes to know that it handle by Bathsheba. The farm is situated in Weatherbury. He starts worked as an employee of Bathsheba in farm. He ever becomes a loyal friend and protector of Bathsheba’s farm.

Boldwood got a love letter from Bathsheba and he falls in illusion that she loves him.
In-between, the story takes turn on another love. Bathsheba attract towards Sergeant Troy, is a handsome boy. He often flirts of Bathsheba and so she falls in love with him. She fails to recognize unrequited love. Troy used marriage as to establish him as a farmer and to get benefit of her money.
They met a girl in a way of Casterbridge Fanny Robin, who had an affair with Troy. They kept promise to meet in church and get married. Fanny waited for a long time and then went and somehow Troy couldn’t reach at time. Both still love but Troy started another affair with Bathsheba and here Fanny gets pregnant. Bathsheba fails to recognize the relation between Fanny and Troy.
After their marriage they often quarreling each other. Meanwhile they got news about the death of Fanny Robin. Suddenly Troy feels strange. Bathsheba ordered to arrange the funeral of Fanny. During this time Bathsheba comes to know about the affair of Troy with Fanny. She comes in depression. Troy went away and news spread as Troy is drowned but fortunately saved by sailor.
Bathsheba waits for a long time as six year for her husband. Meanwhile Troy returns to Weatherbury as a part of circus group. Troy force to carry her with him. Boldwood gets angered and shoot him therefore he surrender to the police.
Now both are out of the way. She keeps notice on Oak. When she proposes her she accept and get married.
The novel revolves around the love and vanity of a woman which leads her to fall down. She fails to recognize the real love of Oak. Hardy explains the conflict between artificial and real love. How a woman fail to choose a life partner. She believes that the flirt of Troy is not flirt but it is a fact. On the other side Troy only loves for the sake of establishing himself as farmer. It seems as Black Skin, White Mask; It means blacks wants to marriage with white not for love but for the sake of white skin or wants to come out from black world.
 Troy and Fanny intentionally loving and therefore there is no fault of anyone but because of circumstances they fail to get married. When Troy met Fanny after his marriage he should help her as a friend and also he has to tell her about the truth and may suggest her to marriage with someone if we want the happy ending.
The novel is tragedy about Bathsheba, Oak, Troy, Fanny and Boldwood. Because of Bathsheba’s vanity reject the love of Gabriel. She is just checking love of Boldwood and so he falls in love with her. She drowns in flirt of Troy and starts extremely loving him. The unrequited love leads all character to their tragic end.
The beginning and the end of the novel is happy but in-between we can see tragedy. We not only find the tragedy of character or the relation between character but also the tragedy of situation which take place in their life like Oak’s flock destroyed by dog, Bathsheba’s farm suffured from storm, fire etc.
Hardy also gave the description of city and rural life. He grew up in rural area so he covered at least one half of the novel in rural background. The people belong to rural area are truly love. They have care for the person rather than property. They want to live in their life style and they have real knowledge of agriculture.
Looking smart or handsome always leading towards the destroyed of himself or the feelings of other. Troy truly loves to Fanny then what is the need of entering in Bathsheba’s life. He has not only ruined the life of Bathsheba and Fanny but also himself.
Acting smart and fact is making the life beautiful. Gabriel Oak is rejected by Bathsheba and yet he always protecting or helping Bathsheba. He never thinks to impress Bathsheba. Even he agrees to make relationship of Bathsheba and Boldwood. He ever suggesting what is right and what is wrong to Bathsheba. He is always in favor of fact and so at the end he is accept by Bathsheba as a husband or life partner.