Far from the Madding Crowd: Thomas Hardy

Far from the Madding Crowd was written by Thomas Hardy in 1874. It was his fourth book and his first big success as a writer. It was first published in secret as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where a lot of people read it.

The story takes place in Thomas Hardy’s Wessex, which is a rural area in southwest England. His earlier book, Under the Greenwood Tree, also took place there. It’s about love, honour, and betrayal, and it’s set in a farming community in Victorian England, which seems like a perfect place, but is often hard. It tells about Bathsheba Everdene’s life and her relationships with her lonely neighbour William Boldwood, the loyal shepherd Gabriel Oak, and Sergeant Troy, who doesn’t care about money.

When the book came out, there were a lot of reviews, and most of them were good. The text was changed a lot for the 1895 edition, and Hardy made more changes for the 1901 edition.

The book will be remembered for a long time. In 2003, The Big Read, a BBC survey, put the book at number 48. In 2007, The Guardian put it at number 10 on their list of the best love stories of all time. The book has also been turned into a play more than once, including John Schlesinger’s Oscar-nominated 1967 movie.

Meaning of madding crowd

The title comes from Thomas Gray’s famous 18th-century poem “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”: “Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife, their sober wishes never learned to stray; along the cool sequestered vale of life, they kept the noiseless tenor of their way.” By making a reference to Gray’s poem, Hardy brings to mind the rural culture that, by the time Hardy was alive, was in danger of dying out because of ruthless industrialization. His book is about how important it is for people to be connected to and understand the natural world. Gabriel Oak is Hardy’s idea of a person who lives in balance with the forces of nature.

Definition of madding

“Madding” is a synonym for “frenzied” in this context.

Gray is idealising noiseless and sequestered calm, whereas Hardy “disrupts the idyll, and not just by introducing the sound and fury of an extreme plot… he is out to subvert his readers’ complacency,” according to Lucasta Miller, who points out that the title is an ironic literary joke. Gray is idealising noiseless and sequestered calm.

Far from the Madding Crowd themes

Love

Bathsheba tries to learn what love is and what sort of guy deserves her affection throughout the narrative. Each suitor represents a distinct love. Boldwood delivers a strong, obsessive love that operates like ownership; he attempts to purchase her affection with luxury products and promises of sharing in his wealth. Troy’s intense, sexually driven love is short-lived and not based on long-term commitment or compatibility. Gabriel provides her a modest, unassuming, yet constant and trustworthy affection. Bathsheba develops and realises Gabriel is her true love.

Independence

Bathsheba is keen to express her independence; she knows many people feel she needs a spouse to assist with the farm since she’s a woman. When Gabriel proposes, Bathsheba says she only wants to marry for love. She manages her own farm as an independent lady via hard work and intellect. Bathsheba’s dream of independence is a delusion, as she’s dependent on Gabriel the whole time. If he had abandoned her or refused to support her through situations like poisoned sheep or the harvest supper storm, she may have been devastated.

Deceit

Deceit is a major issue since dishonest persons cause problems. Bathsheba starts a fatal chain of events by mailing Boldwood a valentine and misrepresenting her sentiments. Later, Troy constantly tricks Bathsheba. When he returns from America, he disguises his identity at the fair. Deception can be innocuous or severe, but it always has bad effects, proving that honesty and integrity are the keys to a successful existence. Reliability

Gabriel represents reliability. He’s always there to help, even when Bathsheba mistreats him. Gabriel’s personal and professional dependability are rewarded at the end of the tale. His dedication to the Everdene farm permits him to lease Boldwood’s land and hope for farming success. Bathsheba recognises his love and marries him. Gabriel is reliable since he’s humble and generous. Boldwood is likewise dedicated to Bathsheba, but he insists on possessing her instead of being willing to love and serve her even if she doesn’t return his sentiments.

Fate

While the work addresses moral choices and repercussions, it’s evident that not everything is in an individual’s control. Many characters appear governed by fate and unable to escape certain situations. Gabriel makes all the proper moves to develop his profession in the beginning of the narrative, but a single occurrence destroys him. Bathsheba moves from impoverished to affluent heiress. Gabriel and Bathsheba and Bathsheba and Troy meet by coincidence. This subject argues that human lives are shaped by factors beyond their control.

Nature

Nature is a prominent subject in the story because the plot depends on time, seasons, and farm life. Growing and harvesting crops and sheep reproduction help the protagonists make a living. Gabriel’s success as a farmer originates from his ability to stay in sync with nature; other people, like Troy, disregard or abuse nature.

Patience

Patience is rewarded despite being difficult to achieve. Gabriel isn’t scared to start afresh and slowly advance his profession. Slowly and carefully doing agricultural tasks maintains their quality and the farm’s long-term success. He remains faithful to Bathsheba despite her taking him for granted and falling in love with another guy. Bathsheba is impulsive and lacks patience, but she comes to enjoy a slower pace.

Conclusion

Far from the Madding Crowd ends, like a lot of comedies, with a wedding between two people who have always belonged together. Hardy gives this kind of ending a sobering twist, though, by pointing out that Bathsheba likes Gabriel more than she loves him.