The Influence Of Nature In “Far From The Madding Crowd”
Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd uses rainstorms to influence the actions and reactions of Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak. Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd focuses on Bathsheba and her battles against and with her three suitsors, William Boldwood (her husband), and Francis Troy. They also face conflicts among themselves. Bathsheba is shown in the plot as she develops a relationship with these three men. The story culminates with their physical meeting, where one of them is killed. Gabriel is the main protagonist of this novel. Bathsheba shares the same role as Bathsheba. The novel takes places in Wessex (a fictional region in England) in Weatherbury, a similarly fictional shire. Hardy’s ideal rural settings are represented by these places. Although a time frame is not specified, it’s assumed that Hardy was writing and living in the late Victorian era. Hardy’s third-person omniscient narration allows the reader to gain insight into every character’s situation and thoughts. The main characters of Hardy’s novel, a shepherdess and a sheepdog, are very connected to nature. Nature is a constant in the novel and acts as an inspiration or symbol for characters’ actions and decisions. Hardy uses parallel episodes relating to nature in Far from the Madding Crowd to contrast and compare character motives, and to emphasize the themes of the novel.
Nature is the medium through which certain personality traits are revealed in both of the chapters. In Chapters XXXVII and XXXVII-B, the storm represents Troy’s destructiveness to Bathsheba. Gabriel is more protective after the storms that Troy and Bathsheba cause. Bathsheba confesses her true feelings in a spontaneous way, saying that “… she is concerned about [Gabriel] having a good opinion of her . “It would be awful that [he] thought mistakenly about her all the time”, she says. Bathsheba is on her farm when a large storm comes. She has left the hayricks exposed. Bathsheba is awakened by the storm and heads to her ricks where she finds Gabriel thatching. Gabriel tells Bathsheba that he has promised “‘… to see the stacks of …'”. “‘…they all are neglected!” Troy ignored his duties towards Bathsheba, the farm and got the farmhands intoxicated while in the barn. Gabriel then took over the responsibility that was not his to save the ricks. Hardy emphasises the beauty in the destructive storm. The storm’s majesty is admired, even though it destroyed Boldwood’s and Bathsheba’s harvest. The reader can see that Gabriel, when he is in touch with his love, realizes how small and insignificant “…love was in comparison to the infuriated universe during the storm (p. 284). Bathsheba was also influenced by the magnificent storm and spoke more warmly than ever to Gabriel on that night. In this chapter Gabriel’s golden heart shines through in the chaos, and Bathsheba shows her true feelings towards Gabriel by her stern exterior. Gabriel’s protectiveness was shown by his willingness, even at the cost of his own life, to protect Bathsheba, her harvest, and the hayricks. Hardy’s narrative mentions Gabriel talking to Bathsheba with “a gentleness like a mom” (p.287). Bathsheba said, “Gabriel, I don’t deserve you to be so kind!” (p.285). Upon Bathsheba’s final departure, Gabriel, she thanks him for his devotion a hundred times. I know that you are giving your best to me. Goodnight! (p. 287) This quote near the end of the book shows the relationship that Bathsheba has with Gabriel, which was inspired by the storm.
In the parallel Chapter XLVI we see Troy as a potential suitor. Although the marriage of Bathsheba with Troy has come to an end, this parallel chapter emphasizes Troy’s true personality, unworthy for Bathsheba. These storms contrast Bathsheba with each suitor and indicate her final destination, which is to marry Gabriel. The Weatherbury Tower is the first place in Chapter XLVI where the water-spouting gurgoyles are described. A storm sweeps through the graveyard, where Fanny Robin’s remains are buried. A gurgoyle funnels water from the Weatherbury Tower onto Fanny’s tomb where Troy has built a small shrine. The storm soon destroyed Troy’s shrine and all the work he had done. Troy was shocked to discover the destruction caused by the storm when he awoke. “He evaded grief simply by adjourning [the grave]” (p. 359). Bathsheba visited Fanny’s grave after Troy erected a monument to Fanny. Bathsheba asked Gabriel for help in renovating the grave. She moved the gurgoyle and planted flowers in Fanny’s honor. There is a mention that …”, Fanny’s lover who repented of his sins, planted “…flowers all around Fanny’s Grave (p. 357). Troy’s hesitation is evident in this statement. After the rainstorm destroys the work, and the man abandons it all, the reader’s compassion is quickly withdrawn. Hardy highlights Bathsheba’s newly discovered compassion. She is emotionally devastated by Troy’s hurricane, but she is motivated to rebuild Fanny’s tomb. Bathsheba was hopeful about Troy’s eventual return. Bathsheba’s motivations are obvious, but the actions she takes show an increasing compassion. Hardy also uses these natural elements in the novel to inspire changes in the characters. Hardy uses Bathsheba to demonstrate a changing Bathsheba in these two sections. In Chapters XXXVII and XXXVI, there is an undercurrent of respect shown by Bathsheba for Gabriel. Bathsheba’s transformation is a direct consequence of the incident that took place with Gabriel in the ricks. The approaching storm in Chapter XXXVII draws out Gabriel’s instinctive desire to protect. “Was my life that important to me after all?” he asks. What were his chances that he would be so afraid of taking risks, especially when the work was urgent and important? He decided to stay with the pile” (p. 281). Gabriel is willingly in danger himself to protect Bathsheba and her harvest. The willingness to protect Bathsheba against Troy and the storm is similar. Hardy emphasizes Gabriel’s honesty and loyalty by using Bathsheba’s changes and nature. Bathsheba’s coldness toward Gabriel also appears to be melting in this chapter. Bathsheba’s coldness towards Gabriel is also evident in this chapter. She “…clutches his sleeve, and he “…grabs her arm. Hardy’s use of nature, in describing the intensity and magnitude of a magnanimous thunderstorm, draws Bathsheba to Gabriel. Bathsheba initially pushed Gabriel away when he proposed to her. This continued throughout the entire story. Bathsheba, however, confesses that she trusts Gabriel during the storm and grows physically and emotional closer to Gabriel. Bathsheba undergoes a lot of changes, especially in Chapter XXXVII. These changes mostly relate to Gabriel. However, the changes that occur to Bathsheba as a character are discussed in Chapter XLVI. Bathsheba does not change in the sense that she has an interest in Troy even after he proves to be unreliable. Bathsheba does, however, change in her compassion. Bathsheba is shown to be concerned for Fanny throughout the story. Bathsheba, in Chapter XLVI takes responsibility for repairing Fanny’s grave. Bathsheba, assisted by Gabriel, repairs the gravestone, plants flowers and cleans it after Troy’s destruction of the work he had done at Fanny’s grave. Bathsheba exhibits compassion and generosity that she has not displayed in any other section of the book. Additionally, Chapter XLVI shows that Troy’s status quo is unchanged. While his love for Fanny can be seen, his selfishness becomes more apparent when he abandons Fanny’s grave following the destruction of his work. Bathsheba, on the other hand, compensates for Troy’s lackluster care. Troy, however, gave up on his grave and previous efforts when he saw the destruction of the temple. Bathsheba is growing in a positive way, but Troy returns to selfishness. Character traits and character changes are a part of the overall themes in the novel. Hardy makes use of nature to predict events. Nature is thus a factor in fate.
Storms are often associated with Troy, as they bring destruction. Troy appears in both of the chapters. The storm in Chapter XXXVII is both a symbol and a foreshadowing of the destruction Troy will and has on Bathsheba’s life and personality. In Chapter XLVI, nature punishes Troy. Troy, the man responsible for the drunken farmhands who are in the barn during the storm on hayricks. Troy also had to protect the ricks. He fails in this duty. In essence, both the storm and Troy’s presence destroyed the farm. Bathsheba’s affections toward Gabriel during their first storm are also a foreshadowing of her true feelings that will manifest in later marriage. Nature served as a sign and element of premonition in Chapters VIII, XXXVII. But in Chapters 8 and XLVI, it is an element that determines fate. In Chapters, XLVI the rain storm acts as a punishment by fate for Troy’s misdeeds with Bathsheba. Troy’s efforts to build Fanny’s grave are ruined by the storm after Fanny’s burial. This is a punishment for Troy’s manipulation of Bathsheba. Bathsheba was a true lover of Troy. As a result, in exchange for his sins, nature stripped him of his true love when he gave birth to her, and then destroyed the shrine that he built for her. Troy’s destructive actions seem to have been embodied in this incident. As storms form characters, Troy and Bathsheba are shaped by nature. Gabriel is also influenced by this.
In the novel, the nature acts as a catalyst for action, a symbol of thematic themes, and accentuates character traits. The chapters XXXVII & XLVI are mainly about Bathsheba and her character changes. Chapter XXXVII focuses on Gabriel’s personality traits, while Chapter XLVI focuses on Troy. Troy’s impact on Bathsheba is reflected in both chapters. Troy’s sins and mistakes are symbolized by the storms. Hardy makes Far from the Madding Crowd pastoral by focusing on nature and storms. Nature is heavily emphasized in this novel. Hardy uses Gabriel and Troy as a contrast to show the idealization that rural life is.
Works Referenced
Hardy, Thomas. Hardy, Thomas. The book was first published in 1982 by Bantam Dell in New York. Print.
