the character of Michael Henchard in "The Mayor of Casterbridge", by Thomas Hardy

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Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge


ESSAY


In the novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, the character of Michael Henchard is a very complex one. He has a very strong and self-destructive character and we will see that, throughout the novel, his temper and impulsiveness will lead to his failure.


Michael Henchard is a man of strong character. He is described by Thomas Hardy as a “perverse character” who “[knows] no moderation in his request and impulses”.


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Although fate had its role in Susan Henchard’s sale, Michael’s tempered character, added to his drunkenness, is mostly to blame in this transaction.


“There was temper under the thin bland surface � the temper which artificially intensified had banished a wife …”


The community also agrees that he is bad-tempered ; we discover this when Michael asks a child why people always want to see Mr. Farfrae instead of him, who answers that it is because “he’s better tempered”. Here, Farfrae, who is his opposite, is used to emphasise his character.


After the sale of his wife, Henchard does not want to recognise his faults and puts the blame on someone else.


“why didn’t she know better than bring me into this disgrace (…), that meekness has done me more harm than the bitterest temper !”


We can see here that he is dishonest towards himself.


How Michael Henchard reacts when he realises that Farfrae is more popular than he is, explicitly tells us about his “jealous temper” and impulsiveness on an impulsive act, he fires Farfrae because townsmen told him that he has “eclipsed [him] quite”.


We can also see that he has a very competitive mind


“He was easy in his mind now, for his own preparations far transcended these.”


He always tries to compare himself with Farfrae and do better than he does, because of his competitive mind and jealous nature.


Michael Henchard, in chapters 1 to 16, is also shown as a violent character. At the beginning, before the sale has taken place, alcohol makes him “over-bearing � even brilliantly quarrelsome” and we can see that in chapter XV, about twenty years later, he still hasn’t changed


“ I don’t want to hear it !” roared Henchard. “To-morrow the wagons must start at four , and if you’re not here, stand clear. I’ll mortify thy flesh for thee!”


Here, he is threatening Abel Whittle to use violence if he does not come at work on time.


We saw the dark side of Michael Henchard’s character through his violence, jealousy his temper revealed by his wife’s sale. We realise however, that he does have some positive attributes.


He “expressed shame for a past transaction of his life” and shows great determination in searching his wife and daughter during years and spending the sailor’s money for that purpose. His oath that he would “drink nothing stronger than tea” for 0 years also shows us that he is a moral man.


Others of his positive attributes are his hard-work which made him “work his way out of nothing” and his determination. Yet, he will frequently show his darker side as a pronounced contrast to his goodness.


In conclusion, we can say that there is a tension between Henchard’s qualities and positive attributes. The Mayor of Casterbridge is in some ways, the comprehensive character study of Michael Henchard. Throughout the novel, the reader tries to determine whether the self-destructiveness of Michael works against him or if fate is the cause of his failure.





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