Themes of Growth, Self Knowledge and Happiness Explored in Far From the Madding Crowd
In many instances, life is more what we make of it than anything else.This is especially true when exploring lessons dealing with happiness, self-knowledge, and growth. Thomas Hardy examines these themes in his novel,Far From the Madding Crowd, with the characters of Gabriel, Frank, andBoldwood. Gabriel is portrayed as a man who learns from his circumstancesin life, whether he deserves them or not. He becomes a character thatembodies strength and determination despite the odds. In contrast, Frankand Boldwood are characters that do not completely develop because they had passed through an ordeal of wretchedness which had given him more than it had taken away. He had sunk from his modest elevation as pastoral king into the very slime-pits of Siddim; but there was left to him a dignified clam he had never before known, and that indifference to fate which, through it often makes a villain of a man, is the basis of his sublimity when it does not. And thus the abasement had been exaltation, and the loss gain, (Hardy Chapter 6)he is suggesting that happiness and growth are possible but not without
These statementsreveal how Frank is impetuous and irresponsible. It was a result which paralleled the oft-quoted observation of Hippocrates concerning physical pains. The theme of persistence through bad luck can also be seen in Gabriel'scharacter, which emphasizes what Hardy means when he writes that Gabrielhad "passed through an ordeal of wretchedness which had given him morethan it had taken away" (Chapter 6). It is also interesting to observe how Gabriel's character develops overthe course of the novel. While he remains a mysterious character, thecommunity moves from respecting him to pitying him after his relationshipwith Bathsheba. Gabriel exhibits maturity because he is willing to learn from hisdevastating circumstances. Gabriel's realistic attitude helps him discover the man he really is. One of his mostadmirable characteristics is the fact that he is willing to see the best ofthings. This helps us understand what Hardy meantwhen he wrote that Gabriel "And thus the abasement had been exaltation, andthe loss gain" (Chapter 6). He has to endureBathsheba and her relationships with other men. He writes,"Troy's deformities lay deep down from a woman's vision, whilst hisembellishments were upon the very surface; thus contrasting with homelyOak, whose defects were patent to the blindest, and whose virtues were asmetals in a mine" (Chapter 29). By placing these three menalongside each other, Hardy is able to present us with the stark contrastsof the realistic and the ideal. Bathsheba is available again andGabriel is perhaps closer to being a peer than he has ever been. We are told: That he was not beloved had hitherto been his great sorrow; that Bathsheba was getting into the toils was now a sorrow greater than the first, and one which nearly obscured it.
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