The Mayor of Casterbridge // Thomas Hardy the master of tragedy // Book Review

The Mayor of Casterbridge is my second Thomas Hardy novel and I'm reading it as part of #victober 2022, where a lot of us read Victorian Literature in the month of October. Thanks to the hosts for choosing this title!
In this video, we'll look at the beginning part of the story and at Susan specifically - Michael Henchard is more than ready to marry her but for what reason? Does he love her? Secondly, we'll play a game of 'where have I seen this?' Does the story between Michael Henchard and Donald Farfrae remind you of that of someone else? Why does Henchard bully the choir into singing Psalm 109? Lastly, after finishing the novel, what's your overall impression of the story and what's your feeling towards the author? I definitely have more questions than answers to share with you in this video!
0:00 Intro
0:45 Henchard and Susan
8:25 Where have I seen this?
18:38 The tragedy of Hardy

[@anilsbawa]

Hi Nicole. Such an exemplary analysis. Nicole, you emote with passion such that the audience of your videos remain mesmerised. Your would make a great English Professor. Kudos to you. I am an ardent follower of Hardy’ prose having read many of his novels over the years. Look forward to your pending analysis of Jude the Obscure and Tess. I feel Jude the Obscure was Hardy’s most ahead of his time novel and Tess will always remain Hardy’s most tragic heroines. Look forward to your point of view. Thanks 😊

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you :) that’s very kind! I’m still a beginner reading Hardy, still a lot to learn. I heard Jude the Obscure and Tess are both very sad. Will read them at some point, but I need to recover a bit from the Mayor first!

[@lisainbookland]

Such a great recap of The Mayor of Casterbridge - amazing that you picked up on those biblical illusions that probably go over most people’s heads now (unless you’re bludgeoned with it like in Narnia!). I certainly wouldn’t like to be in one of Hardy’s books either - just finished Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and you think any more bad things can’t possibly happen - and then they do. Great video as always!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thanks Lisa! I think lots of people don’t realise the Bible illusions in Narnia either and got quite shocked when they found out :) Oh dear another viewer just commented on how sad Tess is as well - it sounds like Hardy needs to be administered in small doses lol I’ll wait for a couple years before I read the next one!

[@punitavisvanathan]

I so enjoyed your take on the Mayor of casterbridge. I feel exactly the same. Thomas Hardy was really big on authorial violence with regard to his characters. Tess is another example. I wonder why he had such propensities, maybe he himself endured or saw events that were tragic in nature or had this basic sense of hopelessness. Oh dear, who knows! 😊. The biblical allusions as shown was brilliant! Looking forward to more videos!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Yes I wonder the same thing, if Hardy experienced something hopeless and tragic. Maybe I should read a biography one day and find out - that’ll be interesting. Really glad you enjoyed the video :) Thanks very much for the kind words!

[@LuminousLibro]

I didn’t even notice the parallels with David and Saul until you pointed it out, but now it’s so obvious!!!

[@adayofsmallthings]

:) it's so cool isn't it! I wonder what Hardy had in mind when he wrote. It's a bit like playing spot the differences/similarities haha

[@marytumulty4257]

This was an outstanding analysis of “The Mayor of Casterbridge”. I just came across your channel and subscribed.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@katherinevandekerkhove2655]

I really enjoy thinking about all these classics with you!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hi Katherine, that’s so lovely to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

[@adrienne4028]

That was a brilliant analysis! The biblical parallels were interesting and gave more depth to the story. Thanks so much! 😊

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you and pleasure :) glad you enjoyed it!

[@gl4621]

Another insightful and educational presentation. I love that you gave Biblical parallels. I have not read any Thomas Hardy but have watched Far from the Madding Crowd. I also agree with an earlier comment that you would be such a great English professor. Thanks again, I always look forward to seeing your videos!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Aww thanks so much, at the moment it doesn’t look like I’ll ever become an English teacher let alone a professor haha but I’m more than satisfied sharing with you guys :)

[@ceridwenmillington3955]

Thank you so much for your analysis, Nicole. I wasn't aware of the biblical parallels but knowing that contributes to the tragedy of the tale. I also found thought-provoking your conclusion on the cruelty of Hardy's Wessex. I would be interested to see a version of the tale where Henchard sees his faults, particularly his possessiveness, and learns to reckon with them. I guess one reading you could have is that Henchard is victim of a society that doesn't have room for such volatile behaviour and, whilst he could've been welcome back into the fold, his character traits couldn't allow him to make that journey on willpower alone.

[@ceridwenmillington3955]

Also, recommend reading Jude the Obscure. It feels extraordinarily bitter about the state of society, and perhaps supports the idea that Henchard partly was victim of the time and place in which he lived. It feels like a final condemnation of Britain's mores and class structures, and the potential-limiting nature of the latter is, I feel, still clearly evident here today

[@adayofsmallthings]

Pleasure! Thanks for the message and the recommendation. I haven’t read Jude the Obscure. I heard it’s very tragic too.

[@cassandraclavesaint]

this was brilliant, thank you Nicole :)

[@adayofsmallthings]

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@theresas709]

Great! I really loved that you showed us the biblical similarities.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thank you! Wonderful to hear you liked it :)

[@amyofhearthridge]

So interesting! ♥️😄 I loved the Biblical comparison, I did not even think of that! I really enjoyed this book a few years ago, but in a heart wrenching thoughtful way.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Hi :) the biblical comparison is a new thing I learnt from How to Read Literature as a Professor, a very educational book! Yes very sad and profound - it’ll definitely stay with me for a long while.

[@LanaCelebic]

Such a wonderful analysis of the novel! I love Hardy, even though he's hard on his characters. However, I must say I actually found this book hopeful as opposed to Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I loved Tess, but was absolutely broken-hearted after reading it. I felt sorry for Henchard, though he was responsible for most of his own misfortunes. Yet, Hardy didn't completely destroy all of his characters in this one, which was a nice surprise.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Thanks for watching :) Interesting you said you found this more hopeful - I read Tess when I was little and remember very little but I think I do remember the sadness of it - will have to revisit that one. Yes his personality is quite hopeless - poor guy!

[@GinaStanyerBooks]

I loved this book a lot. It has I think the saddest and most pessimistic last sentence of a book, ever.

[@adayofsmallthings]

Yes it is a very sad book. I feel very sorry for Henchard, poor guy :(

[@autumnscott568]

Love the book How to Read Literature like a Professor, you should consider reading his one on Novels. Fantastic!

[@adayofsmallthings]

Is the novel one more specific? I’ll read the one on poetry as well. He’s very good at explaining things, isn’t he!

[@autumnscott568]

Yes! I love his style of communicating things in literature. His novel one is more specific and goes further into detail on all things unique to novels. I have read the novel one multiple times and his literature one once. I liked the complex topics covered in the novel one: such as tone, mood, unreliable narrators, character description and in-depth to what makes a novel. It was less practical and more theoretical would be my best comparison to his one on Literature. I do remember and I think it is in the one on literature that it has a chapter on meals- and what it can mean having everyone eating together at a table - how it can show unity of the people there or highlight the disunity/enmity between those there. Has always stuck with me.

[@adayofsmallthings]

@@autumnscott568 sounds fabulous! I will definitely read the novel one as well. Thanks so much for telling me what it’s about. Yes I remember the chapter on meals - also ones on geography and season etc. They are all excellent!

[@mitchflorida]

Did you not think it strange that Susan buried her three-year old Elizabeth-Jane and then gave her next daughter the same name, Elizabeth-Jane? Maybe for birth records purposes, but the author never mentions why.

[@adayofsmallthings]

That’s very true! I never thought of it 😮 I wonder why hmmmm…