A Desire for Power

The desire for power is seen repetitively in literary works. A desire for power is truly what drives Michael Henchard to his misfortunes and what shapes The Mayor of Casterbridge. Henchard is driven by the want for power as a man, as a mayor, and as a father. Jealousy is fundamentally what costs Henchard his power and causes his pain and suffering. However, even loss of power does not weaken his thirst for it. In fact, it only strengthens his desire, adding more depth to the novel as a whole.

In the beginning of the novel, Henchard is traveling with his wife and infant daughter when they stop in Weydon-Priors for furmity. It is then that the reader becomes aware of Henchard’s drinking problem. He becomes so drunk that he is obnoxiously disrespectful to his wife. It is obvious, even through his drunken rage, that he wants to have power over his wife. In his mind, he is achieving this by humiliating her and making her feel inferior to him. He desires power as a superior man. It is in his rage that he sells his wife, Susan, along with their daughter. This is the first incidence in which a desire for power shifts the novel.

It is evident that he regrets treating his wife the way he did. Because of this incidence, he pledges to stay sober for twenty-one years and promises to remarry Susan if he ever found her. In the next eighteen years, he gains momentum and becomes the mayor of Casterbridge. He is quite a respected man in this town. However, his capability as a leader is questioned when the town undergoes a major crop failure. At this time, Susan and her daughter, Elizabeth-Jane find Henchard, and a newcomer, Farfrae, enters Casterbridge. Farfrae has the solution to the town’s troubles, and he quickly becomes famous in the town. Also, Henchard is reunited with his wife and daughter. All seems well, if only for a little while. When he realizes that Farfrae is now gaining the power that was once his, the monster in Henchard returns. His thirst to regain his power drives him to ruin Farfrae, but to no avail. In doing so, he only starts to turn Casterbridge against him, leaving him powerless.

It is also a drive for power that causes Henchard to deceive his daughter, Elizabeth-Jane. When he finds out that she is not his biological daughter, he becomes bitter towards her, even though she is left in the dark. He pushes her away from him, but layer realizes that he truly does love her. However, she and Farfrae become once again involved after the death of Lucetta. Consequently, Henchard tries to fight for power over Elizabeth-Jane. He still tries to hide the truth that Newson is her real father. When Newson, who was thought to be dead, comes to Casterbridge to see Elizabeth-Jane, Henchard tries to shield her from him, but to no avail. At this point, Henchard has burned all his bridges, and he dies a lonely and miserable man.

The Mayor of Casterbridge portrays both the benefits and disadvantages of having a desire for power. It is this desire that allowed Henchard to become the mayor and become a respected man. However, it is also what caused him to lose all of this and then some. Hardy puts emphasis on the evils of such a desire. The novel offers the insight that power can truly make or break a man.

The Mayor of Casterbridge Adaptations

In 1951, the Mayor of Casterbridge was adapted into an opera, composed by Peter Tranchell. Afterwards, the novel was adapted for television three times. The first time was in 1978 for the BBC, directed by Dennis Potter. In 2001, Georgina Lowe broadcasted her version of The Mayor of Casterbridge for ITV. In 2003, Ted Whitehead created his adaptation for A&E Television Networks, staring Ciaran Hinds.

Below is a trailer for the 2003 version of The Mayor of Casterbridge.

The Mayor of Casterbridge Publication

The Mayor of Casterbridge, by British author Thomas Hardy, was published in 1886. It was considered one of Hardy's “Wessex” novels, which were all set in south and southwest England. The story tells the tragic fate of a man due to his own actions.

The Emergence of the Industrial Revolution

Beyond the moralistic aspects of the story, the reader can connect the significance of the introduction of the industrial revolution in The Mayor of Casterbridge. Essentially, Henchard represents tradition, and Farfrae represents innovation. Farfrae, or “industrialization,” is appealing to a good majority of the people. He even appeals to Henchard at first, but when Henchard realizes Farfrae is a threat to him, he repels Farfrae’s ideas. This defines the beginning of the Victorian Era.

Unlike in the Romantic Era, it was in the Victorian Era that society began to appeal to industrialization. As people became more aware of the change, it was as if they slowly became convinced that industrialization was more convenient. However, this did not mean that everyone was in agreement. There were people like Henchard who clung to tradition.

This struggle is depicted numerous times in the novel. The Mayor of Casterbridge, Henchard, was failing his town with is incapability to solve the crop crisis. It is Farfrae who introduces the new method that will save the town’s agriculture. When planning a celebration, Henchard’s festival gets rained out. Farfrae had constructed a tent for his celebration, so the town attended his instead. Farfrae is very intelligent in the newest technology, which is definitely to his advantage. He essentially becomes the wealthier, more liked character in the novel. This concept can be identified when comparing the traditional world to the industrial world.

The Importance of Character

The Mayor of Casterbridge puts emphasis on the consequences of one’s character. This is most evidently shown between the contrasting characters of Michael Henchard and Donald Farfrae. Hardy focuses on the differences between a “hero and a villain”, for lack of a better term. The novel is relatively quick in pace, so the reader can quickly identify Henchard as the “villain” and Farfrae as the “hero.” Or so we think.

One imagines a hero as one who possesses honor, loyalty, and charm, all of which Farfrae has. Farfrae saves the town from crop failure, stays loyal to Henchard through everything, and wins over everyone with his charisma. Henchard, on the other hand, is not loyal towards anyone, often lets his bad temper get in the way, and is jealous by nature. So why is Henchard, according to Hardy, “a Man of Character?”

Henchard worsens his own misfortune with his character. He lets his anger and jealousy get the best of him, which causes him to sell his wife, treat Farfrae unkindly, deceive Elizabeth-Jane, and so forth. However, at the end of the novel, he understands his wrong-doings. He realizes what he has done and what he deserves. He tries to make things right, but even at his death requests that no one mourn or remember him. He had such determination to feel the pain that he deserved, which was what made him “a Man of Character.”

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was an English poet and novelist of the Victorian era. He was born in 1840 in Dorset near Dorchester and moved to London when he was 22 to write poetry and novels. Hardy was most known for his novels, including Mayor of Casterbridge. He died in 1928, and his ashes were buried in the poet’s corner of Westminster Abbey.