This composition presents the relationship issues that arise from Bathsheba Everdane’s relationships with three men Gabriel Oak, Farmer Boldwood and Sergeant Francis Troy. This composition contrasts and compares the three relationships, and the Issues about marriage that people can learn from the novel. The relationships between Bathsheba and Boldwood and Bathsheba and Troy do not work, Bathsheba’s relationship ends in marriage. The love the two have for each other is genuine and they are bound to make it work since each of them is mature and has faced challenges to harden them. The relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel teaches people about the importance of honesty and patience. The novel has these amd plenty of information on relationships, selection of partners, issues about love and it is a great novel in investigating issues about marriage.
Love and marriage are issues that arouse a lot of interest and several poems, books and movies have been produced on these issues. Far From the Maddening Crowd is an 1874 novel by Thomas Hardy which centres on relationships. The novel centres on the relationships of the main character named Bathsheba Everdane. The beautiful girl has relationships with Gabriel Oak, Farmer Boldwood and Sergeant Francis Troy (Hardy, 1894). Bathsheba’s relationships are characterised by break-ups and make-ups, rivalry among her suitors, jealousy, violence and eventual true love. This paper compares and contrasts the relationships, analyses why Bathsheba’s relationship with Gabriel was the strongest, why it took so long for the two to form a stable marriage and from this story lessons on what makes a good marriage are drawn.
Bathsheba first had a relationship with Gabriel Oak. Gabriel is a farmer, a shepherd and a bailiff. He met Bathsheba when she saved his life one evening. Gabriel asked Bathsheba to marry him but she declines because she feels that she does not love him (Hardy, 1894). The relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel is characterised by honesty and respect between the two. They are willing to help each other in times of need as evidenced by situations where Bathsheba offered Gabriel employment when his farming business collapsed. As Gabriel works at Bathsheba’s farm, he remains a close friend to her although he disapproves of her relationships with other men (Hardy, 1894). Gabriel remains patient that one day he would win back the heart of Bathsheba and marry her.
Bathsheba met Boldwood when she relocated to Weatherbury where they became neighbours. The relationship between Bathsheba and Boldwood was based on sudden unfounded desires. Bathsheba sends Boldwood a valentine asking him to marry her but it was a rushed decision and she was not serious. Boldwood becomes obsessed with Bathsheba and marries her. But their marriage does not seem to be based on love but rather on the fact that Boldwood is rich and handsome while Bathsheba was rich and beautiful. Bathsheba admits that she never loved Boldwood (Hardy, 1894). Their relationship does not last long and she frees and gets married to a soldier named Troy.
Bathsheba had another relationship with a soldier named Troy. Their relationship was not based on love but Troy was being hypocritical as troy had impregnated another girl named Fanny but he did not want Bathsheba to know about that issue. The relationship between Bathsheba and Troy angered Boldwood because he considered Bathsheba to be still married to him at that time. The relationship between Troy and Bathsheba does not last long because Bathsheba discovers about Fanny and Troy runs away and was thought to have drowned himself.
The relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel is the strongest. The two encounter challenges such as Bathsheba finding other suitors and getting married while Gabriel lost his sheep and had to look for work at Bathsheba’s farm. Gabriel was patient with Bathsheba and waited for his turn to show her that he loved her. Bathsheba admitted that she did not love Troy and Boldwood for all the time that she was married to them. Although, Bathsheba told Gabriel that she did not love him at the point they met it seems that their love grew with time and they discovered that they loved each other eventually their relationship ended in marriage.
It took so long for Gabriel and Bathsheba to get married because Bathsheba had been involving herself in other affairs. Their love was maturing and each of them was trying to discover their true love in life.
There are several issues about marriage the people can learn from the novel Far From the Madding Crowd. Bathsheba was involved in three relationships but only one worked. She married Troy and Boldwood for other reasons other than love. She married the men because they coerced her to and because they were rich and handsome. The novel brings about situations that show that for love to work it has to mutual. Troy and Boldwood are the only ones who are in love with Bathsheba but she does not love any of them in return.
Marriage should also be based on patience. Gabriel patiently consoled Bathsheba as she was going through troubled marriages with Troy and Boldwood while there was a minimal chance that he would ever have a chance to ever marry her. Bathsheba herself loved Troy very much when they got married but Troy had his loyalty towards women hampered by a past affair in which he was expecting a child. This shows that honesty in marriage plays a pivotal role and is important for the survival of the marriage. Had Troy opened up to Bathsheba about Fanny probably she could have understood the situation and agree to marry him fully aware of what might come up in future.
Conclusion
The novel Far From the Maddening Crowd is a classic representation of how love conquers all in spite of the hardships and the challenges that may come between lovers. It is important for lovers to be open with each other. Moreover, it is important for people to respect and enquire about the relationship status of people with whom they fall in love.
References
Hardy, T. 1894. Far From the Madding Crowd: New York and London: Harper and Brothers Publications.
