Summary:
In reference to Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, Michael Henchard is a victim trapped and tortured in his own delusions.
Character is destiny. Heraclitus, Greek philosopher (c. 540-c. 475 B.C.)
This famous quote has birthed many ideas and philosophies about life and our final destination. Similarly, in Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, issues about life, character, fate and destiny are explored. Ironically, the quote about character being our destiny is being challenged and questioned over and over again in the context of this tragic novel.
Indeed, Henchard is a victim of his own delusions. He has falsely believed and is being psychotically driven to accept a misconception about who he truly is. Constituting to his life's outcome was because of his daunting past that was caused by his own
foolishness in his moment of weakness. Should that incident of being drunk did not happen in the first place, we could fairly make an assumption that he will not end up where he is at the end of the story. Essentially, Henchard is very much affected if not haunted by his past and he laments that he cannot undo it. He relates grown wheat metaphorically to the mistakes of the past that, neither can be taken back. Although Henchard learns this lesson at the end of Chapter IV, yet he fails to internalize it. As the story progresses, we come to see that Henchard is merely moved by his guilt more than anything else and he cannot forgive himself nor forgo his prior faux pas.
Somehow, Henchard's character managed to portray a seemingly passionate disposition. Whatever he may feel--be it love, hate, desire, or contempt; he feels it overpoweringly. In light of this statement, it can be seen through his guilt over selling his wife, Susan, which tracks him from Weydon-Priors to Casterbridge, where it overshadows his life for twenty years. In fact, his conviction to turn over a new leaf began at sunrise the next day after that fateful incident. This is shown clearly through his act of repentance when Henchard intensely takes his solemn oath, kneeling at the altar and said'before God here is this solemn place that I will avoid all strong liquors for the
space of twenty one years to come'. His earnest and sincere desire to right these past wrongs and his awakening that he deserves to suffer for them, accounts for his suffering as much as any malignant force of the universe. Could this possibly be the reason why he was fated for such turn of events in his life? Or did his perception mislead him into
thinking that he would pay the heavy price for his unseemly actions of the past? Perhaps, if Henchard had not been possessed by the devastating delusion of his mind, he would not have to suffer for a series of unfortunate events following by his state of disrepute.
There is, however an important document in this novel that depicts the true Henchard personality and somewhat a form of surrealism in expressing what is hidden in his mind and the core of his soul. Many familiar traits of Henchard are reflected in his will both explicitly and implicitly as well.
MICHAEL HENCHARD'S WILL
That Elizabeth-Jane Farfrae be not told of my death,
or made to grieve on account of me.
& that I be not bury'd in consecrated ground.
& that no sexton be asked to toll the bell.
& that nobody is wished to see my dead body.
& that no murners walk behind me at my funeral.
& that no flours be planted on my grave.
& that no man remember me.
To this I put my name.
Michael Henchard.
Henchard's will is the tragic last statement of a man who lived a tragic life. Coherently, it was his circus of unremitting doubts regarding his life's worth that kept playing in his mind not only lead to his death but also follow him there. From the moment Henchard sells his wife at the Weydon fair, he feels a keen anxiety over the value of his good name as he questions himself whether he divulged his name to anyone during the course of the
previous evening after he gained sober. Ashamed by his act of recklessness, he pledges a twenty-one-year reprieve from alcohol and sets himself on a course that delivers him to the most honoured business and social offices of a small country town. Henchard then became he dignified and respected Mayor of Casterbridge. Yet, in spite of all these seeming reformation of himself, he was unsatisfied and continues to let his guilt eat him
away that eventually relinquishes the name and reputation he has built for himself which resulted his downfall. In his will, his last wish was to be allowed to die anonymously and to go unremembered.
Poor Henchard was lonely all the years after Susan and Elizabeth-Jane walked out of his life. While he might have found happiness by marrying Lucetta, for instance, Henchard is determine to make amendments for the past by remarrying a woman he never loved in the first place. But he strongly felt he ought to do just that because of his restless and self-accusing soul. Apart from that, Henchard's intentions in doing so also involved his virtue as he intends to remarry Susan to ultimately chisel off both their shame in the past.
As Donald Farfrae made his appearance later on in the story, the character of Henchard is distinctly juxtaposed. Farfrae serves as a foil for Henchard because his both his actions or emotions contrast with and thereby accentuate those of Henchard's.
Whereas will and intuition determine the course of Henchard's life, Farfrae is a man of intellect. Gradually and soon eventually, Frafrae appropriates Henchard's job, business, and even his loved ones. Henchard was then decoyed to feeling inferior about himself and his stand. Prior to that, Henchard insisted on creating the competition that he
eventually loses, when Farfrae has not intended to'beat him' right from the start. This is an ill-chosen cause, and Henchard suffers unnecessarily because of it. Should Henchard
have refrained in his fights, he would still be the town leader he was before. Although Henchard also began to view Farfrae as his adversary, Farfrae has never spared a thought to dishonour him. After all the commotion, Henchard even loses the ability to explain his own actions. It was as if, he was not conscious of his own actions that brought about such adversity to his entire life. Considering all that happened, it seems that Henchard seems
to seek out situations that promise further debasement.
Some readers may view Henchard's appearance and feelings of self-worth deteriorate as he is'punished' for his hubris. But more importantly, he begins to doubt his own strength as he regards the world with greater pessimism. Initially, Henchard projects an individual who craves good repute but doubts his own worth through his gestures. But whatever the pain maybe, Henchard bears it and it is this resilience that elevates him to the level of a hero--a man, ironically, whose name deserves to be remembered. Throughout the story, Henchard manifests many archetypes of heroic behavior. But whether or not Henchard truly completes the hero circle still remains open to interpretation.
Delusion is a purely a state of mind. Victim or no victim of his own delusions, it is merely a question of choice and perception. Henchard could very well not submit nor surrender to his carnal misconceptions and gain life instead of losing it. His heart is deceitful, and yet he chose to trust it. On the other hand, his unforgiveness of self has brought him to commit such drastic measures and he ends up diluting his own influence in Casterbridge and discredited his own worth as a person. All these that took place, are works of his own hands. While this novel is entitled The Mayor of Casterbridge - A Story of a Man of Character, readers may or may not approve of Henchard's course of actions throughout but there is an undefiled lesson which is they can learn a lot from him, much as I had - not to repeat his mistakes.
Quoting what André Maurois said: If you create an act, you create a habit. If you create a habit, you create a character. If you create a character, you create a destiny. In the context of this story, Henchard acted on selling his wife and daughter he was guilt-stricken ever since. It became his habit; guilt and self-reproach grasped him. In all that
he does, he is being reminded of his past as if it was haunting him and seeking for vindication. Therefore, he was unnecessarily victimized by his own delusions which led him to him doomed destiny.
This is the complete article, containing 1,431 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
