Mayor of Casterbridge
by
Thomas Hardy
(Ironies)
Thomas Hardy, the novelist of ‘The Mayor of
Casterbridge’ was the novelist of The
Victorian Era. The general characteristics of this age are:
· An
era of peace
· Prosperity
and progress
· The
new education
· Victorian
compromise
· Realism
· Advance
of democratic ideals
· Effect
of science and
· Interest in past
Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in London. He minutely observed the people and their customs, monuments and institutions. He was a versatile novelist. He died in 1926. He wrote pastoral tragedies, pastoral comedies, pastoral romances and short stories. In his writings we find the life of Wessex, his philosophy, pessimism, characterization and plots of the 19th century.
Ironies in the novel
Dramatic irony is the opposite expression of one’s thoughts. Mainly there are three types of ironies: Irony of words, Irony of situation and Retrospective irony.
‘The
Mayor of Casterbridge’ is full of ironies. A major example of irony is that
Susan makes Henchard believe, that Elizabeth Jane is his own daughter but after
Susan’s death, he comes to know that she is not his daughter. This is irony of
situation, because Elizabeth Jane is the daughter of Newson. When she is told,
that Henchard is not her father she is greatly shocked. She tries to reconcile
herself with Henchard but he is now no more affectionate towards her. He rather
hates her and she feels miserable.
One
more powerful example is found in Henchard’s position as a magistrate. He is
sitting in the judgement of the old furmity woman, who witnessed the sale of
his wife. He little knows, that infect, he is sitting in judgement upon himself
for his crime, which he kept a secret.
Other
example of irony is, when Henchard begins to love Elizabeth Jane and tells
Newson that his daughter is dead but Newson soon finds out the truth and the
father and the daughter are united. At this Elizabeth begins to hate Henchard
for his deception and he dies as a broken man.
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