: Eighteen years later, Susan and a grown Elizabeth-Jane return. Henchard’s past resurfaces, clashing with his rigid pride and his rivalry with a progressive young Scotsman, Donald Farfrae. A series of financial failures and exposed secrets eventually strip Henchard of his status and family, leading to a lonely, tragic end. Key Characters
: In a drunken rage at a country fair, young hay-trusser Michael Henchard auctions off his wife, Susan, and infant daughter to a sailor for five guineas.
Thomas Hardy’s 1886 novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge , is a powerful Victorian tragedy subtitled "The Life and Death of a Man of Character". It chronicles the spectacular rise and devastating fall of Michael Henchard, whose life is dictated by a single impulsive act of youth and the inescapable consequences that follow.
: A deeply flawed protagonist driven by pride, temper, and a desperate desire for redemption.
