The Mayor Of Casterbridge

4 Pages 1083 Words

In Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, the fruit of cruelty and insensitivity appear throughout the novel. Hardy portrays this fact through most of his characters, including the novel’s protagonist, Michael Henchard. Henchard displays his insensitivity when he shuns Elizabeth-Jane Newsome; he discovers that she is not his biological daughter. In addition to the cruelty and insensitivity of the novel’s protagonist, Hardy’s portrayal of Joshua Jopp, the townspeople, and Elizabeth-Jane, show signs of cruelty and insensitivity at times. Joshua Jopp, a corn-factor in Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, shows his ability to be cruel and insensitive in the novel. Jopp first show signs of cruelty and insensitivity when he joins Michael Henchard, the Mayor, in a plot to cripple Donald Farfrae’s business. Donald Farfrae, who wins the love of the people because of his ability to work the agricultural resources, takes Jopp’s position as the town’s corn-factor earlier in the novel. Jopp, obviously still upset about past events, gladly conspires to take him down. He and Henchard make a plan, which involves a weather prophet, who prophesizes that the weather would be bad for corn-growth in Casterbridge. Upon the hearing of this news, Henchard, with Jopp’s consultant, decides to store up all the corn. After the plan fails (the weather was good and Farfrae’s crop prospers) however, Henchard, of course fires Jopp. Jopp vows to get Henchard back and gets his chance when the ex-mayor has to live with him. Henchard asks Jopp to deliver a package, which contains the secrets of Henchard’s past relationship with Lucetta Templeman, wife of Donald Farfrae. Jopp, who is unaware of the contents of the package, decides to look in the package, and when he does, decides to be cruel and insensitive for the final time. He takes the contents of the package, which were love letters written form Lucetta to Henchard, and reads them to the ...