Modern critics consider Hardy a great writer and they consider The Mayor of Casterbridge one of Hardy¡¯s two great novels. Of all the Wessex¡¯s novels, however, this is the least typical. Although it makes much less use of the physical environment than do the others, we still cannot ignore the frequently use of symbols and setting in the novel. In my essay, I¡®ll analyze the function of the symbols and the setting in The Mayor of Casterbridge.

The setting place of this novel is Casterbridge (England), a fictional town based on the city of Dorchester. Unlike the other Wessex novels, the action does not revolve from place to place, but instead; everything is centered on the town, which characters leaving or entering Caseterbridge. as they are mentioned in the tale. At this extent, the town does have some features, which are important to the novel.

Definitely, it would not at all surprising us that Hardy gives a perfect description of the Wessex countryside, the detailed accounts of the daily goings in Casterbridge, even the dialects of the natives. By doing so, Hardy made us feel tha

Holloway , John The Victorian Sage: Studies in Argument, London, 1958.

Vivian, De Sola Pinto The Wessex Novels University College,

- Even the most cursory reading of The Mayor of Casterbridge reveals a structural pattern that relies heavily on coincidence. Indeed, the story would hardly progress if it were not for the chance occurrences that push Henchard closer and closer to the failure. For example, the reappearance of one long-lost character would test our willingness to believe, but here we witness the returns of Susan, the furmity-woman, and Newson, each of them brings a dark and fateful secret that contributes to Henchard's doom. In real life anywhere conversations are not invariably overheard, kind of good sailor does not appear at the right time to buy wife, the weather does not always change just at the proper moment Although I, as modern reader, seems unlikely to excuse such over-determined plotting, with the help of the analyzing of the setting and symbols in the novel I attempt to understand it.

Some topics in this essay:
Mayor Casterbridge, Unlike Wessex, Ken Sobol, Henchard Farfrae, God Henchard, Casterbridge Roman, Abel Whittle¡¯s, Chapter¢ûHenchard Susan, Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Jane, mayor casterbridge, setting symbols, setting symbols novel, symbols novel, mayor casterbridge setting, setting mood, abstract ideas, setting novel, using setting, symbols setting, ken sobol 106, wessex novels, using setting symbols, sobol 106,