... to treat Elizabeth-Jane with cold treatments. The secret letter sparks drama and interest in the reader. Hardy's stylish use of situational irony in The Mayor of Casterbridge is most noteworthy. Thomas Hardy examines the lives of a small group of people in a small town in nineteenth century England in the novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge. The novel embraces the theme of fate that plays a significant role in plot development. The story is constructed of Hardy's clever use of literary devices. He consistently uses symbolism, splendid ... narration, and situational irony to add both insigh...

• Word Count: 738
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... did his male characters. In fact, many Hardy critics agree with Albert J. Guerard who believes while Hardy wrote a number of compelling leading ladies into his works, he only created two men of more than average interest, Jude the Obscure's Jude Fawley and The Mayor of Casterbridge's Michael Henchard (Marquez 1562). While Hardy did in fact base the personas of many of his female characters on those of the women he met during his life, he ... could appeal to mostly anybody. Works Cited  Daleski, H.M. Thomas Hardy and Paradoxes of Love. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1997....

• Word Count: 1140
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... will come death. Henchard, like the other characters in Thomas Hardy's novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge are given choices to make and they alone choose the path in which life will take them. Hardy may have intentionally wrote his novel in such a predetermined manor, so that again a choice could be made as to what the reader would decide. Given the character of Michael Henchard and likewise the deposition of Hardy, this novel is a stage for ... set us on a predetermined path. Works Cited Aristotelian Tragedy and the Novels of Thomas Hardy Philip V. Allingham, Contributing Editor, Victori...

• Word Count: 1078
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School