THOMAS HARDY’S NOVEL, THE MAYOR OF

CASTERBRIDGE

A PowerPoint program designed by Charles Henderson

2006

Simple plot of the novel

A drunken Michael Henchard sells his

wife, susan, and daughter to a sailor

named NewsomInsulted, Susan takes her

daughter and leaves with the

sailor.

Henchard searches for his

family the next day but can’t find

them.

NEXT

THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE

19 Years Pass

Henchard re-marries Susan and rejects Lucetta

Templeman, with whom he had been “intimate” and had promised to marry someday

Farfrae, a Scotsman, is hired as Henchard’s

manager

Susan learns Michael is in Casterbridge. There, she and Elizabeth find

him wealthy and also the Mayor of the city

NEXT

NEXT

Allows Elizabeth

to date Farfrae

A rift develops between Henchard

and Farfrae

He forbids Elizabeth to date Farfrae

Farfrae starts his own

company

Susan dies

Henchard learns

Elizabeth is not his daughter

Elizabeth meets

Lucetta at the cemetery

Henchard eventually fires

Farfrae

Lucetta meets Farfrae

Elizabeth movesin with

Lucetta

Lucetta and

Farfrae marry

Elizabeth loses

Farfrae

NEXT

Lucetta Templeman arrives and asks

Henchard to erase the “blemish” on her name

by marrying her

Henchard goesBankrupt because ofSpeculation on the

crops

An old woman shows up and exposes Henchard’s past; he is publicly disgraced and forced

to resign as mayor

Henchard goes to work for Farfrae,

who becomes new the Mayor

NEXT

Henchard returns some incriminating letters he has from Lucetta, but they are intercepted by the town’s people

A public parade ensues; Lucetta is humiliated, and

dies of grief

Farfrae then turns his attention again to

Elizabeth

NEXT

The sailor, Newsom, shows up and reveals to Henchard that Elizabeth is his real daughter, not Henchard’s. Henchard lies and tells him that she died the

previous year.

FARFRAE AND ELIZABETH ANNOUNCE

THEIR MARRIAGE

Farfrae turns his attention

again to Elizabeth

Newsom returnsWhen he learns that

Henchard lied to him.

NEXT

THE REJECTED HENCHARD LEAVES, AND ATTENDED BY ABEL WHITE, DIES

SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE NEWLY MARRIED FARFRAES ARE WITNESS TO HIS LAST REQUEST FOR ANNONIMITY

Henchard leavesCasterbridge intotal disgrace

Henchard comes to

the wedding with a gift

and is rejected