# XI explained — The Mayor of Casterbridge

> Chapter companion for The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy.

## What happens

Henchard meets his long-lost wife Susan at the Roman Amphitheatre in Casterbridge, where they discuss a plan to remarry and keep their past secret from Elizabeth-Jane. Henchard reveals he has stopped drinking and proposes that Susan and Elizabeth-Jane take a cottage as the widow Mrs. Newson and her daughter, allowing him to court and marry Susan without revealing their true history.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Truth

Henchard and Susan conspire to keep their past marriage and Henchard's sale of his wife a secret from Elizabeth-Jane, planning a facade of courtship and remarriage.

### Fate and Consequence

The meeting at the Amphitheatre, a site of historical violence and secrecy, underscores the inescapable consequences of Henchard's past actions and the fated reunion with Susan.

### Social Class and Reputation

Henchard's position as Mayor and churchwarden forces him to prioritize public reputation, leading to the elaborate plan to remarry Susan secretly to avoid scandal.

## Character check-ins

### Michael Henchard

Arranges a secret meeting with Susan at the Amphitheatre, proposes a plan to remarry her while concealing their past, and asserts he has stopped drinking.

### Susan Henchard

Meets Henchard at the Amphitheatre, expresses her sense of obligation to her deceased husband Newson, and agrees to Henchard's plan for a secret remarriage.

### Elizabeth-Jane Newson

Mentioned as the daughter whose knowledge of the truth Henchard and Susan seek to protect; she is to be kept ignorant of their past.

### Richard Newson

Referenced as the man Susan believed she owed faithfulness to, and whose death prompted her to seek out Henchard.

## Key lines

> I don't drink now—I haven't since that night.

Henchard assures Susan that he has remained sober since the night he sold her.

_Henchard's first words to Susan emphasize his repentance and changed behavior._

> I thought I owed him faithfulness to the end of one of our lives—foolishly I believed there was something solemn and binding in the bargain

Susan explains she felt bound to Newson because he paid for her, viewing their arrangement as a solemn contract.

_Susan reveals her sense of moral obligation to Newson, which delayed her return to Henchard._

> This would leave my shady, headstrong, disgraceful life as a young man absolutely unopened; the secret would be yours and mine only

Henchard's plan ensures that his past misdeeds remain hidden from Elizabeth-Jane and the public.

_Henchard prioritizes secrecy to protect his reputation and his relationship with Elizabeth-Jane._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mayor_of_casterbridge_se/chapters/xi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mayor_of_casterbridge_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mayor_of_casterbridge_se/chapters