The Mayor of Casterbridge · Chapter
XIII explained
Henchard remarries Susan in a quiet ceremony, facing public scrutiny and his own internal resolve to make amends.
What happens
Henchard remarries Susan in a quiet ceremony, facing public scrutiny and his own internal resolve to make amends. The chapter details their reunion, the townspeople's gossip, and Henchard's determination to provide for Elizabeth-Jane while grappling with the social cost of his actions.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Reputation
Henchard's marriage to Susan, a woman of lower social standing, threatens his public dignity and fuels gossip among the townspeople.
Deception and Truth
The marriage is built on a secret past and a plan to keep Elizabeth-Jane ignorant, highlighting the tension between hidden truths and public appearances.
Fate and Consequence
Henchard's past actions drive his current efforts at restitution, showing how fate and past mistakes shape his present choices.
Characters to notice
- Michael Henchard
Henchard remarries Susan, driven by duty and a desire to make amends, despite the social cost and lack of romantic passion.
- Susan Henchard
Susan marries Henchard again, entering a carriage for the first time in her life, and is described as pale and fragile, nicknamed 'The Ghost' by local boys.
- Elizabeth-Jane Newson
Elizabeth-Jane is kept unaware of the true nature of the marriage, carefully hoodwinked by the general tone of conversation.
- Christopher Coney
Coney comments on the wedding and engages in reminiscences with other townspeople outside the church.
- Solomon Longways
Longways joins the gossip about Henchard's worth and later reflects on the day's events with Coney.
- Nance Mockridge
Mockridge makes disparaging remarks about Henchard and Susan after the wedding ceremony.
Key passages
“Susan Henchard entered a carriage for the first time in her life when she stepped into the plain brougham which drew up at the door on the wedding-day to take her and Elizabeth-Jane to church.”
On her wedding day, Susan Henchard rode in a carriage for the first time ever, as a simple brougham arrived to bring her and Elizabeth-Jane to the church.
Highlights Susan's humble background and the significance of the wedding day.
“There's a blue-beardy look about 'en; and 'twill out in time.”
He has a sinister, Bluebeard-like appearance, and it will eventually show itself.
Nance Mockridge's gossip reflects the townspeople's suspicion of Henchard's character.
“He pressed on the preparations for his union, or rather reunion, with this pale creature in a dogged, unflinching spirit which did credit to his conscientiousness.”
He pursued the marriage arrangements with stubborn determination, driven by a sense of duty rather than romance.
Emphasizes Henchard's motivation as moral obligation rather than love.