# XLIV explained — The Mayor of Casterbridge

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

## What happens

Henchard, after parting from Elizabeth-Jane, wanders eastward in despair, eventually reaching Weydon Priors where he reflects on the fateful fair where he sold his wife. He struggles with his love for Elizabeth-Jane and his guilt, and despite intending to leave Casterbridge forever, he is drawn back. He arrives in Casterbridge on the day of Elizabeth-Jane and Farfrae's wedding, but hesitates to enter the celebration, eventually entering through the kitchen and waiting in a back-parlour.

## Themes in this chapter

### Fate and Consequence

Henchard revisits the site of his original crime and reflects on the long chain of consequences from that single act, including his failed attempts to replace ambition with love.

### Isolation and Connection

Henchard's solitary journey and his inability to fully sever his emotional connection to Elizabeth-Jane and Casterbridge highlight his inner conflict between isolation and the need for human bonds.

### Deception and Truth

Henchard reflects on Susan's 'fraud' regarding Elizabeth-Jane's parentage and his own lies, recognizing the painful truths that have shaped his life.

## Character check-ins

### Michael Henchard

Travels eastward in despair, revisits Weydon Priors, reflects on selling his wife, feels guilt and love for Elizabeth-Jane, returns to Casterbridge on her wedding day, enters the house through the kitchen.

### Elizabeth-Jane Newson

Marries Donald Farfrae; Henchard thinks of her constantly and returns to Casterbridge partly because of his love for her.

### Donald Farfrae

Marries Elizabeth-Jane; his voice is heard singing at the wedding celebration.

### Susan Henchard

Remembered by Henchard at Weydon Priors; he recalls her last words before leaving with Newson.

### Richard Newson

Mentioned in Henchard's recollection of the fair; Susan left with him.

## Key lines

> He experienced not only the bitterness of a man who finds, in looking back upon an ambitious course, that what he has sacrificed in sentiment was worth as much as what he has gained in substance; but the superadded bitterness of seeing his very recantation nullified.

Henchard felt the regret of realizing that the emotional bonds he sacrificed for ambition were as valuable as any material success, and worse, his later attempts to make amends had also failed.

_Reflects Henchard's deep remorse and the futility of his efforts to change his fate._

> His wronged wife had foiled them by a fraud so grandly simple as to be almost a virtue.

Susan had thwarted his attempts at redemption through a deception that was so straightforward it seemed almost noble.

_Refers to Susan's concealment of Elizabeth-Jane's true parentage._

> It was an odd sequence that out of all this tampering with social law came that flower of Nature, Elizabeth.

It was strange that from all his violations of social norms, a natural and pure person like Elizabeth-Jane had emerged.

_Henchard marvels at the irony that his transgressions led to Elizabeth-Jane's existence._

## Links

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