Essayyy

In the Mayor of Casterbridge they use many symbols that are very important to the book. I am just going to talk about three of the symbols to show you how they fit in with the book and show you certain aspects of characters or a foreshadowing they show. The first one is when one of Henchard's men driving a wagon collides with one of Farefraes wagons. This happens right in front of High-place Hall. This is where Elizabeth Jane and Lucetta live. This shows the conflict that will happen before Henchard and Farfrae foreshadowing that Henchard will lose. It also symbolizes the clash between Henchards traditional ways and Farfraes new era ways. I also believe that the crash happened in front of High-Place Hall for a reason. This is where Lucetta lives and both men are trying to win her heart. It shows you by who wins in the case of who to blame in the crash on who will win Lucetta's heart. The bull that tries to attack Elizabeth Jane and Lucetta is also another symbol. The bull in my opinion resembles Henchard. It is his forceful attack on Lucetta to marry him and his attack on Elizabeth Jane because she is not his real daughter. It attacks them with a lot of force just like Henchard. Henchard has to blackmail Lucetta to marry him. He gets so angry every time she tells him no that he keeps on and on making the consequence worse if she does not accept the offer. He is also rude to Elizabeth Jane when he finds out she is not his real daughter. He ignores her and she can never do anything right around him. He always criticizes her about something. However the bull also gives the readers a sympathetic view of Henchard. He shows bravery and strength when he rescues them from the bull. It lets the reader see him as a kind person instead of just rude all the time. The last thing would be the gift that Henchard gives to Elizabeth Jane and Farfrae for their wedding. Henchard gives them a Goldfinch in a cage. The bird was left in the cage forgotten about and therefore it died from lack of food. When Elizabeth Jane found the bird she felt the need to search for Henchard. The bird is a symbol of how Henchard will die. Henchard died in Whittle’s cottage because he would not/ could not eat, just like the bird. The bird was also in a cage just as Henchard was. His cage was a cage of his past. He lived in regret of so many things that caged him in a state of depression. He also had nothing to live for after losing all of his possessions , his title, and the people he loved. As you can see there are many symbols in this book that you could take however you see it. These were just a few I picked that I used in my perspective. Next time you are reading don’t forget to look for those hidden symbols and try and decipher their meanings.