This books bases on country aspects. It includes a storyline of a young woman named Fanny robin who goes missing after having an affair with Sergeant Oak. There is much more to it though, Bathsheba recalls to having an affair with the man aswell and generally the misshappenings, which take place, are dealt with and found out. Thomas hardy makes great use of rural settings and countryside work and activities in writing the opening third of Far From The Madding Crowd.
His description of the scenery, atmosphere and people involved is quite the opposite of city life. All the people in the book live in the countryside and have similar jobs. Farmer Oak later on becomes one of Bathsheba’s shepherds after an agreement between the two of them. Bathsheba arrives in a village in Weatherbury. Here she works the big and rundown farms (her inheritance). Oak admires Bathsheba who is very a good looking and certainly knows it. (Oak describes her as ‘vain’ when he first set his eyes on her and sees her for the very first time when she was in the wagon, in the first chapter.) She takes charge of the farm and shows who is boss. She is a determined young woman.
At Warren’s Malthouse a group of village and farmworkers discuss various matters, on one occasion about fanny robin: Bathsheba’s youngest servant girl reported being missing. The villagers often come together to discuss matters. They are brought together as a group and they talk things through. All the villagers seem pretty friendly towards eachother and arrange some welcome food and drink at the Malthouse.
Bathsheba becomes the leader of the ‘Bailiff Pennyways’ after telling the men who were currently incharge of. Alough Oak did ask Bathsheba to marry him, they still seem to flow a good workmen ship and even friendship between them. Of course Oak wanted more but he possibly couldn’t, as she didn’t feel the same way for him as he did for her. Liddy and Bathseba seems to get on well. She doesn’t seem too brisk with her personal maid, hence her vain attitude and strong opinions.
Oak works hard, as having had the life of a farmer beforehand. Country work is hard and many that are involved within it are skillful and get used to the cold weather, mud and disadvantages. From this book we learn the involvement of People and their countryside which is precious to them, which they console within. They work in the countryside, they are used to it and are at home there. It is quite old fashioned, not atall modern and has meaning to it. For people who do not spend a lot of their time in the countryside, this book clearly shows a basic point of living and the general surroundings, elements and community. In the city we don’t have to work too hard to get things, but in the country side it is different, even more so at the time this book was written in the eighteenth century. The book has a plot and shows us what is happening behind their lives (e.g. affair etc).
Conclusion This book was indeed a structured country life book. Alough it was slow to start of with at the begging it got better and more interesting. We found out about the character lives and what went round them. As you read on more events take place. So far the storyline is quite flowing and too hard to catch onto. I didn’t know weather it would get exceedingly better, but it has.
