Of Casterbridge: The Mayor

: A modern, technically-minded newcomer who eventually replaces Henchard in both business and civic leadership.

Thomas Hardy’s 1886 novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge , is a powerful Victorian tragedy subtitled "The Life and Death of a Man of Character". It chronicles the spectacular rise and devastating fall of Michael Henchard, whose life is dictated by a single impulsive act of youth and the inescapable consequences that follow. The Mayor of Casterbridge

: In a drunken rage at a country fair, young hay-trusser Michael Henchard auctions off his wife, Susan, and infant daughter to a sailor for five guineas. : In a drunken rage at a country

: A woman from Henchard's past who arrives in Casterbridge to marry him, but falls for Farfrae instead. The Mayor of Casterbridge | Summary, Characters & Analysis : Michael's meek wife who returns to him

: Horrified by his actions the next day, Henchard swears an oath to abstain from alcohol for 21 years—the length of his life at that point.

: Michael's meek wife who returns to him years after being "sold".