It wasn't clear to me that anyone had actually read the Eagleton chapter. If you did, you should have let me know.
At any rate, Eagleton states that when Hardy "looks at a landscape or a piece of Nature, he is usually preoccupied less by the thing itself than by the traces of history and humanity inscribed within it" (192). How does FFMC illustrate this observation?
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One of the ways Thomas Harding showed his connection with nature was in the names he gave his characters. Oak, who was a strong person having great skill with farming and animals. Boldwood, a reserved man until he falls for Bathsheba. Fanny Robin, who like a bird, flies or runs away. Each name signifies a part of nature, helping the reader get an idea of what the character is all about.
The understanding between nature and life is that we are all a product of our environment. Hardy shows us that his characters are real people, dealing with everyday situations who, like men today, work by the 'work hard, play hard' philosophy. But depending on your class or lifestyle, will it then determine your actions. With each of these actions, we create history.
In response to Shelley,
I like how you discussed the characters' names and compared them to their personalities and actions.
Hardy spends a lot of time describing in great detail certain scenes; nature, weather, landscape, people, etc. Then he reveals how that piece of nature is incorporated into the history and lives of the characters. Gabriel Oak's name reminds readers of an oak tree and the characteristics of Gabriel are similar to that of an oak. Also, his life revolves around nature, being a shepherd and whatnot. Bathsheba's life, while very prosperous, also revolves around nature. Most of the significant events of the story involve nature and the characters either overcoming it or being overcome by it. (fire, rain, etc.)
As far as history goes, Hardy shows that nature and humankind work together to create history and the future is built off of what has happened in the past. They are interwoven elements.
It is very clear that Hardy sees beauty and spirituality in the land; he respects the land and does not take it for granted. From the cover of his book to the names of the characters in the novel, Hardy shows his love of the land. I would say the names of the characters such as Gabriel Oak and Mr. Boldwood, would demonstrate how man is tied to the land. And it is up to man to work with the land, especially if he expects to survive, or wants to eat! The characters are all tied to the land in some way or another, and the story is surrounded by the land, thus effecting the decisions made by the characters.
In response to Shelly...
I really like the way you detail the name with the character: very clever. And, of course, I agree with your assessement.
I also agree with Erin's blog comments: very well thought out.
Preoccupied by the traces of history and humanity inscribed within nature? What does that even mean? Traces of history inscribed within nature? History and humanity? Does that refer to primitive and/or Paganistic beliefs that scary forces control the universe, and when they're upset they cause nature's violent outbursts? Or history like man's ongoing struggle to survive, the history he has with living with, working for, and fighting against nature? If that's the case, then I suppose that the storm scene, where Oak and B-sheb struggle against the tumultuous nature while their relationship also suffers through turbulent times would be an example. You could also say that the scene where Oak's sheep fall off the cliff is another example, in which Oak's livelihood, social status, and reputation - all forged by nature -is taken away by a very natural thing: a dog chasing sheep. He was both nurtured and neutered by nature. If I understand the question right, then those are a few examples; if I didn't understand the question, disregard the above text, and have a nice day.
Far From the Madding Crowd illustrates Eagleton’s assertion primarily in Hardy’s character, Gabriel Oak. Gabriel is an enchanted character that evokes the reader to evaluate their own personality. Hardy uses the setting as well as the archetypal weather conditions as a bases for the “humanity inscribed within” the novel (Eagleton 192). It seemed like Gabriel was mostly hit with grief and strife that never let him attain what he ultimately wanted out of life. But Hardy didn’t let those mishaps stop Gabriel; rather, Gabriel Oak showed a tremendous ability to react to the forces of nature. Thus, we are led to believe that Gabriel portrayed some of Hardy’s personal characteristics, as Eagleton points out.
I think Far From the Madding Crowd dealt more with the present, humane aspect, but historically speaking, when Hardy looked at piece of landscape/nature, he saw opportunity. He saw much more of what life had to offer, and he made more of it, as suggested by his accomplishments as a writer, poet, and playwright.
Hardy uses natuaral elements like the fact that it rained the night Gabriel and Bathsheba were trying to save the hay stacks, to show how human emotions are stimulated by natural events just as much as they are stimulated by other humans. Hardy's use of nature shows the eroticism in humanity. Another example is when Sgt. Troy and Bathsheba were in that pit and Hardy describes how there was a caterpillar on her blouse and Sgt. Troy used his mastery with the sword to get the caterpillar off her blouse without cutting her blouse. The caterpillar gave Sgt. Troy another reason to prove his mastery with the sword. If the caterpillar was not there, that wouldn't mean that he was a master. However, the caterpillar added some ambiance to the scene which makes it more erotic.
Hardy names his characters according to their personalities and their actions. The names that he gives them allows the reader to have an idea of what each person is like and how the story may play out.
Hardy does not really dwell on the beauty of nature so much in FFMC, but we can tell how important it is to his story. As Dr. Battles mentioned one day in class, most of the story takes place outside. One may wonder why, but Hardy uses the outdoors to associate people more with the forces of the natural world.
Hardy may feel as if the outdoors is full of memories and that nature has been touched by mankind, and because of this he wants to create more memories and have nature touch mankind as well. Nature is what drives the characters' lives. Sheep and crops are important in order for the farmers and shepherds to make a living. They do not dwell on the beauty or grace of nature-but they do know why it is important to them just as it was important to those who came before.
Hardy used nature very liberally in his novel. He spent great time and energy describing the little details and natural occurences. His admiration for such occurences and how it so easily reflects basic human nature is evident in his words. He has such respect for the nature and the people living in it. They themselves are much like the weather in that, in contrast to other books, they are not controlled or governed by what others gossip about. The characters have their own seasons and changes. The cycle of spring, summer, fall, and winter are all in every major character.
in response to shelley,
I believe your comment really took the cake this time. I never would have thought to use name association. Very neat, I like it!
In response to Martin,
I liked your assertion of Gabriel Oak as a sort of weeble who wobbles, but doesn’t fall down. Time and time again, through natural forces and through human action, Oak is knocked down, but he gets right back up. I’m not sure that answers the post question, but, then again, I’m not sure anyone really answered it.
Shelley, I love the connection with the character’s names and their actions. Great parallelism between Fanny’s name and her flying away. As for Gabriel, I like how you pointed out that the oak tree is tall, strong, and has a firm foundation, just like Gabriel. There may be factors of nature that affect it and take a piece off of it, but it’s going to take a lumberjack with a heavy-duty chain saw to cut his bark. He’s sturdy and here for the long haul!
Thomas Hardy definitely is more engrossed with “the traces of history and humanity inscribed within it [nature]” and uses this engrossment throughout FFMC. For example, his characters’ names portray things in nature and of landscape. The last name Oak is mimicked from an oak tree; Gabriel’s character traits are that of an oak tree. A few other names, like Boldwood, Bathsheba Everdene, Fanny Robin, Poorgrass, and Troy also share similar innate qualities with the very things their names represent.
Hardy is also concerned with history and preserving it. Why else would he base FFMC around farm life when he himself lived during an industrialized era? FFMC did not reference any advanced technological farming equipment used nor did it contain sophisticated language. It is simplicity at its best and Hardy does a great job capturing nature through character.
Claudia,
When I ask myself why does most of FFMC takes place outside?, I conclude that outdoors is representative of nature. I cannot think of anything inside a house that is indicative of nature. However, outdoors is the sun, the greens (grass and trees and other green things), the sky--the natural state of things. Outdoors is Hardy's perfect place to capture humanity interacting with nature. Nature is history.
I think pretty much everyone has the same general idea here.
Lacey,
I like how you commented on the fact that the characters have their own seasons and changes. It is very true that Hardy compares the lives of the characters to some aspect of nature. All of those little details about nature that Hardy puts into his writing give us an idea about his outlook on life. I think that he believes that no matter how urban, mechanical, technical, etc. that our world becomes, as humans we continue to have an unbreakable bond with nature.
In response to Shelley -- love the characterizations with the names! I hadn't connected all of those pieces before. To recap it in a kind of play with words, each character's name not only signifies a part of the earth's physical nature, but also the individual's nature (personality and actions). Cool correlation indeed ma'am.
I noticed that several times in the book, Hardy used natural "negative" events -- most specifically as a storm -- to bring out the true personality of a character for the reader to see. Gabriel Oak is the most obvious example. When the dogs drive his sheep to their deaths and he loses his fortune, Gabriel does not let that stop him. He works hard until he once again has good standing and applies himself as much in the little tasks on someone else's farm -- Bathsheba's -- as he did on his own. The storm that Gabriel worked so hard before/during to save the ricks shows us his strong work ethic and awareness of what goes on around him.
Erin,
I agree with you in your comments to this bog. Harding does go on to decribe in detail the scenery and how it relates to the character. Also i agree with the fact that nature and humankind work together to create history and that the future is built off of what happened in the past . Our blogs are very similiar in nature. (no pun intended)
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