Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Sex is so intertwined in our society that it pervades each facet,
including television, books, advertising, and conversation. Movies
like The Matrix toss in gratuitous sex because the audience nearly
expects it. Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, therefore, is
exceptional in its lack of sexual situations. The subject of sexual
motivation and its inherent ambiguity with regard to Henchard's
actions is a topic that caught my attention from the very first pages
of The Mayor of Casterbridge. Continually in the novel there is
tension, but it is never described as sexual. Much the same, there are
countless marriages during the novel but no related sexual attraction
is discussed. The topics of sex and sexuality are simply expected in
most literature, because they are such dominant themes in everyday
life. Hence, the absence of sex is more noticeable than its inclusion
in this novel.
The Mayor of Casterbridgeopens with what I believe to be the single
most important event of the entire novel. Michael Henchard sells his
wife and daughter to a passing sailor for five guineas. This is a
perfect example of a dominant man, which sets the stage for Henchard's
character through the rest of the book. The portrayal of Michael and
Susan Henchard on their walk to Weydon-Priors reaffirms this dominant
man/victimized woman viewpoint. The sexual tension is evident both on
an emotional level, "perfect silence they preserved…the woman enjoyed
no society whatever from his presence" (5), and physically, "sometimes
the man's bent elbow almost touched her shoulder, for she kept as
close to his side as was possible without actual contact; but she
seemed to have no idea of taking h...
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...le cannot do in their own lives.
Works Cited
Hardy, T.The Mayor of Casterbridge (A Norton Critical Edition - 2nd
Edition)Phillip Mallett. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd, 2001.
Showalter, E., "The Unmanning of the Mayor of Casterbridge" in The
Mayor of Casterbridge (A Norton Critical Edition - 2nd Edition). P.
Mallett. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd, 2001. 391- 405.
Gregor, I., "A Man and His History" in The Mayor of Casterbridge (A
Norton Critical Edition - 2nd Edition). P. Mallett. New York: W.W.
Norton & Co., 2001. 382- 391.
Howe, I., "The Struggles of Men" in The Mayor of Casterbridge (A
Norton Critical Edition - 2nd Edition). P. Mallett. New York: W.W.
Norton & Co., 2001. 366- 380.
Langbaum, R. 'Minimisation of Sexuality' in The Mayor of Casterbridge
- Contemporary Critical Essays. J. Wolfreys. Macmillan Press, 2000.
116-131.
Judith R. Walkowitz is a Professor Emeritus at John Hopkins University, specializing in modern British history and women’s history. In her book City of Dreadful Delight, she explores nineteenth century England’s development of sexual politics and danger by examining the hype of Jack the Ripper and other tales of sensational nature. By investigating social and cultural history she reveals the complexity of sexuality, and its influence on the public sphere and vice versa. Victorian London had upheld traditional notions of class and gender, that is until they were challenged by forces of different institutions.
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"Well, at least this isn't your last game. You guys all have another game to play," I complained as usual.