Farfrae is a scotsman who physically is a man of slight stature. He makes up for his small physique with a strong sense of self and high principles as well as unparalleled self-control. When he is forced into competing against henchard he delivers himself using high moral and ethical principles and never feels the need for personal vindictiveness or maliciousness. Surprisingly farfrae genuinely feels compassion and has respect for henchard which is clearly showed after henchard’s bankruptcy when henchard asks farfrae for a job.
Farfrae offers him a job and arranges it in a way that he personally never has to give henchard a direct order. This shows that he is a modest charming versatile character who behaves with principle thereby representing moral order. Farfrae is friendly pleasant and well-liked. Yet he maintains some reserve that allows him to calmly think things through and choose courses of action that lead to good and sound future results. Therefore his path through life is smooth and productive in comparison to henchard. In conjunction with these qualities, farfrae is also well-regulated and careful in what he undertakes. This furthers his success which allows him increasing control over his fate through the many choices available to him. To further explain this we need to look at the first evening farfrae arrives in casterbridge, he sits in the main room of the king of prussia inn and at the request of the other townspeople conjugating there, he sings songs from scotland from where he originates.
He pours all his homesickness and sentimentality into the songs and everyone is touched and amazed by his performance. They are all impressed both by his deep feelings and his loyalty to his home country. Elizabeth-jane is unexpectedly moved by the manner in which he looks at serious things she observes that farfrae can be optimistic but his values and morals do not allow him the privilege to joke about things like crime and corruption. Farfrae is able to make friends quickly because he is social and cheerful and able to keep friends because people respect his loyalty and his serious moral streak.
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Although he breathes air onto elizabeth-jane’s hair in a romantic manner farfrae’s positive energy and unique way of life enable him to sway unharmed between the women by whom he is admired. Being described as having a poetry of motion some people may think him as a selfish man for denying elizabeth-jane in order to marry wealthy miss templeman, however, his character gives him immunity from ill-founded emotion and his systematic carefulness allows his wisdom to see that a marriage between himself and elizabeth-jane would be unwise. He sees that it would burden both of them because neither one had the financial resources to enable them to maintain a good life.
This points out the most significant quality in a farfrae’s character. He is able without allowing emotion to influence him to look to the future to envisage the ultimate outcomes and consequences of his choices in the present day. This resonates with hardy’s twin themes of fate and the interaction between choice and fate and it is in direct contrast to henchard’s impulsive plunging forward without thought to future effects. In conclusion, farfrae’s function in the mayor of casterbridge is to antithetically represent what henchard is not. He is both inventive reliable: and charismatic. He also has new book-keeping finikin 87 methods; he restores the grain and brings the seed drill to casterbridge. His character is the reverse of henchard not just because he is meticulous and forward thinking. He never has black depressive moods 78/90 and none of henchard’s intensity instead he is a lively attractive adaptable character who comes across as the total opposite of henchard. I personally find myself loving and respecting donald and wish i could be half the man he is.
Bibliography
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- Shmoop. Shmoop university. Url https://www.Shmoop.Com/mayor-casterbridge/donald-farfrae.Html.
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- Karen p.L. Hardison. What is a character sketch of donald farfrae in the mayor of casterbridge enotes 24 oct. 2010
- https://www.Enotes.Com/homework-help/character-sketches-major-characters-mayor-79073. Accessed 19 apr. 2019
