What are the themes in “Far from the Madding Crowd”?
jamie-wheeler Teacher College – Sophomore eNotes Editor There are three major themes in Hardy’s novel: unrequited love, catastrophe, and social hierarchy. The following is excerpt from eNotes. You can find much more detailed information on each theme by visiting the link below, but here is a sampling: Unrequited love: Much of the plot of Far from the Madding Crowd depends on unrequited love—love by one person for another that is not mutual in that the other person does not feel love in return. The novel is driven, from the first few chapters, by Gabriel Oak’s love for Bathsheba. Once he has lost his farm, he is free to wander anywhere in search of work, but he heads to Weatherbury because it is in the direction that Bathsheba has gone. This move leads to Oak’s employment at Bathsheba’s farm, where he patiently consoles her in her troubles and supports her in tending the farm, with no sign he will ever have his love returned. Catastrophe: This novel focuses on the way that catastrophe c
