In many novels the daughter serves as a symbol of naivety. She is generally a young character who needs to learn the in’s and out’s of the society she lives in. This girl grows and develops through the novel and learns to respond to the rapidly changing world around her. She is often given little freedom by her father and it nudged along and encouraged by her mother. This common family dynamic is the same as that found in The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. In this case, the daughter is named Elizabeth-Jane Newson, and she must adjust to her new life as a wealthy, privileged, young woman. With her new relation to a wealthy man, Elizabeth-Jane is opened to a whole new world of opportunities. The opportunity to educate herself, the change
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Before Susan Newson married Michael Henchard, she and her daughter did not live a privileged life. Neither she, nor her daughter were formally educated and were not thoroughly aware of how the ways of the affluent population and they did not have the money to buy many books. Despite this, Elizabeth-Jane was still very intelligent. She knew her and her mother’s situation and found ways to work around her money issues. Despite this, when she and Susan entered Casterbridge she knew they would have to be seen as respectable, so when they found lodging at the Three Mariner’s- a place that was far out of their price range, Elizabeth-Jane knew they had no choice but to stay there. Susan feared that they would have to “Pay [their] way even before [they] must be respectable...Mr. Henchard is too high for [them] to make [themselves] known to him” (Hardy, 50). She was afraid that this stay would empty out their pockets and they would be forced to depend solely on Michael Henchard. To solve this Elizabeth-Jane had a very smart idea, she asked the landlady if she …show more content…
For example, throughout the novel, Elizabeth-Jane remains very observant and understanding. When Susan and Elizabeth are first searching for Henchard they make a stop at the fair where Henchard had first sold Susan to see if anybody there was aware of Henchard’s whereabouts. Once they stepped onto the fairgrounds Elizabeth looked around and said, ‘“It is not much use inquiring here for anybody, I should think,’...she observed as she gazed round about, ‘people at fairs change like the leaves of trees’” (Hardy, 29). Elizabeth is very good at looking at her surroundings and making assumptions based off of what she can see and that trait does not change throughout the novel. She is also very perceptive. While she was living with Lucetta, Lucetta would give Elizabeth-Jane insights and stories while not giving up her name. Despite this, Elizabeth-Jane was still aware of the truth. Lucetta once asked Elizabeth-Jane, “You remember that trying case of conscience I told you of some time ago- about the first lover and the second lover” to which Elizabeth-Jane retorted, “O yes- I remember; the story of your friend...or as I may say you,” (Hardy, 213). This shows that Elizabeth-Jane can read between the lines and can understand what people are saying without them actually saying it. At one point in the novel she is described as
Before Susan Newson married Michael Henchard, she and her daughter did not live a privileged life. Neither she, nor her daughter were formally educated and were not thoroughly aware of how the ways of the affluent population and they did not have the money to buy many books. Despite this, Elizabeth-Jane was still very intelligent. She knew her and her mother’s situation and found ways to work around her money issues. Despite this, when she and Susan entered Casterbridge she knew they would have to be seen as respectable, so when they found lodging at the Three Mariner’s- a place that was far out of their price range, Elizabeth-Jane knew they had no choice but to stay there. Susan feared that they would have to “Pay [their] way even before [they] must be respectable...Mr. Henchard is too high for [them] to make [themselves] known to him” (Hardy, 50). She was afraid that this stay would empty out their pockets and they would be forced to depend solely on Michael Henchard. To solve this Elizabeth-Jane had a very smart idea, she asked the landlady if she …show more content…
For example, throughout the novel, Elizabeth-Jane remains very observant and understanding. When Susan and Elizabeth are first searching for Henchard they make a stop at the fair where Henchard had first sold Susan to see if anybody there was aware of Henchard’s whereabouts. Once they stepped onto the fairgrounds Elizabeth looked around and said, ‘“It is not much use inquiring here for anybody, I should think,’...she observed as she gazed round about, ‘people at fairs change like the leaves of trees’” (Hardy, 29). Elizabeth is very good at looking at her surroundings and making assumptions based off of what she can see and that trait does not change throughout the novel. She is also very perceptive. While she was living with Lucetta, Lucetta would give Elizabeth-Jane insights and stories while not giving up her name. Despite this, Elizabeth-Jane was still aware of the truth. Lucetta once asked Elizabeth-Jane, “You remember that trying case of conscience I told you of some time ago- about the first lover and the second lover” to which Elizabeth-Jane retorted, “O yes- I remember; the story of your friend...or as I may say you,” (Hardy, 213). This shows that Elizabeth-Jane can read between the lines and can understand what people are saying without them actually saying it. At one point in the novel she is described as