Next week we will be reading critic Richard Carpenter who says, "Far From the Madding Crowd developes...the vividly realized setting of field and farm without the grim majesty of Egdon Heath (in Return of the Native)."
Choose a descriptive passage of "the vividly realized setting of field and farm" from the first 100 pages of Far and post it to this blog. Then go to the Return of the Native blog and comment on one of their descriptive passage posts. Is it a good example? Can you clearly tell this descriptive passage presents a "grim majesty" of the setting? In what ways is it different from how your setting of Norcombe Hill is presented?
Be sure to check the posts from Return of the Native as their setting differs from yours greatly. This should give you a well-rounded sense of Hardy's treatment of setting.
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ReplyDelete"The hill was covered on its northern side by an ancient and decaying plantation of beeches, whose upper verge formed a line over the crest, fringing its arched curve against the sky, like a mane. To-night these trees sheltered the southern slope from the keenest blasts, which smote the wood and floundered through it with a sound as grumbling, or gushed over its crowning boughs in a weakened moan. The dry leaves in the ditch simmered and boiled in the same breezes, a tongue of air occasionally ferreting out a few, and sending them spinning across the grass. A group or two of the latest in date amongst the dead multitude had remained till this very mid-winter time on the twigs which bore them, and in falling rattled against the trunks with smart taps." (Hardy, 15)
ReplyDeleteI think this passage well describes the farm setting. The use of words like "plantation", "slope", "trees/twigs/trunks" give us a quiet, country-like setting. It's very different from Egdon Heath, which is described as a dark place, probably foreshadowing the events that have/will take place. Egdon Heath is described as a sort of natural beauty at dawn, highlighting the shadows versus the natural lights, which could be the contrast between characters.
Delete"By the outer margin of the pit was an oval pond, and over it hung the attenuated skeleton of a chrome-yellow moon, which only had a few days to last- the morning star dogging her on the left hand. The pool glittered like a dead man's eye, and as the world awoke a breeze blew, shaking and elongating the reflection of the moon without breaking it, and turning the image of the star to a phosphoric streak upon the water." (Hardy, 43)
ReplyDeleteThis quote clearly shows the difference between the two settings. In Far the setting is much more beautiful and luscious. It is described in positive detail. Here they are describing a setting but it seems to be much more solemn. The references such as the "dead man's eye" are borderline disturbing.
Delete"Fluted pilasters, worked from the solid stone, decorated at its front, and above the roof the chimneys were paneled or columnar, some coped gables with finials and like features still retaining traces of the Gothic extraction. Soft mosses, like faded velveteen, formed cushions upon the stone tiling, and tufts of the house leek or sen-green sprouted from the eaves of the low surrounding buildings. A gravel walk leading from the door to the road in front was encrusted at the sides with more moss-here it was a silver-green variety, the nut-brown of the gravel being visible to the width of only a foot or two in the centre. This circumstance, and the generally sleepy air of the whole prospect here, together with the animated and contrasting state of the reverse facade, suggested to the imagination that on the adaption of the building for farming purposes the vital principle of the house had turned round inside its body to face the other way. Reversals of this kind, strange deformities, tremendous paralyses, are often seen to be inflicted by trade upon edifices-either individual or in the aggregate as streets and towns-which were originally planned for pleasure alone" (Hardy 76).
ReplyDelete"Not a single bleat. He went to the hedge; a gap had been broken through it, and in the gap were footprints of the sheep. Rather surprised to find them break fence at this season, yet putting it down instantly to their great fondness for ivy in wintertime, of which a great deal grew in the plantation, he followed through the hedge. They were not in the plantation. He called again; the valleys and furthest hills resounded as when the sailors invoked the lost Hylas on the Mysian shore; but no sheep. He passed through the trees and along the ridge of the hill. On the extreme summit, where the ends of the two converging hedges of which we have spoken were stopped short by meeting the brow of the chalk pit he saw the younger dog standing against the sky- dark and motionless as Napoleon at St. Helena." Pg 42
ReplyDelete"The road stretched through water-meadows traversed by little brooks, whose quivering surfaces were braided along their centres, and folded into creases at the sides; or, where the flow was more rapid, the stream was pied with spots of white froth, which rode on in undisturbed serenity. On the higher levels the dead and dry carcasses of leaves tapped the ground as they bowled along helter-skelter upon the shoulders of the wind, and little birds in the hedges were rustling their feathers and tucking themselves in comfortably for the night, retaining their places if Oak kept moving, but flying away if he stopped to look at them. He passed by Yalbury Wood where the game-birds were rising to their roosts, and heard the crack-voiced cock-pheasants "cu-uck, cuck," and the wheezy whistle of the hen"
ReplyDeleteThis quote is a good example of the field and farm setting that seems to be in Far from the Madding Crowd. The words "water-meadows","little brooks", and "undisturbed serenity" really do a great job describing the setting in your book. Unlike in Return of the Native where the setting is described as dark and depressing. As for the farm aspect of Far, there are descriptions of the animals that are there. All of these are positive descriptions of the animals that live on the farms in Far. As I said before, Egdon Heath is always portrayed as a very depressing and sad environment.
Delete"At one end of the street stood from two to three hundred blithe and hearty labourers waiting upon Chance- all men of the stamp to whom labour suggests nothing worse than a wrestle with gravitation, and pleasure nothing better than a renunciation of the same. Among these, carters and waggoners were distinguished by having a piece of whip-cord twisted round their hats; thatchers wore a fragment of woven straw; shepherds held their sheep-crooks in their hands; and thus the situation required was known to the hirers at a glance" (Hardy 44).
ReplyDeleteThis is a good example of the field and farm because it embodies the people there. While it does not set in a field or farm, we can tell by the waggoners, whip-cords, and the presence of shepherds that it is a farm place. I think what makes this setting seem so much different than Egdon Heath is the presence of life and movement in the descriptions, combined with words that indicate peace, serenity, light, happiness.
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