The Mayor of Casterbridge

The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character (1886) is a novel by Thomas Hardy. Taking place in a fictional town in rural England sometime in the 1840s, the story follows young hay trusser Michael Henchard as he traverses English social life and struggles to improve his standing. One of the foremost authors of the Victorian period, Hardy is known for his psychologically and morally complex portrayals of rural English life during the Industrial Revolution. The Mayor of Casterbridge has been adapted for film, television, radio, and opera.

This guide uses the Hook and Hairline Press edition, based on the original 1886 text.

Plot Summary

The Mayor of Casterbridge begins at a country fair in Wessex, a fictional English county. Drunk on rum, 21-year-old Michael Henchard feuds with his wife, Susan. In a drunken rage, he impulsively auctions her and their baby daughter for five guineas. The buyer is Richard Newson, a sailor passing through town. After sobering up the next day, Henchard regrets his actions, but Newson has already departed with his family. Henchard vows to not drink for the next 21 years.

The narrative jumps forward 18 years.