Through out the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge, written by Thomas Hardy (Write his qualifications and

temporal position in the novel writing cannon) The woman characters of the novel require special
attention. Their relationship with the male characters, the way they are percieved and treated, allows us
to understand the state of woman during the novels period. Though they are shown as dependent upon
the whimsy of the male characters, they are still multi-dimensional characters. We will look at two
characters for the purposes of this analysis- Susan and Lucette We will observe the meek susan and how
she reacts to the changes around her and Lucette who is the ultimate victim of the whims of her society.
Victim of discrimination

Susan is bethrothed to henchard. We are told that Henchard married at a young age to Susan and
blames her for his own personal failures of virtue.

"The ruin of good men by bad wives, and, more particularly, the frustration of many a promising youth's
high aims and hopes, and the extinction of his energies, by an early imprudent marriage, was the theme.
"

As we see, Susan must face the undeserving scorn of Henchard, for failings of his own ability. Henchard's
habitual blaming of others for his own lack of foresight and ability is a repeating incident throughout the
novel.Susan is unable to rebel, merely forced to silently bow her head to Henchard's abuses.

Susan's character is not merely assigned the role of complete subserviency. There is a mixture of servility
and pride.

"I wish somebody would," said she firmly. "Her present owner is not at all to her liking.. "

Susan is capable of establishing her own individual stance against Henchard, while still remaining a
victim of the restrictive gender roles of her century.Susan's matriarchal instincts are

" I consider myself that, and that I have no claim upon you. Had he not died I should never have come —
never! Of that you may be sure."

All she does is for the safety of her children in mind. She is a martyr, a person who is willing to go
through humilliation and strife, if it were to mean that her children would be safe.

"I can hardly write it, but here it is. Elizabeth-Jane is not your Elizabeth-Jane--the child who was in my
arms when you sold me. No; she died three months after that, and this living one is my other husband's"

SUsan's prime directive is her children. She is an implied machiavelli, a character with no regards for
whether something is "right" or wrong, concerned more with what needs to be done. Susan is a meek
character, who lives under a society which assigns her the role of being subservient to men, and under
that role she is still capable of displaying her own restrained indipendence.

To further understand the position of woman in the contemporary period of time, we must look no
further than lucette templeman. Lucette is a character who fostered a weak and maltreated henchard.
Lucette faced much libel for her connection to Henchard, but with an iron heart and a stern face she
protected and nurtured henchard while he was poverty ridden and abondoned.

Lucetta's character is a mirror the character of Elizabeth-Jane. Where Elizabeth shuns exhorbitent display
of status, Lucetta is vigilante of her image.

"It was finally decided by Miss Templeman that she would be the cherry-coloured person at all hazards"
chapter-24

Lucetta is observent of the way people percieve her and to her, choosing a dress is equivalent of
choosing a perticular personality. Yet this quality is contradicted by her firm grasp over her own desires-

""I will love him!" she cried passionately; "as for him--he's hot-tempered and stern, and it would be
madness to bind myself to him knowing that. I won't be a slave to the past--I'll love where I choose!""

She is both sensitive to the fickle nature of society and sagaciously follows such rules but this belief is
obstructed by her belief of her own desires as an independent women. She is contradictory enigma,
both an ardent individualist yet lacking the will to support her will.

In conclusion, The women characters in The mayor of casterbridge are complex in their psychological
make up. Susan henchard is a meek women under Henchard's whims but also someone capable of
establishing her own identity, as when she encourages Henchar's action of auctioning her. She is a
vigorous matriarch, willing to pursue all methodoligies to secure safety for her children, as when she
attempts to decieve Henchard of Elizabeth's identity. Lucette is a women who is a representation of self
contradiction. She rebels against Henchard's opression, valuing her peronal love over Henchard's threats,
while also lacking the mental fortitude required to lead a life of individualist social ostracization.