Pessimism in Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge

Hardy's The Mayer of Casterbridge is a kind of pessimistic story of its protagonist Michel Henchard. He is the main character who has become a puppet of his own luck though he is laborious man. He tries to do good and becomes a better human being but everywhere he gets frustrated, disillusionment, alienation and disorder in his life.

His whole life is a tragic one. His very crucial and unforgivable mistake is selling his wife and daughter being in drunkard mood. But even here to reader's sympathy goes towards Henchard because everything had become unconscious. But after that Henchard tried to do good all the time. He searched his wife and daughter. He promised not to drink even a drop of wine for a long time. He got economic success, He reached at the top of his power. He undoubtedly welcomed his previous wife and his so-called own daughter. He tried his best to take care of his daughter, wife, friends, believers.

But after all his life resulted in the very pessimistic mood. He believed Farfrae as his own right hand, but couldn't get the ultimate satisfaction. He felt the high range of economic downfall, but at last everything resulted in to the very initial position of Henchard. Rather more bad position than that of his previous one.

Henchard is the pessimistic protagonist of the novel because he couldn't get happiness at any time. His success has become the antithesis of his happiness. His small error groups all kinds of happiness and ordered life patterns. If there is anything that is very responsible to give the pessimistic tone of the novel, it is only coincidences. Coincidences have played the very crucial role to take the pessimistic vision in the entire life journey of Michael Henchard through the whole novel.

So, the sense of pessimism in Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge has been presented in a bit different way. No doubt the protagonist of the novel is a pessimistic character, but the whole credit of his pessimism has not been given to his own flaw only. But the pessimism has been broadly caused by the luck, fate, conscience of human beings. Life has been presented there as pessimistic in the hand of luck or chances. Our pessimistic life is a kind of truth, but the very cause behind it is beyond our control. This sort of pessimism is there is Henchard's life too.