How does Bathsheba change over time in far from the madding crowd?

Answer 1

In Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, Bathsheba has a change for the better in her character. This happens in several ways, such as she becomes more compassionate for other people, rather than just thinking about herself, she starts being able to accept that she is wrong, and her vanity does become less. All these ways can be associated with the latter - her vanity.

Firstly, she starts thinking about other people more. This happens in the case of Oak and Boldwood. At the beginning of the novel Bathsheba considers herself too good to look at Oak when he gives her tuppence to pass at the gate and refuses to marry him for the same reason but marries him at the end of the novel, finally realising that he has a very good personality. Also she sent the Valentine to Boldwood stupidly, despite Liddy saying that he is a very serious man, not thinking about any possible future consequences, whereas at the end of the novel she thinks about his feelings and agrees to marry him at the Christmas party. This opening of Bathsheba's mind is certainly one of the important changes which she undergoes over the novel.

Another positive change in her character is her ability to accept that she is wrong. Near the beginning she fires Oak twice when he sensibly criticises her private conduct. As time progresses, however, she becomes able to accept that she is wrong in her choice to marry Troy and that she would have been sensible to marry Oak when he first proposed. This change was likely catalysed by the unfairness of Troy's treatment of her in their marriage.

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he final change in Bathsheba's character is the fact that her vanity about her beauty is reduced. At the start she could be described as a narcissist, with her constant need to look in the mirror at her face, and believing that she was too good to marry Gabriel. This is also the reason that she decides to marry Troy, even though Boldwood and Oak were much more appropriate suitors in terms of personality. Troy constantly told her that she was beautiful, unlike the other two characters, which appealed to her vanity, which was the reason that Troy was the only character which she actually loved "with all [her] heart". However, by the end of the novel Bathsheba realises that she is a normal person like Oak and Boldwood, and that she is not perfect. Because of this she agrees to marry Oak in the last chapter.

Obviously, all these points are linked to her vanity and narcissistic qualities. At the beginning of the novel she thinks she is perfect, meaning she only thinks about herself (the first point) and is unable to take any criticism (second point). As her vanity decreases, her ability to take criticism increases, as does her compassion and thought for other people.

These smaller changes constitute Bathsheba's change in character - a change for the better in all respects.