The Mayor of Casterbridge

by Thomas Hardy

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Comment on the concept of wife-selling in The Mayor of Casterbridge.

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The concept of wife-selling in The Mayor of Casterbridge reflects the sexist norms of Victorian England, where women were often objectified and seen as extensions of their husbands. Michael Henchard's act of selling his wife, Susan, highlights these harsh gender relations. However, Thomas Hardy subverts the trope by giving Susan agency, suggesting she has some control over her fate, and illustrating Henchard's eventual remorse and desire to support his family.

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To comment on the idea of the wife’s sale in reference to the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge, consider how the occurrence relates to the sexist norms of the time.

Thomas Hardy published his story in 1886, and Michael Henchard’s choice to sell his wife Susan reflects the sexist ideas of Victorian England. Women and men were sharply unequal, with women frequently objectified as “angels” or passive objects whose identities depended on their husbands and whose roles were mostly restricted to the domestic sphere. Hardy highlights the inequitable dynamic when the man in the tent wonders why “men who have got wives and don’t want ’em, shouldn’t get rid of ’em as these gipsy fellows do their old horses.” The quote likens women to animals and reinforces the idea that men were in charge and could seemingly do what they wanted with their wives.

Henchard’s decision to sell his...

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wife exposes how harsh gender relations could be during Hardy’s time. At the same time, Hardy subverts the trope of the cruel, tyrannical man and the naïve, helpless woman. Susan has agency. To the question of whether anyone would buy her, Susan replies, “I wish somebody would. Her present owner is not at all to her liking!” After she is, more or less, bought, she tells Henchard, “I’ll try my luck elsewhere. ’Twill be better for me and Elizabeth-Jane, both.” This also suggests that Susan has some say in the matter and isn’t completely dependent on Henchard. Then again, the sale makes it seem like Susan has to have a husband.

A comment on the selling of the wife might also touch on how it impacts Henchard’s life. As it turns out, Henchard isn’t so hard-hearted. He goes on to become a successful businessperson and a mayor, and now he wants to support the wife and child he sold. This suggests that not every man who mistreats his wife is a lost cause.

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