In Hardy's tragic tale, Henchard's transgression surpasses Lucetta's in severity, and he confronts it with greater honesty and suffering. Throughout the narrative, he develops a tragic awareness of the stark contrast between the life he has created through his decisions and the life he once dreamed of. Henchard gains a sense of tragic dignity as he seeks not to evade his past, unlike Lucetta, but to find redemption in it. When Susan returns, he makes an effort to correct his past wrongs. Although he also tries to maintain the benefits of his current situation—since their courtship and remarriage are essentially a facade, as they were never divorced nor was their previous marriage annulled—his actions are an understandable attempt to do the right thing without losing his present gains. A similar scenario unfolds in his subsequent courtship of Lucetta.