The Three Strangers Cover Image

The Three Strangers

by Thomas Hardy

Start Free Trial

Editor's Choice

What is the theme of "The Three Strangers" by Thomas Hardy?

Quick answer:

One of the main themes of the story “The Three Strangers” by Thomas Hardy is the superiority of justice over law. Technically speaking, the first stranger broke the law by stealing sheep. But as he only did so to save his family from starvation, he earns the sympathy of those his would-be hangman derides as “simple-minded souls.”

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Country folk and their strange country ways are a regular feature of Thomas Hardy’s work. They may not be lettered, well-read, or sophisticated, but they have a firm set of values that, more often than not, puts them on the right path in life. Above all, they have a very developed sense of justice, one that is often at variance with the law as it is written.

When it comes to stealing sheep, the law is pretty clear: it’s a capital offense, to be punished by hanging. The first of the three strangers in the story, then, is in serious trouble if the forces of law and order should ever catch up with them. Thankfully for him, they don’t. But even if they did, the authorities would not gain the sympathy of the simple country folk in this neck of the woods.

They know that the stranger only resorted to...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

sheep-rustling out of desperation, because he needed to feed his starving family. As far as the good folk of Higher Crowstairs, justice—which in this case would involve letting the sheep their go—is so much more important than following the letter of the law.

Not for the first time in his work, Hardy presents his sturdy bucolics as being possessed of a set of values that sets them apart from the people in the towns and cities. Ultimately, it is their sense of justice that triumphs over the harshness of the law.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Thomas Hardy’s short story “The Three Strangers” is about what happens when three different guys arrive at a party uninvited, one at a time. The first one is a criminal, the second is the hangman who’s scheduled to put the criminal to death, and the third is the criminal's brother.

What’s the theme of the story?

Well, sometimes you define “theme” as “a broad topic that comes into play throughout the story.” In that case, the themes of "The Three Strangers" include hunger, theft, crime, punishment, sympathy, and justice; friendship, family, neighborliness, strangers, and outsiders; births and christenings, etc.

More often, in discussing literature, you define “theme” as “something true about life (or society or humanity) that the story reveals.”

In that case, here are some themes we can take from “The Three Strangers.”

1. People often jump to conclusions and make the wrong assumptions. We need to pay attention to details and not allow ourselves to be unduly influenced by first impressions.

 As you read the story, you’re led to believe that the third stranger who crashes the party is the criminal that everybody’s looking for. And of course, that’s who the townspeople capture. But then they realize that it was really the first stranger who they should have been after, and now they can’t catch him because it’s too dark.

2. Showing good hospitality to others often requires restraint.

As the party goes on, we see that the family who’s hosting it has to make some sacrifices. The guests are drinking too much mead, but the hosts let it happen so that they don’t upset anyone. The musicians keep playing when the hosts asked them to take breaks, but they just let it slide. One guest does something rude and annoying to the hostess, who ignores it. Part of the reason that the party is so much fun is because the hosts are willing to relax and not insist that everything be done a certain way.

3. We can label people with words like “criminal” or “thief,” but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re all still human and have certain things in common.

Toward the end of the story, after the constable has led the townspeople on the hunt for the criminal, two of the strangers sneak back into the house and share a snack together:

“The other had by this time finished the mead in the mug, after which, shaking hands heartily at the door, and wishing each other well, they went their several ways.”

It was the criminal and the hangman! With his “criminal” label shed, the man was just a man, whose company was enjoyed by the other. They ate together, shook hands, and offered kind words to each other.

4. True authority is earned by actions and respect, not conferred by titles or symbols.

Check out how silly and ineffectual the constable is in this story, even though he’s supposedly in charge of the hunt to find the criminal. Here he is, talking about how he can’t start the search unless he has his staff (his stick) with him:

“'But I can't do nothing without my staff--can I, William, and John, and Charles Jake? No; for there's the king's royal crown a painted on en in yaller and gold, and the lion and the unicorn, so as when I raise en up and hit my prisoner, 'tis made a lawful blow thereby. I wouldn't 'tempt to take up a man without my staff--no, not I. If I hadn't the law to gie me courage, why, instead o' my taking up him he might take up me!'”

With this ridiculous speech, the constable reveals how he’s cowardly and how he hides behind the staff as a symbol of authority. He wears a gray uniform and calls himself a king’s man. But none of that confers true authority on him.

It’s important to note that these are the themes that just one reader has noticed in “The Three Strangers.” You could use the content of the story to draw out many other different themes, or you could interpret the ones listed here in different ways.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the genre of "The Three Strangers" by Thomas Hardy?

The story "The Three Strangers," by Thomas Hardy, could be categorized into several genres. I'll describe each and allow you to determine if one of them is more relevant for your work than the others.

Most generally, "The Three Strangers"is a work of fiction. While the events could possibly have happened, Hardy does not refer to any places, people, or events known to be true. The story is set many years before Hardy wrote it down, so it is possible this is a story he first heard by word-of-mouth. Even if that is so, the tale is likely to have been embellished since the events first occurred. What's more, most of Hardy's writing was done in the form of works of fiction which occurred in realistic, "everyday" settings.

"The Three Strangers" is a short story, and so falls into the category of short stories. It was published in the book Wessex Tales along with several other short stories of the realistic fiction style. 

Most specifically, the story could be considered a comedy. Several of the details of the story are humorous, which is set in contrast by the rather humdrum and predictable setting of English society. One might argue that the rigidity of the greater social context of the story makes their events all the more humorous!

Approved by eNotes Editorial