On a drunken impulse, Henchard sells his wife and daughter at a country fair. Years later, when he has become a respected and prosperous man, his wife and daughter seek him out in Casterbridge.

A Study Guide for Thomas Hardy's "Mayor of Casterbridge," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Novels for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Novels for Students for all of your research needs.

Set in the fictional town of Casterbridge, "The Mayor of Casterbridge" is Thomas Hardy's tragic story of Michael Henchard, who over indulges in alcohol at a country fair and decides to auction off his wife and daughter to a sailor. When he recovers his sobriety, Mr. Henchard realizes his mistake, but it is too late to get his family back. Devastated by his impetuous actions he decides not to touch alcohol again for the next twenty-one years. The novel...

The Selected Works of Thomas Hardy includes many of the esteemed author's best-known works: Far From the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure. Influenced by the Romantics, Hardy's novels are deeply critical of the constraints of Victorian society, particularly those placed on women and the poor.