Far from the Madding Crowd | Study Guide

Thomas Hardy

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Course Hero. "Far from the Madding Crowd Study Guide." Course Hero. 23 Aug. 2017. Web. 27 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Far-from-the-Madding-Crowd/>.

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Course Hero. (2017, August 23). Far from the Madding Crowd Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved September 27, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Far-from-the-Madding-Crowd/

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Course Hero. "Far from the Madding Crowd Study Guide." August 23, 2017. Accessed September 27, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Far-from-the-Madding-Crowd/.

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Course Hero, "Far from the Madding Crowd Study Guide," August 23, 2017, accessed September 27, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Far-from-the-Madding-Crowd/.

Far from the Madding Crowd | Chapter Summaries

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Timeline of Events

  • Eve of St. Thomas

    Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba Everdene meet.

    Chapter 2
  • Over two months later

    Gabriel's flock is lost.

    Chapter 5
  • Two months later

    Gabriel saves a farmer's hay ricks from fire.

    Chapter 7
  • That night

    Bathsheba, the farmer, hires Gabriel.

    Chapter 7
  • That night

    Fanny Robin leaves Weatherbury to marry her beloved.

    Chapter 8
  • St. Valentine's Eve

    Bathsheba sends a valentine to William Boldwood.

    Chapter 14
  • February weekday

    Fanny Robin and Sergeant Troy go to different churches and do not wed.

    Chapter 16
  • End of May

    Boldwood proposes, and Bathsheba asks for time.

    Chapter 19
  • Within the next month

    Bathsheba meets Sergeant Troy.

    Chapter 24
  • Within that month

    Bathsheba refuses Boldwood's proposal.

    Chapter 30
  • Weeks later

    Troy reveals to Boldwood that he married Bathsheba after her flight from Weatherby.

    Chapter 34
  • Saturday in October

    Bathsheba and Troy see Fanny on the road.

    Chapter 39
  • The next day

    Fanny and her child die.

    Chapter 40
  • The next day

    Bathsheba and Troy quarrel and separate.

    Chapter 43
  • One to two days later

    Troy is carried away by the sea and presumed dead.

    Chapter 47
  • Nine months later

    Boldwood proposes again.

    Chapter 51
  • Christmas Eve

    Troy returns and reveals himself to Bathsheba.

    Chapter 53
  • Christmas Eve

    Boldwood murders Troy.

    Chapter 53
  • A year later, Christmas

    Bathsheba goes to see Gabriel.

    Chapter 56
  • Soon after

    Bathsheba and Gabriel wed.

    Chapter 57

Chapter Summaries Chart

Chapter Summary
Chapters 1–3 Gabriel Oak, initially introduced as Farmer Oak, is depicted at length. His character appears middle of the road, a ki... Read More
Chapters 4–6 Gabriel Oak realizes that Bathsheba Everdene is both lovely and unusual, and he decides that he ought to marry her. Sh... Read More
Chapters 7–9 Bathsheba Everdene is also in shock. She hesitantly says that she does want a shepherd, and the villagers, who are imp... Read More
Chapters 10–12 Bathsheba Everdene meets her employees, pays them, and lets them know that she will be managing the farm, and she inte... Read More
Chapters 13–15 Bathsheba Everdene and Liddy Smallbury try to divine whom Bathsheba will marry by way of Bible and key. Liddy points o... Read More
Chapters 16–18 A soldier appears for a wedding. He stands and waits. No bride appears. Eventually, he leaves with the eyes of all at ... Read More
Chapters 19–21 Farmer Boldwood seeks out Bathsheba Everdene, finding her among her employees at the sheep washing. She walks away fro... Read More
Chapters 22–24 Bathsheba Everdene, Gabriel Oak, and several other workers shear sheep, and she is impressed by his skill and speed. H... Read More
Chapters 25–27 Sergeant Troy is described at length. He is "fairly well-educated for one of middle-class—exceptionally well educated ... Read More
Chapters 28–30 Bathsheba Everdene and Sergeant Troy meet in the evening in a hollow, moss-covered and hidden. Troy lifts a sword and ... Read More
Chapters 31–33 Bathsheba Everdene is on her way to meet Liddy Smallbury, who is on holiday visiting her sister. Bathsheba comes upon ... Read More
Chapters 34–36 Bathsheba Everdene and Liddy Smallbury return. Not long after, Sergeant Troy returns, too. Boldwood stops him, offerin... Read More
Chapters 37–39 Gabriel Oak is at work protecting the ricks when Bathsheba Everdene arrives. She sets out helping him by carrying shea... Read More
Chapters 40–42 Fanny makes it to Casterbridge, in part with the help of a dog, and collapses. She is taken inside, weakened and unabl... Read More
Chapters 43–45 When Fanny Robin is returned to Bathsheba's house, Bathsheba Everdene is at the point of putting together the tragic p... Read More
Chapters 46–48 When he wakes, Troy sees that the flowers he has planted have been washed away by the water-spout (a gargoyle). Troy d... Read More
Chapters 49–51 Autumn and winter pass. Gabriel Oak becomes bailiff of the farm, and Farmer Boldwood asks him to take on his farm as w... Read More
Chapters 52–54 On Christmas Eve, Sergeant Troy meets with Pennyways to plan his next move while Bathsheba prepares for Farmer Boldwoo... Read More
Chapters 55–57 Come March, they are awaiting Boldwood's fate. The supposition is that he is mentally unwell. Sets of women's clothes,... Read More
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