Elizabeth-Jane is of another sort altogether. Her character is virtuous but her virtue is mixed with naiveté and stoicism. Her life has been hard and so she has trained herself to lower expectations. She seeks to do what is good and proper, to better herself whenever she can but she also struggles to keep her emotions in check when life is good. Elizabeth-Jane is in direct contrast to Henchard. She expects, and usually receives, a mixture of highs and lows from life and so she seeks a balanced temperament - to the point of stoicism at times - to keep an even keel. Henchard's reaction to good fortune is pride, to bad fortune bitterness. In her relationships with others she seeks honesty and deference, he seeks selfish gain and withholds information when it suites him. Elizabeth's beauty is revealed and enhanced by her character, Henchard's outward appearance grows increasingly distressed to match his mental state. Because of these contrasting temperaments, Elizabeth reaches out to Henchard with compassion and pity but receives mostly pain. Ultimately, she is able to weather the storms and tribulations and seek happiness but Henchard dies separated and alone.

At the risk of being derided as a humanist, I think Hardy's story gives us a powerful description of the weaknesses and foibles of the human character but it also gives us an inspiring, if melancholy, view of determination and dignity in difficult times. The Mayor of Casterbridge may be set in a time and place distant from where you live, but in fundamental ways the human condition is universal. For that reason, this story truly is timeless.