How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Faint sounds came from the barn, and he looked that way. Figures stepped singly and in pairs through the doors—all walking awkwardly, and abashed, save the foremost who wore a red jacket, and advanced with his hands in his pockets, whistling. (38.5)
Sergeant Troy has a lot of trouble loving anything or anyone except himself. He even turns Bathsheba away from their wedding celebrations so that he can get drunk with a bunch of his new employees. The next morning, everyone stumbles out of the barn feeling terrible with hangovers. But Troy just skips out and whistles, showing that he couldn't care less about other people's feelings.
Quote #8
For those few heavenly golden moments she had been in his arms. What did it matter about her not knowing it?—she had been close to his breast; he had been close to hers. (48.12)
Farmer Boldwood gets into creep territory when he catches Bathsheba fainting at a market and takes a moment to savor the feeling of her in his arms. The fact that he specifically doesn't care whether she's conscious shows how little this guy respects Bathsheba as a person. He's gotten it into his head that he wants her as a wife, but in reality his love is just based on a desire to possess her, rather than spend time with her while she's conscious.
Quote #9
This fevered hope had grown up again like a grain of mustard-seed during the quiet which followed the hasty conjecture that Troy was drowned. (49.7)
Being a selfish man when it comes to love, Farmer Boldwood has trouble hiding his enthusiasm when he finds out that Bathsheba's husband has died while swimming. It takes him next to no time to decide that he's going to move in on Bathsheba and ask her, once again, to marry him.