Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- What does Sergeant Troy give Bathsheba that Farmer Boldwood and Gabriel Oak can't? Use specific evidence from the text to help explain why Bathsheba would marry Troy.
- If Hardy's title suggests that a life in the country is nice and peaceful, why do the main characters of this book (all of whom live in the country) have so much drama in their lives?
- In your opinion, which characters in this book deserve what happens to them? Which ones don't? Use examples from the text to support your answer.
- All in all, do you think this book supports Bathsheba's attempts to be an independent woman and run her own farm, or does it criticize them? Why?
- Do you have any sympathy for Farmer Boldwood in this book? Why or why not?
- What do you think is Bathsheba's biggest flaw in this book? Does she overcome it in the end?
- If you could pinpoint a single decision that causes things in this book to start going wrong, which decision is it? Who makes it and why?
- Do you think that this book has a traditional happily-ever-after ending? Why or why not?