Who Michael Henchard is
Michael Henchard begins as an unemployed hay trusser, travelling with his wife Susan and their small daughter. After selling them to a sailor while drunk, he wakes ashamed and searches for them without success. He swears to avoid strong drink, then rises through hard work to become Casterbridge's mayor and leading corn merchant.
What Michael Henchard wants
Henchard wants to repair the wrong he does Susan, but his concern for respectability complicates his wish to make amends. When she returns, he plans to court and remarry her, restoring her good name without revealing their past. He also longs for company, though his need to be loved often turns into demands on others.
Michael Henchard and the others in the story
Donald Farfrae offers Henchard both practical help in the grain trade and the friendship he has been missing. Henchard makes him his manager and trusts him with his life story. Yet Farfrae's popularity stirs jealousy, and Henchard's pride helps turn their closeness into rivalry.
Questions
Who is Michael Henchard?
Michael Henchard is a hay trusser who becomes a respected corn merchant and the Mayor of Casterbridge.
Why does Michael Henchard give up drinking?
He gives up strong drink out of shame after selling Susan and their child while drunk.
Is Michael Henchard a villain?
Henchard is not a simple villain. He is capable of kindness and genuine remorse, but pride and sudden anger repeatedly work against his better intentions.
