After selling his wife at a fair, Henchard swears an oath to abstain from alcohol as an act of atonement. Does this adequately address his actions? Why or why not? What would Henchard have needed to do to atone for his actions?

The Mayor of Casterbridge contains complex, sometimes contradictory depictions of fate. In your opinion, what is the true role of fate in the characters’ lives? Is fate separable from human action?

Why does Hardy parallel Henchard’s life with Farfrae? What truths about the town, the characters, or human nature does the contrast between the two men reveal?