The Ruined Maid in the Novel Essay Example for Free

The Ruined Maid in the Novel Essay For dreariness nothing could surpass a prospect in the outskirts of a certain town and military station, many miles north of Weatherbury, at a later hour on this same snowy evening if that may be called a prospect of which the chief constituent was darkness Both appearances of Fanny Robin have been undercover of night and in darkness which suggests that she has such an element of tragedy about her, she cannot be seen in the light which usually signifies positivity and purity; she has been ruined by something unknown to the reader at the present time. The bell was in the open air, and being overlaid with several inches of muffling snow had lost its voice for the time. The bell represents Fanny Robins and it being in the open air illustrates her vulnerability. Hardy then goes on to reveal that it was overlaid with several inches of muffling snow which signifies Fannys increasing insignificance and decreasing strength as a bell is usually something clearly heard but now it almost cannot be heard at all. It shows how her fate is out of her control just as the weather affecting the bell is unpredictable and uncontrollable. In this chapter Fanny Robin is shown not out of place with her destitute surroundings, even trying to become part of it as her stature is stooped as if she is trying to be as unnoticed as possible. Hardy aids this by again not revealing her identity but by referring to her as a mere form and spot that only seemed human. The throw was the idea of a man conjoined with the execution of a woman. No man who had ever seen bird, rabbit, or squirrel in his childhood, could possibly have thrown with such utter imbecility as was shown here. Here hardy makes it clear that Fanny has lost all notion of what a respectable woman would do as her actions of throwing snow at Sergeant Troys window is likened to that of a mans. However, she still conforms to what would be expected if a woman were to do so by Hardys sexist notion that her throw showed such utter imbecility the blurred spot could not possibly be a man, also signifying her physical weakness. Fannys identity is not even recognised by her lover Troy as he asks What girl are you? which backs up the reputation of a soldier in which one is not entirely devoted to only one woman at a time. The dialogue to follow shows their complete opposite affections for one another; Troy shows how undependable he is and that he does not return the same love for Fanny as she does for him, or even treat it seriously at all. Their difference in character and position in the relationship is demonstrated by hardys use of similes likening both to the setting around them; Fanny being so much like a mere shade upon the earth shows how she is part of an unpredictable and vulnerable substance which is at the mercy of Troy being so much a part of the building signifying his strength in the relationship and knowledge that he can take advantage of Fannys vulnerable state. They are likened so much to these inanimate objects that One would have said the wall was holding a conversation with the snow. Due to her naivety towards Troys true nature, Fanny then asks the question of when they shall be married; a preposterous action of a woman of that period. However, their marriage is thwarted by an explainable misunderstanding and it is not surprising that Troy uses this as an excuse to break off all relations with Fanny leaving her alone and deeper in the poverty for which he is responsible for. Fanny is now truly a ruined maid as both pregnant and unmarried she has no place in any respectable society and so we as the reader are made to feel sympathy and pity for her through Hardys description of the pathos of her circumstance. Page 230 marks a change in Troys nature as he imparts that Fanny has long ago left me I have searched for her everywhere almost suggesting that he regrets his previous actions towards her. In chapter 29 Troy, newly married to Bathsheba, comes across a woman of extreme poverty and sadness of face; undeniably Fanny. This section of the novel evidences Troys altered emotions towards Fanny as he offers her money and agrees to meet her in two days time. Troy also protects her identity to Bathsheba though for whose benefit it is unclear. Chapter 40 marks the start of the quick ultimate downfall of Fanny in contrast to before as we noted her slow demise to ruination over a number of chapters whereas now, when she becomes a significant part of the novel, her end is narrated almost consecutively without much interval. Her extraordinarily strenuous walk to Casterbridge marks the last journey she will take. We are still not told directly that it is Fanny Robin as Hardy still masks her identity and describes her only as the woman but it is easy enough to assume. Her undeniable perseverance shows that she is still naively at the mercy of Troy and his actions towards her have made no real emotional impact on her, even after such a long time. Hardy again uses pathetic fallacy much like in chapter 11 by describing the sky to set the tone in which Fanny is then presented. When the woman awoke it was to find herself in the depths of a moonless and starless night. A heavy unbroken crust of cloud stretched across the sky, shutting out every speck of heaven. Fanny again finds herself in darkness, a recurring theme in the novel although the fact that it is moonless and starless and the cloud is shutting out every speck of heaven sets a more formidable mood than ever associated with Fanny as any possible positive aspect is gone; Hardy again prepares the reader for the dire events to come. When Fanny no longer has the strength to carry herself she leans on a dog which proves ironic that she does not receive any human aid. The dog is extremely significant as it illustrates Fannys final fall in both social status and ruination and she now finds comfort and reassurance from an animal; much like when Gabriel likens himself to his sheepdog in the early chapters marking his own drop in social status. It is then revealed that a man has stoned away the dog symbolising mans attitude towards Fanny as it was a man who reduced her to poverty, left her ruined and then chased away the dog; the only thing that has ever shown her true kindness and compassion. Fanny never makes it to Casterbridge but tragically dies whilst having Troys child in the poor house. Her death is extremely significant and marks her complete transformation into a ruined maid; she dies whilst having an illegitimate child unknown to the father who left her poverty stricken in a world where she is insignificant and alone. Her death also has an almost domino effect as Hardys theme of chance and fate spreads Fannys tragic end onto the other characters leading to the ruination of Bathsheba and Troys marriage. The truth is revealed about Fanny and her child and the blame is not placed on her but on Troy, the sole villain that ruined her. Fannys utterly pitiful situation invokes the sympathy of even hard-headed Bathsheba; showing the intensity of her ruination. Throughout Far From the Madding Crowd, the meetings with Fanny Robin illustrate what happens to a person who unnoticeably falls through the crevices in society, who is neglected and transparent to humanity and so lives a brief life of poverty, ending in tragedy. Hardy uses a constant isolated and distant tone, never directly identifying her, when describing Fanny, portraying the scarcity of attention she receives from others. Due to this it is clear that her ultimate ruination was inevitable from the start.