The Mayor Of Casterbridge By Thomas Hardy To what extent is it Henchard's temperament that causes his downfall? And to what extent is there a fateful inevitability to Henchard's tragedy? How does Hardy gain the reader's sympathy for Henchard? The mayor of Casterbridge is about a man who sells his wife and daughter at a fair he then spends 18 years trying to find them. He then becomes the Mayor of Casterbridge and hires a Mr. …showed first 75 words of 1720 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1720 total…main points that makes us commiserate for Henchard is when he dies. That in itself is bad enough, but once again it is Farfrae's reaction after hearing about Henchard's death that makes us feel sorry for him. "Dear me, is that so?" was Farfrae's reaction. It's as if he doesn't even care, he just dismisses it as an unimportant piece of information. This coldness is what makes us warm to Henchard a whole lot more.