Thomas Hardy

Study question Thomas Hardy

Facts about Thomas Hardy

➾ Hardy was a healthy yet fragile child who showed unusual sensitivity to music and could read almost before walking.

➾ While apprenticed to an architect, Hardy intensely self-studied Greek daily between four and eight in the morning.

➾ His final architectural job, restoring a church in Cornwall, was how he met his first wife, Emma Lavinia Gifford.

➾ Hardy’s first published novel, Desperate Remedies, required him to advance £75, most of which was eventually returned.

➾ He stopped writing novels after the severe critical backlash and controversy caused by the publication of Jude the Obscure.

➾ Hardy often altered novels like Tess to soften his social satire and make them suitable for family readers during magazine serialization.

➾ He believed in ‘meliorism’ (gradual improvement of the world) until 1914, when the horrors of World War I shattered that view.

➾ Hardy’s love for architecture, music, and country folklore was fostered by the varied interests of his stonemason father and reading mother.

➾ Although his first marriage was unhappy, the death of his wife Emma in 1912 prompted him to write some of his most profound poetry.

➾ Hardy secretly wrote his own authorized autobiography, which was later published under the name of his second wife, Florence Dugdale.

➾ Hardy had a divided burial: his ashes were interred in Westminster Abbey while his heart was buried separately at Stinsford near his ancestors.

Thomas Hardy MCQs

1. When was Thomas Hardy born?

A. January 11, 1928
B. September 2, 1840
C. June 2, 1840
D. June 22, 1840

C. June 2, 1840
He was born on this date in Dorset, England.

2. In what location was Thomas Hardy born?

A. Dorchester, Dorset
B. Stinsford, Dorset
C. Higher Bockhampton, Stinsford, Dorset
D. Max Gate, Dorchester

C. Higher Bockhampton, Stinsford, Dorset
He was born in England, in a small cottage in this hamlet, where his father lived.

3. What was the primary business of Thomas Hardy’s father?

A. Farming and agriculture
B. Stone masoning and building
C. Teaching and schooling
D. Church restoration

B. Stone masoning and building
Thomas Hardy Sr. was a master mason and local builder.

4. Hardy was sensitive to which art form, often playing the dance fiddle for his family?

A. Painting
B. Drama
C. Architecture
D. Music

D. Music
Music, particularly local folk music, was a lifelong passion and influence on his writing.

5. Which ancient language did Hardy begin studying at the age of twelve?

A. Greek
B. French
C. Latin
D. German

C. Latin
He began the study of Latin at age twelve.

6. At what age did Hardy become a student of the architect John Hicks?

A. Twelve
B. Sixteen
C. Eighteen
D. Twenty-two

B. Sixteen
He began his apprenticeship in architecture under Hicks in Dorchester in 1856.

7. How did Hardy pursue his Greek studies while apprenticed to Hicks?

A. By attending night classes in Dorchester.
B. By receiving tutoring from John Hicks.
C. By studying between four and eight in the morning.
D. By reading books supplied by George Meredith.

C. By studying between four and eight in the morning.
This commitment to self-education highlights his early intellectual ambition.

8. Which Dorset poet, who kept a school next to Hicks’ office, influenced Hardy?

A. George Meredith
B. Horace Moule
C. Arthur Blomfield
D. The Reverend William Barnes

D. The Reverend William Barnes
Barnes, known for his dialect poetry, encouraged Hardy’s literary interests.

9. In what year did Hardy go to London to work for the architect Arthur Blomfield?

A. 1856
B. 1862
C. 1867
D. 1870

B. 1862
He moved to London to further his architectural career.

10. In what year did ill health force Hardy to leave London and return to Dorchester?

A. 1865
B. 1867
C. 1870
D. 1874

B. 1867
London life proved detrimental to his health, forcing him back to Dorset.

11. What was the title of Hardy’s first novel, which was rejected by publishers?

A. Desperate Remedies
B. Under the Greenwood Tree
C. The Poor Man and the Lady
D. A Pair of Blue Eyes

C. The Poor Man and the Lady
This novel, never published, dealt with social class and romantic ambition.

12. Which critic advised Hardy regarding his first rejected novel?

A. Horace Moule
B. Arthur Blomfield
C. George Meredith
D. The Reverend William Barnes

C. George Meredith
Meredith, working as a reader for Chapman and Hall, recommended Hardy abandon the book but try again.

13. Where did Hardy meet his first wife, Emma, while on a restoration job?

A. Higher Bockhampton
B. Weymouth
C. St. Juliot in Cornwall
D. Max Gate

C. St. Juliot in Cornwall
He met Emma Gifford in 1870 while surveying the restoration of a church there.

14. In what year did Thomas Hardy marry Emma Lavinia Gifford?

A. 1870
B. 1871
C. 1874
D. 1878

C. 1874
They married in London, coinciding with the success of Far From the Madding Crowd.

15. What was the title of Hardy’s first published novel in 1871?

A. Under the Greenwood Tree
B. Desperate Remedies
C. The Return of the Native
D. Far From the Madding Crowd

B. Desperate Remedies
This complex melodrama was his first novel to reach publication.

16. Which 1872 novel was Hardy’s first popular success?

A. A Pair of Blue Eyes
B. The Poor Man and the Lady
C. Under the Greenwood Tree
D. Tess of the d’Urbervilles

C. Under the Greenwood Tree
This gentle novel was his second published work and proved popular with critics and readers.

17. Which 1874 novel’s success allowed Hardy to give up architecture?

A. Desperate Remedies
B. The Mayor of Casterbridge
C. Far From the Madding Crowd
D. The Woodlanders

C. Far From the Madding Crowd
Its serialization in the Cornhill Magazine and subsequent popularity allowed him to dedicate himself entirely to writing.

18. For how many years did Hardy primarily concentrate on writing fiction?

A. Five years
B. Ten years
C. Fifteen years
D. Twenty years

D. Twenty years
He concentrated primarily on writing novels from 1870 until 1891 (Tess) and 1895 (Jude).

19. What fictional region did Hardy create for his novels?

A. Casterbridge
B. Stinsford
C. Wessex
D. Egdon Heath

C. Wessex
He named his fictionalized version of Dorset and the surrounding counties “Wessex,” drawing on Anglo-Saxon history.

20. Which 1878 novel was admired for its setting of Egdon Heath?

A. The Woodlanders
B. A Laodicean
C. The Return of the Native
D. Two on a Tower

C. The Return of the Native
Egdon Heath, the desolate, ancient landscape, functions almost as a character in this novel.

21. What was the name of the house Hardy built near Dorchester?

A. Stinsford Cottage
B. Egdon Hall
C. Max Gate
D. Casterbridge Manor

C. Max Gate
He designed and built this home where he lived for the rest of his life.

22. Which novel, set in a fictionalized Dorchester, features Michael Henchard?

A. The Return of the Native
B. The Woodlanders
C. The Mayor of Casterbridge
D. A Pair of Blue Eyes

C. The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) centers on the tragic rise and fall of the self-made Michael Henchard in the town of Casterbridge (Dorchester).

23. In what year did Tess of the d’Urbervilles begin its serial run?

A. 1889
B. 1891
C. 1894
D. 1897

B. 1891
It was serialized with modifications due to the controversial content.

24. Which novel’s controversy caused Hardy to abandon novel writing?

A. Tess of the d’Urbervilles
B. Far From the Madding Crowd
C. The Well Beloved
D. Jude the Obscure

D. Jude the Obscure
The vicious public outcry and moral outrage following the publication of Jude the Obscure (1895) led him to stop writing novels entirely.

25. What was the title of Hardy’s last novel, published in 1897?

A. Jude the Obscure
B. The Well Beloved
C. Tess of the d’Urbervilles
D. The Woodlanders

B. The Well Beloved
Although Jude the Obscure (1895) was his last major novel, The Well-Beloved was his final published novel.

26. What was the title of Hardy’s first volume of poetry, published in 1898?

A. Late Lyrics and Earlier
B. Winter Words
C. Wessex Poems
D. Satires of Circumstance

C. Wessex Poems
This collection, published after he abandoned fiction, marked his full-time return to poetry.

27. What was the title of his three-part epic verse drama on the Napoleonic Wars?

A. Winter Words
B. The Dynasts
C. Poems of 1912–13
D. Wessex Tales

B. The Dynasts
This monumental work (1903–08) is a blend of poetry and drama.

28. What major honour did the King award Hardy in 1910?

A. Knight Commander of the Bath
B. Poet Laureate
C. The Order of Merit
D. The Nobel Prize in Literature

C. The Order of Merit
King George V appointed him to the Order of Merit, a high civilian honour.

29. When did Hardy’s first wife, Emma, die?

A. 1910
B. 1912
C. 1914
D. 1928

B. 1912
Emma died suddenly in November 1912, inspiring his most poignant love poems (Poems of 1912–13).

30. Whom did Hardy marry in 1914?

A. Jemima Hand
B. Florence Emily Dugdale
C. Grace Melbury
D. Eustacia Vye

B. Florence Emily Dugdale
He married his secretary, Florence Dugdale, in 1914.

31. What was the title of Hardy’s final volume of verse?

A. Late Lyrics and Earlier
B. Human Shows
C. Winter Words
D. Moments of Vision

C. Winter Words
This final collection was published in 1928, the year of his death.

32. On what date did Thomas Hardy die?

A. June 2, 1840
B. January 11, 1928
C. September 4, 1874
D. December 31, 1927

B. January 11, 1928
He died on this date at Max Gate.

33. Where were Hardy’s cremated remains interred?

A. Max Gate, Dorchester
B. Stinsford Churchyard
C. Westminster Abbey, Poets’ Corner
D. St. Juliot, Cornwall

C. Westminster Abbey, Poets’ Corner
His ashes were interred in Poets’ Corner, a high honour.

34. Where was Hardy’s heart buried?

A. Max Gate, Dorchester
B. Stinsford, near the graves of his ancestors
C. Poets’ Corner
D. St. Juliot in Cornwall

B. Stinsford, near the graves of his ancestors
His heart was removed and buried separately in the churchyard where he had played the fiddle as a young man.

35. Hardy published his novels in serial form, similar to which other English novelist?

A. Scott
B. Dumas
C. Dickens
D. Keats

C. Dickens
Like Charles Dickens, Hardy serialized many of his novels in monthly or weekly magazines.

36. Which collection was the first that Hardy released?

A. Life’s Little Ironies
B. A Changed Man
C. A Group of Noble Dames
D. Wessex Tales

D. Wessex Tales
This collection of short stories was published in 1888.

37. His mother inspired a taste for literature, while his father shared a love of architecture and what?

A. Science
B. Philosophy
C. Music
D. Theology

C. Music
Both parents fostered his cultural interests.

38. Darwinian evolutionism eventually made Hardy what?

A. A Meliorist
B. A severe critic of traditional religion/An agnostic
C. A fatalist
D. A church restorer

B. A severe critic of traditional religion/An agnostic
Scientific theories contributed to his loss of faith in a beneficent God.

39. Hardy lived during the industrial revolution, which led to the disintegration of what?

A. The British empire
B. The family building business
C. Rural customs and traditions
D. The London architectural scene

C. Rural customs and traditions
His novels often lament the passing of the traditional agricultural way of life.

40. The period of changing beliefs in Hardy’s time brought about what feeling?

A. The joy of modernism
B. The ‘ache of modernism’
C. The pursuit of happiness
D. The Immanent Will

B. The ‘ache of modernism’
He coined this phrase to describe the spiritual and existential pain resulting from the erosion of old beliefs.

41. Hardy read Darwin’s Origin of the Species and what other document that influenced his religious views?

A. The Dynasts
B. Wessex Poems
C. Essays and Reviews
D. A Changed Man

C. Essays and Reviews
This publication of liberal theology further challenged traditional Christian doctrines.

42. Hardy struggled to reconcile a beneficent God with the existence of what?

A. The inevitability of war
B. Omnipresent evil and unhappiness
C. The shifting of population
D. The success of his own novels

B. Omnipresent evil and unhappiness
The problem of suffering became central to his philosophical outlook.

43. Until 1914, Hardy considered himself a “meliorist,” believing that what was happening?

A. The universal scheme was unchanging.
B. The universe was completely governed by Fate.
C. The universal scheme was gradually improving.
D. Only poetry could capture human suffering.

C. The universal scheme was gradually improving.
Meliorism is the belief that the world can be made better through human effort.

44. What event shattered Hardy’s belief in meliorism in 1914?

A. The death of his first wife
B. The reaction to Jude the Obscure
C. The absurdity and horror of war
D. The publication of The Dynasts

C. The absurdity and horror of war
The outbreak of World War I made the idea of gradual moral improvement seem impossible.

45. What philosophical outlook is most readily associated with Hardy the novelist?

A. Meliorism
B. Naturalism
C. Romanticism
D. Fatalism

D. Fatalism
Although he considered himself a meliorist, his novels’ pervasive sense of doomed protagonists and tragic coincidence leads critics to label his work as fatalistic.

46. In Hardy’s philosophy, what motif is placed with tremendous importance?

A. Love
B. Nature
C. Time
D. Night

C. Time
His works often focus on the corrosive effects of the past and the relentlessness of time.

47. In Hardy’s philosophy, who is Fate’s most potent instrument against Man’s happiness?

A. The Wessex rustic
B. The Critic
C. Woman
D. The Deity

C. Woman
Hardy’s perception of women (e.g., Sue Bridehead, Tess) as unpredictable and often destructive forces is a recurring idea.

48. Hardy critiques ‘Convention and Law’ because they are contrived by whom, yet work against him?

A. Cruel Nature
B. The Immanent Will
C. Man himself
D. The established Church

C. Man himself
He argues that rigid social laws created by humanity often cause unnecessary suffering to the individuals they are meant to govern.

49. Hardy suggests that most of Tess’s misery was generated by her conventional aspect, and not by what?

A. Angel Clare’s judgment
B. Her innate sensations
C. Alec’s evil intentions
D. The agricultural life

B. Her innate sensations
He frames Tess as a pure woman whose suffering is caused by the cruel social conventions and judgments of others.

50. In The Dynasts, Hardy projects a universe governed by a blind force called what?

A. Fate
B. The Spirit of the Years
C. The Immanent Will
D. The Wessex destiny

C. The Immanent Will
This term refers to the unconscious, indifferent cosmic force that drives the universe, often resulting in human suffering.

Far from the Madding Crowd MCQs

1. What is Gabriel Oak’s Christian name?

A. Farmer
B. Thomas
C. Gabriel
D. Boldwood

C. Gabriel.
Gabriel is his first name, often used in narration alongside his occupational title.

2. What is Bathsheba’s greatest fault, according to Gabriel?

A. Too proud
B. Too selfish
C. Too vain
D. Too headstrong

C. Too vain.
Gabriel believes vanity is the biggest fault of the handsome traveller he observed.

3. What season precedes the description of Oak’s nighttime watch?

A. High summer
B. Late autumn
C. Mid-winter
D. Early spring

C. Mid-winter.
The setting is described as nearly midnight on the eve of St. Thomas’s, the shortest day.

4. What covered Norcombe Hill on its northern side?

A. Granite rocks
B. Chalk and soil
C. Decaying beeches
D. Young pines

C. Decaying beeches.
An ancient and decaying plantation of beeches covers the northern slope of Norcombe Hill.

5. What is one of the chief preparations in Oak’s ovine surgery kit?

A. Sulphur
B. Spirits of wine
C. Iodine
D. Poppy seeds

B. Spirits of wine.
Gabriel’s tools include spirits of wine, turpentine, tar, and other basic supplies for sheep medicine.

6. What does Gabriel bring into his hut near midnight?

A. A dying ewe
B. A sick cow
C. A stray dog
D. A newborn lamb

D. A newborn lamb.
Gabriel returns to his hut from the flock carrying a newborn lamb that had just arrived.

7. What is the color of the Devon breed cow Bathsheba and her aunt tend?

A. Indian red
B. Gray and white
C. Spotted black
D. Devonshire brown

A. Indian red.
The cow standing erect, belonging to the Devon breed, is a uniform rich Indian red colour.

8. How does Gabriel first form a decisive opinion of the young woman’s looks?

A. He sees clearly
B. He consults Liddy
C. He relies on fancy
D. He uses a lantern

C. He relies on fancy.
Due to her cloak and aerial position, Gabriel relies on his fancy to paint her as a beauty.

9. How did Gabriel instantly recognize Bathsheba when she dropped her cloak?

A. Yellow wagon
B. Looking-glass
C. Myrtle, wagon
D. Waggon, bonnet

C. Myrtle, wagon.
Gabriel recognized her as the heroine of the yellow wagon, myrtles, and looking-glass.

10. What is the young woman’s name?

A. Fanny Robin
B. Liddy Smallbury
C. Mrs. Hurst
D. Bathsheba Everdene

D. Bathsheba Everdene.
Gabriel makes inquiries and discovers the girl’s full name is Bathsheba Everdene.

11. Why does Gabriel visit Mrs. Hurst’s cottage?

A. To sell a sheep
B. To ask for work
C. To bring a lamb
D. To fetch his hat

C. To bring a lamb.
Gabriel manufactured an errand, bringing a lamb for Bathsheba to rear as a gift.

12. What reason does Bathsheba give for refusing Oak’s first proposal?

A. She lacks money
B. She loves another
C. She is too independent
D. He is too old

C. She is too independent.
Bathsheba states she needs someone to tame her, feeling she is too independent for Gabriel.

13. What is Gabriel’s moral flaw that hinders his suit with Bathsheba?

A. Too passionate
B. Too honest
C. Too cynical
D. Too humorous

B. Too honest.
Gabriel has one-and-a-half good traits too many, including a superfluous moiety of honesty.

14. Where does Bathsheba move to after rejecting Gabriel?

A. Casterbridge
B. Tewnell Mill
C. Norcombe Hill
D. Weatherbury

D. Weatherbury.
Gabriel learns indirectly that Bathsheba has gone to a place called Weatherbury, more than twenty miles away.

15. What happens to Gabriel’s farm after Bathsheba leaves Norcombe?

A. It thrives
B. It is sold
C. He loses it
D. He hires a bailiff

C. He loses it.
A pastoral tragedy occurs, and Gabriel loses his status as pastoral king due to misfortune.

16. What item did Gabriel acquire by exchanging his overcoat at Casterbridge Fair?

A. A new crook
B. A farm lease
C. A regulation smock
D. A pair of boots

C. A regulation smock.
Gabriel exchanged his overcoat for a shepherd’s regulation smock-frock after losing his money.

17. What did Gabriel discover was causing the commotion near Weatherbury?

A. A flood
B. A theft
C. A fire
D. A wedding

C. A fire.
Gabriel arrived near Weatherbury during the night and found commotion due to a rickyard fire.

18. Who is the mistress of Weatherbury Upper Farm, according to a bystander?

A. A wealthy visitor
B. A woman farmer
C. An old lady
D. A rich visitor

B. A woman farmer.
A bystander confirms that the new mistress is a woman farmer, who took on her uncle’s estate.

19. What feeling best describes Bathsheba’s reaction upon recognizing Gabriel?

A. Unmitigated joy
B. Slight exultation
C. Terrible dread
D. Complete surprise

B. Slight exultation.
Bathsheba was amused, felt a little pity, and a very little exultation at her superior position.

20. What is the name of the establishment where the villagers gathered for victuals?

A. The Tailor’s Arms
B. The Buck’s Head
C. Warren’s Malthouse
D. The King’s Arms

C. Warren’s Malthouse.
Gabriel walked to the village and found the men at Warren’s Malthouse, waiting for food/drink.

21. Why is the large two-handled mug called a “God-forgive-me” in Weatherbury?

A. For its taste
B. For its size
C. For its age
D. For its dirt

B. For its size.
The mug is likely called this because its size makes any toper ashamed when he drinks it empty.

22. Who is described as being exceptionally bashful and prone to blushes?

A. Gabriel Oak
B. Henery Fray
C. Joseph Poorgrass
D. Jan Coggan

C. Joseph Poorgrass.
Joseph Poorgrass is characterized by extreme shyness, which caused him to blush when seeing Bathsheba.

23. What was Bathsheba’s father’s profession?

A. Maltster
B. Farmer
C. Gentleman-tailor
D. Solicitor

C. Gentleman-tailor.
Bathsheba’s father, Levi Everdene, was a gentleman-tailor who frequently became bankrupt.

24. What total age does the maltster ultimately claim for himself?

A. One hundred
B. Eighty-nine
C. Sixty-five
D. Hundred and seventeen

D. Hundred and seventeen.
After summing up the years he lived in various places, the maltster calculates his age to be hundred and seventeen.

25. Who is the servant girl who goes missing?

A. Liddy Smallbury
B. Temperance Miller
C. Fanny Robin
D. Maryann Money

C. Fanny Robin.
The villagers report that Bathsheba’s youngest servant, Fanny Robin, cannot be found.

26. What is Mr. Boldwood’s profession?

A. Shepherd
B. Gentleman-farmer
C. Maltster
D. Bailiff

B. Gentleman-farmer.
Mr. Boldwood is introduced as a wealthy gentleman-farmer at Little Weatherbury, about forty years old.

27. How did Boldwood show kindness to Fanny Robin in the past?

A. Gave her money
B. Took her to school
C. Hired her aunt
D. Provided lodging

B. Took her to school.
Boldwood, being a kind man, took Fanny and put her to school, and helped her find employment.

28. What phrase was embossed on the seal Bathsheba used on the valentine?

A. Forever yours
B. Love always
C. Marry me
D. Think of me

C. Marry me.
Bathsheba chose a seal with a motto that read “MARRY ME,” adding weight to her idle prank.

29. Who intercepts the letter addressed to the “New Shepherd” (Oak)?

A. Boldwood
B. Pennyways
C. Bathsheba
D. Jan Coggan

A. Boldwood.
The mail-cart driver mistakenly gives Farmer Boldwood the letter addressed to the New Shepherd.

30. Who wrote the letter addressed to the New Shepherd?

A. Bathsheba
B. Fanny Robin
C. Mrs. Hurst
D. Boldwood

B. Fanny Robin.
The letter was written by Fanny Robin, thanking the shepherd for his kindness before she left.

31. What news does Fanny Robin’s letter contain?

A. She needs money
B. She is returning
C. She is marrying Troy
D. She is ill

C. She is marrying Troy.
Fanny’s letter thanks the shepherd (Oak) for kindness and states she is marrying Sergeant Troy.

32. Why did Fanny Robin fail to marry Troy at the church?

A. He didn’t come
B. Wrong clothes
C. She made a mistake
D. Curate refused

C. She made a mistake.
Fanny mistakenly went to All Souls’ church instead of All Saints’, causing her to miss the wedding.

33. What is the main characteristic that preeminently marks Boldwood’s appearance?

A. Humility
B. Dignity
C. Youthfulness
D. Sadness

B. Dignity.
Boldwood is described as erect in attitude, quiet in demeanour, and marked pre-eminently by dignity.

34. What agricultural activity was occurring when Boldwood made his marriage offer?

A. Haymaking
B. Lambing
C. Sheepshearing
D. Sheep-washing

D. Sheep-washing.
Boldwood found Bathsheba by the pool during the sheep-washing season, where he proposed.

35. Why does Bathsheba dismiss Gabriel after he is rehired?

A. He was lazy
B. He stole corn
C. He criticized her
D. He disliked Troy

C. He criticized her.
Gabriel was dismissed a second time because he criticized her private conduct regarding Boldwood/Troy.

36. Why did Bathsheba’s sheep suffer from a fatal affliction?

A. Starvation
B. Drinking water
C. Eating young clover
D. Cold weather

C. Eating young clover.
The sheep broke the fence and got into a field of young clover, causing them to become blasted.

37. How does Gabriel save the afflicted sheep?

A. With a special herb
B. With a new feed
C. By piercing their side
D. By giving them water

C. By piercing their side.
Gabriel uses a small tube (trochar) to cure the sheep by puncturing the skin and rumen.

38. What did Bathsheba promise Boldwood after his first formal proposal?

A. Immediate marriage
B. To consider it later
C. Absolute refusal
D. To marry Troy

B. To consider it later.
Bathsheba told Boldwood she could not answer yet, but agreed to think of him.

39. What object did Troy give Bathsheba to show his feelings?

A. A gold ring
B. A curl of hair
C. A gold watch
D. A silver locket

C. A gold watch.
Troy presented Bathsheba with a heavy gold watch that had belonged to the last Lord Severn.

40. What object did Troy famously use to demonstrate his military expertise to Bathsheba?

A. A rifle
B. A sword
C. A bugle
D. A shield

B. A sword.
Troy dazzles Bathsheba by performing an intricate and dangerous exercise with his sword.

41. What does Bathsheba confess to Liddy about her feelings for Troy?

A. She respects him
B. She hates him
C. She loves him
D. She fears him

C. She loves him.
After initially denying it vehemently to the maids, Bathsheba confessed she loves him to very distraction.

42. What action by Troy does Boldwood force Bathsheba to confirm?

A. They kissed
B. They met
C. They married
D. They flirted

A. They kissed.
In his fury, Boldwood demanded she deny that Troy had kissed her; she admitted the truth.

43. How did Troy reveal his marriage to Bathsheba to Boldwood?

A. By confession
B. By a new letter
C. By a newspaper
D. By a shared tomb

C. By a newspaper.
Troy handed Boldwood a folded newspaper through a door slit, containing the marriage announcement.

44. What event happened to the Weatherbury workfolk during the thunderstorm?

A. They ran away
B. They were injured
C. They fell asleep drunk
D. They saved the ricks

C. They fell asleep drunk.
The workfolk, including Troy, fell into a drunken sleep after Troy provided brandy at the harvest supper.

45. What reason does Bathsheba give Oak for marrying Troy?

A. Pure love
B. Jealousy, distraction
C. For his money
D. To spite Boldwood

B. Jealousy, distraction.
Bathsheba confessed to Oak that she married Troy out of jealousy and distraction after he threatened to leave.

46. Where does Fanny Robin die?

A. Casterbridge Union
B. Boldwood’s Farm
C. Bath
D. Norcombe

A. Casterbridge Union.
Joseph Poorgrass brings the sad news that Fanny Robin is dead in the Union workhouse.

47. What painful detail confirms Bathsheba’s worst suspicion about Troy’s fidelity?

A. Fanny’s clothes
B. Fanny’s face
C. The hidden child
D. The yellow hair

D. The yellow hair.
Seeing Fanny’s yellow hair confirms it matches the curl Troy kept, proving his deep prior attachment.

48. Who changed the inscription on Fanny’s coffin before Bathsheba saw it?

A. Boldwood
B. Liddy
C. Troy
D. Gabriel

D. Gabriel.
Gabriel rubbed out the words “and child” from the chalk inscription on the coffin lid.

49. What was found in Boldwood’s locked closet after his arrest?

A. Costly dresses
B. Love letters
C. Farming accounts
D. Hidden money

A. Costly dresses.
A closet contained ladies’ dresses and jewellery, all expensive and labelled “Bathsheba Boldwood,” dated years ahead.

50. What realization leads Bathsheba and Gabriel to marry finally?

A. Mutual passion
B. Financial need
C. Shared labour
D. Oak’s humility

C. Shared labour.
Their enduring relationship grew from shared labour and knowing the “rougher sides” of each other.

Brief Overview

Far from the Madding Crowd was published in 1874 by Thomas Hardy. The novel is a pastoral tragedy set in rural England during the 19th century. It centers on the romantic choices and eventual maturation of the heroine, Bathsheba Everdene.

The story centers on Gabriel Oak, a hard-working farmer who loses his sheep flock and farm. He becomes a shepherd at Weatherbury Farm, which is run by the headstrong and beautiful Bathsheba Everdene, who had previously rejected his offer of marriage.

Bathsheba recklessly sends a playful valentine to Farmer Boldwood, a wealthy and serious man. This causes Boldwood to fall intensely in love with her. However, Bathsheba meets and quickly marries Sergeant Troy, a handsome but trickster soldier. Troy proves to be a terrible, abusive husband and carelessly wastes her money.

Fanny Robin, Troy’s former love, dies in the workhouse, which fills Troy with great remorse. Troy later leaves and is believed to have drowned. Boldwood waits patiently for Bathsheba, but when Troy returns unexpectedly alive at a party, Boldwood shoots him dead in a fit of rage. Boldwood is then confined.

Gabriel Oak, who has remained steady, faithful, and helpful throughout the entire ordeal, becomes the manager of Bathsheba’s farm. After a necessary period of mourning, Bathsheba finally realizes that Gabriel is the only man she truly respects and needs. They eventually marry quietly, building their love on mutual trust and enduring friendship.