The author explores the genesis, publication and reception of Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge", alongside the historical and social context of the plot. He also looks at the central themes (identity and non-identity, nature, death, superstition) of the work, and gives an analysis of the tragic qualities of the text, asking whether it is possible to produce such tragic literature within a fundamentally secular society. Finally, Ebbatson examines the gender issues raised by the narrator, and the representation of the characters Elizabeth-Jane and Lucetta.
- ISBN10 0140772693
- ISBN13 9780140772692
- Publish Date 26 May 1994
- Publish Status Unknown
- Out of Print 31 May 2001
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 144
- Language English