Summary
Bathsheba settles into her inherited farm, a once-grand estate now converted for agricultural use—much like how she herself is adapting from a carefree girl to a responsible landowner. The morning brings an unexpected visitor: Mr. Boldwood, a wealthy gentleman-farmer seeking news of the missing servant Fanny Robin. Caught disheveled while sorting through her predecessor's belongings, Bathsheba refuses to see him, a decision that reveals both her vanity and her inexperience with social protocols. Through her servants' gossip, we learn that Boldwood is forty, handsome, wealthy, and famously immune to feminine charms—countless women have tried and failed to win his attention. This information clearly intrigues Bathsheba, who has grown accustomed to male admiration. When pressed by her maid Liddy about her own romantic past, Bathsheba admits to rejecting Gabriel Oak, claiming he 'wasn't quite good enough'—a statement that shows how her elevated circumstances have inflated her sense of worth. The chapter ends with farm workers approaching for their first meeting with their new mistress, setting up the challenge of establishing authority in a male-dominated world. Hardy uses the decaying grandeur of the house as a metaphor for social change, while Bathsheba's avoidance of Boldwood establishes the central romantic tension that will drive much of the novel's conflict.
Coming Up in Chapter 10
Bathsheba must now face her farm workers for the first time as their employer. How will a young, inexperienced woman establish authority over men who have worked the land longer than she's been alive?
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
THE HOMESTEAD—A VISITOR—HALF-CONFIDENCES By daylight, the bower of Oak’s new-found mistress, Bathsheba Everdene, presented itself as a hoary building, of the early stage of Classic Renaissance as regards its architecture, and of a proportion which told at a glance that, as is so frequently the case, it had once been the memorial hall upon a small estate around it, now altogether effaced as a distinct property, and merged in the vast tract of a non-resident landlord, which comprised several such modest demesnes. Fluted pilasters, worked from the solid stone, decorated its front, and above the roof the chimneys were panelled or columnar, some coped gables with finials and like features still retaining traces of their Gothic extraction. Soft brown mosses, like faded velveteen, formed cushions upon the stone tiling, and tufts of the houseleek or sengreen sprouted from the eaves of the low surrounding buildings. A gravel walk leading from the door to the road in front was encrusted at the sides with more moss—here it was a silver-green variety, the nut-brown of the gravel being visible to the width of only a foot or two in the centre. This circumstance, and the generally sleepy air of the whole prospect here, together with the animated and contrasting state of the reverse façade, suggested to the imagination that on the adaptation of the building for farming purposes the vital principle of the house had turned round inside its body to face the other way. Reversals of this kind, strange deformities, tremendous paralyses, are often seen to be inflicted by trade upon edifices—either individual or in the aggregate as streets and towns—which were originally planned for pleasure alone. Lively voices were heard this morning in the upper rooms, the main staircase to which was of hard oak, the balusters, heavy as bed-posts, being turned and moulded in the quaint fashion of their century, the handrail as stout as a parapet-top, and the stairs themselves continually twisting round like a person trying to look over his shoulder. Going up, the floors above were found to have a very irregular surface, rising to ridges, sinking into valleys; and being just then uncarpeted, the face of the boards was seen to be eaten into innumerable vermiculations. Every window replied by a clang to the opening and shutting of every door, a tremble followed every bustling movement, and a creak accompanied a walker about the house, like a spirit, wherever he went. In the room from which the conversation proceeded Bathsheba and her servant-companion, Liddy Smallbury, were to be discovered sitting upon the floor, and sorting a complication of papers, books, bottles, and rubbish spread out thereon—remnants from the household stores of the late occupier. Liddy, the maltster’s great-granddaughter, was about Bathsheba’s equal in age, and her face was a prominent advertisement of the light-hearted English country girl. The beauty her features might have lacked in form was amply made up for by perfection of hue, which at this winter-time was the softened ruddiness on a...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Inflated Worth - When Success Makes You Picky
When improved circumstances cause us to inflate our worth and dismiss people or opportunities that were previously acceptable.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when improved circumstances make us dismiss people who were previously acceptable.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you think someone or something is 'beneath you now'—pause and ask what actually changed: them, or your situation?
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Classic Renaissance architecture
A building style that mixed classical Greek/Roman features (like columns) with Renaissance elegance. These grand homes showed wealth and status in Hardy's time.
Modern Usage:
Like how McMansions today use fake columns and fancy details to signal wealth and importance.
Memorial hall
The main house of a small estate, usually built to show off a family's importance. Many were later converted to farmhouses when families lost money.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how old mansions today become apartment buildings or event venues when families can't afford to maintain them.
Non-resident landlord
Wealthy people who owned multiple properties but lived elsewhere, often neglecting the land and people who worked it. A major social problem in Victorian England.
Modern Usage:
Like corporate landlords today who own hundreds of rental properties but never visit them or care about tenants.
Gentleman-farmer
A wealthy man who owned and managed farmland but didn't do physical labor himself. Higher social class than regular farmers.
Modern Usage:
Like wealthy people today who own wineries or horse farms as hobbies while having other income sources.
Social protocols
Unwritten rules about how people of different classes should interact, especially between men and women. Breaking these rules could damage your reputation.
Modern Usage:
Like knowing the unspoken rules at work about who you can talk to casually versus who requires formal emails.
Establishing authority
The challenge of getting people to respect and follow you when you're new to power, especially difficult for women in male-dominated fields.
Modern Usage:
Like a woman becoming a manager in construction or a young person supervising older employees.
Characters in This Chapter
Bathsheba Everdene
Protagonist
She's settling into her inherited farm but struggling with the social expectations of her new position. Her refusal to see Boldwood shows both vanity and inexperience with handling male attention appropriately.
Modern Equivalent:
The young woman who inherits the family business and has to figure out how to be taken seriously
Mr. Boldwood
Potential suitor
A wealthy, forty-year-old bachelor farmer who's famously immune to women's charms. His visit seeking news of Fanny Robin introduces him as a mysterious figure who clearly intrigues Bathsheba.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful, emotionally unavailable guy that every woman wants to be the one to 'crack'
Liddy
Servant and confidante
Bathsheba's maid who provides gossip about Boldwood and draws out information about her mistress's romantic past. She serves as both servant and friend.
Modern Equivalent:
The work friend who knows all the office gossip and gets you to spill your personal business
Gabriel Oak
Rejected suitor
Though not present, he's discussed when Bathsheba admits to rejecting him because he 'wasn't quite good enough,' showing how her elevated circumstances have changed her perspective.
Modern Equivalent:
The good guy you turned down when you thought you could do better
Fanny Robin
Missing servant
The absent servant whose disappearance brings Boldwood to Bathsheba's door, creating their first meeting and establishing the mystery that will unfold.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who suddenly stops showing up and everyone's trying to figure out what happened
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He wasn't quite good enough for me"
Context: When Liddy asks about Gabriel Oak and why she rejected him
This reveals how inheriting the farm has inflated Bathsheba's sense of her own worth. She's now measuring men by social status rather than character, a dangerous shift that will cause problems.
In Today's Words:
He wasn't in my league
"The vital principle of the house had turned round inside its body to face the other way"
Context: Describing how the grand house was converted for farming use
Hardy uses the house as a metaphor for social change and adaptation. Like Bathsheba herself, the building has had to change its purpose and face a new direction to survive.
In Today's Words:
The house had to completely reinvent itself to stay relevant
"Never was a man more quietly constituted to repel feminine advances"
Context: Describing Boldwood's reputation with women
This sets up the irresistible challenge for Bathsheba, who's used to male attention. The fact that he's immune to women's charms makes him more intriguing to her.
In Today's Words:
He was the kind of guy who was completely immune to women throwing themselves at him
Thematic Threads
Class Mobility
In This Chapter
Bathsheba's inheritance transforms her from working-class girl to landowner, changing how she views herself and others
Development
First clear exploration of how quickly class elevation affects self-perception
In Your Life:
Notice how a promotion, raise, or new achievement changes how you judge your old friends or family.
Vanity
In This Chapter
Bathsheba refuses to meet Boldwood because she's caught disheveled, prioritizing appearance over courtesy
Development
Building from her mirror scene, showing vanity now affects her social interactions
In Your Life:
Consider how often you avoid opportunities or people because you don't feel you look 'good enough' in the moment.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Bathsheba must establish authority with male farm workers while navigating gender expectations
Development
New challenge as she transitions from managed to manager
In Your Life:
Think about times you've had to prove yourself in spaces where people didn't expect someone like you to be in charge.
Romantic Strategy
In This Chapter
Bathsheba becomes intrigued by Boldwood precisely because he's wealthy and immune to feminine charms
Development
Shift from Gabriel's earnest pursuit to strategic interest in unavailable men
In Your Life:
Notice if you're more attracted to people who seem unattainable or challenging rather than genuinely compatible.
Identity Transformation
In This Chapter
The decaying grand house mirrors Bathsheba's own transition from girl to responsible landowner
Development
Physical environment reflecting internal change
In Your Life:
Consider how your environment shapes your sense of who you're becoming and what you think you deserve.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Bathsheba refuse to meet with Boldwood when he visits her farm?
analysis • surface - 2
How has Bathsheba's attitude toward Gabriel Oak changed since inheriting the farm, and what drives this shift?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about someone who got a promotion, raise, or new status. How did their behavior toward old friends or acquaintances change?
application • medium - 4
When you've experienced success or improvement in your life, how do you avoid letting it change how you treat people who knew you before?
application • deep - 5
What does Bathsheba's fascination with Boldwood's immunity to other women reveal about how we value what seems unattainable?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Elevation Check
Think of a recent improvement in your life - a new job, raise, relationship, living situation, or achievement. Write down three people or situations you now view differently than you did before this change. For each one, identify whether the change is based on their actual character and actions, or simply because your circumstances elevated.
Consider:
- •Notice dismissive thoughts that start with 'I'm beyond that now' or 'They just don't understand'
- •Ask yourself: What specifically changed about them, versus what changed about my situation?
- •Consider whether you're judging based on compatibility and values, or status and appearances
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone's improved circumstances changed how they treated you. How did it feel, and what did you learn about staying grounded during your own successes?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 10: Taking Charge: A New Boss Emerges
In the next chapter, you'll discover to establish authority without losing humanity when stepping into leadership, and learn the art of reading people and managing different personality types in your workplace. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.