Readers of Hardy’s novels will note a trend that the lead characters in all of his novels have been taken from village life,
e.g. Michael Henchard
was a hay trusser, Tess a milkmaid & Jude a stonemason.
This story revolves around a young, flirt woman Bathsheba Everdene & the three men in her life.
Our story begins when a shepherd, Gabriel Oak, tending his flock, he sees a young woman Bathsheba, waiting near a carriage. He sees her again often and begins to like her. One night, asleep in his hut with fire burning, he almost dies of suffocation. Bathsheba saves his life. His gratitude turns to intense love, but those feelings are not reciprocated. Bathsheba leaves to a town called Weatherbury. Gabriel’s flock is devoured by animals and without flock, he is broke. He gets rid of his dog and other belongings to pay off his debts and leaves the area.
Two months later he advertizes himself as a bailiff at a Labour-hiring fair, but he doesn’t get hired. He hops aboard a wagon & moves on. The wagon moves toward Weatherbury but stops a little before. Gabriel walks the rest of the way till he sees a fire burning. A stack of cereal crops had caught fire and Gabriel, without fearing for his own life, puts out the fire and saves the farm. When he asks the owner for some return for his services, he finds her to be his love, Bathsheba.
She is a poor lady now, so Gabriel gives her some money. He touches her accidentally only to find out that her emotions are warm towards him. Something happens and Bathsheba sacks her bailiff girl for stealing and hires Gabriel. Gabriel goes looking for a place to stay, when he comes across a young girl called Fanny Robin and he gives her some money. Fanny goes to the town where Whetherbury’s regiment had been relocated to, and asks a soldier, Frank Troy, if he would marry her. Bathsheba and Liddy send an anonymous Valentines message to a certain William Boldwood which read on the seal ‘MARRY ME’.
Fanny repays the loan back to Gabriel and tells him that she is going to marry Frank. Boldwood says to Bathsheba that he is ready to marry her, but Bathsheba says that the Valentines note was only a joke. On their wedding day, Frank waits at the church marriage altar for Fanny, but she arrives late. Frank, during this time changes his mind and refuses to marry her.
Bathsheba discusses with Gabriel about her decision to marry Boldwood but the discussion turns sour so she terminates Gabriel from her employment. After Gabriel goes, no one is there to tend the flock and they become ill. Bathsheba sends a letter of apology to Gabriel and calls him back. Boldwood asks Bathsheba again about his proposal. Bathsheba meets Frank and falls in love with him. Gabriel tells Bathsheba that Frank may not be sincere. Frank has gone on vacation to Bath and, hearing this, Bathsheba goes there too. Later, when Frank meets Boldwood again, he tells him about his relationship with Bathsheba. Boldwood pays Frank to make her as happy as possible.
Frank, after marriage, takes over the entire farm and gives alcohol to all workers to drink. A storm arrives that would destroy the crops, but when Gabriel comes he finds all the workers drunk and passed out. He covers the crops to prevent damage. Bathsheba & Frank Troy meet Fanny in a very poor state. Frank gives her some money and asks her to see him the next day, but Fanny heads off to a poor-people’s house in Casterbridge.
Bathsheba and Frank fight over money, meanwhile Liddy brings news that Fanny is now dead. Bathsheba tells one of her farm workers to go and bring Fanny’s body. Gabriel notices the chalk written note on Fanny’s coffin saying ‘Fanny Robin & Child’. Gabriel erases ‘& Child’ for Bathsheba’s sake. Bathsheba, suspecting, opens the coffin & finds a child’s body in it. Frank admits his love for Fanny and that the child is his, also mentioning that he had no feelings for Bathsheba. Bathsheba goes into seclusion. Frank makes an elaborate tombstone for Fanny’s grave and then leaves town. Not long after, news arrives that Frank is found dead, probably from drowning. Gabriel meanwhile re-joins Bathsheba’s farm.
Liddy informs Boldwood that, after Frank's death, Bathsheba has no intention of marrying him for another 7 years, so he starts counting the days. Frank who is seemingly alive, notices Bathsheba at a fair, but is himself in a disguise. He tells her to promise to marry him in another six years time. She would respond at Christmas time. Boldwood gives a party at Christmas and Frank comes there.Boldwood buys an expensive ring for Bathsheba. At the party, Boldwood shoots Frank and is about to shoot himself also, but the farm workers stop him.
Boldwood is convicted for murder and sent to prison but when he is found to be mentally unstable, his death sentence is revoked. At Fanny & Frank’s grave , Bathsheba meets Gabriel after many months. He explains that he stayed away to prevent people blaming him for wanting to take advantage of the situation.
Bathsheba appreciates his frankness and honesty and admits that she loves him. Gabriel and Bathsheba are married in the end.