Modern Technology Has Made Our Lives More Complicated

Hardys Mayor of Casterbridge is a tout ensembleegory that revolves around the entombment and divulging of confidentials. Henchard, Susan, Newson and Lucetta all custody cryptics, which atomic number 18 revealed throughout the course of the novel. Although Susan is a small(a) character, she plays a major role in the novel through the secretiveness of her secret. She hides her daughter Elizabeth Janes admittedly identity from Henchard, thus allowing him to find she is his daughter. She also keeps the entropy intimately her prior kinship with Henchard from Elizabeth Jane, as headspring as the fact that she had a half-sister that died.The neediness of information strangles the relationship between Henchard and Elizabeth Jane. Although Susan keeps these secrets to protect her daughter, her lack of candor results in the consequences she reverences most her daughters emotional upheaval. While Susan herself does not reveal the secret, it is expose through a letter before th e plan epoch, thus causing Elizabeth Janes alienation from Henchard. The subscriber is oblivious to Susans secret until it is revealed in her letter to Henchard.Susan chooses to keep Elizabeth Janes identity a secret because she is afraid of unsatisfying Henchard. A quiet, unassuming woman, Susan is stimulate of disappointing others and how they pull up stakes react when she upsets them. She believes that in rank to restore order between her and Henchard she must conceal the truth about Elizabeth Jane. It is hard enough for her to get together with Henchard and when she is al matchless in the ring with him, she admits meekly, I am quite in your hands, Michaelif you tell me to leave again to-morrow morning, and n incessantly come near you more, I am content to go (63).Susans speech is supposeive of her timid and submissive personality. In addition, when Henchard asks Susan if she forgives him, she murmured something but seemed to recall it difficult to frame her answer (64 ). Susan is unable to found her true(a) feelings because she is afraid of Henchards reaction. Thus she finds it necessary to keep Elizabeth Janes birth a secret because she is sc ared of touch Henchard. At the same time that she conceals the identity of Elizabeth Janes father from Henchard, she hides her connection with Henchard from Elizabeth Jane.Although galore(postnominal) times she had been upon the point of telling her daughter Elizabeth-Jane the true story of her spiritedness in the end she had moderate (20). Susans choice to leave her daughter in the dark allows Elizabeth Jane to enjoy an innocent childhood, and she is blissfully unsuspecting of her mothers troubles. Susan is afraid of disrupting Elizabeth Janes equipoise and cannot bring herself to tell the truth. The risk of endangering a childs firm affection by disturbing ideas which had grown with her ripening was to Mrs. Henchard too terrible a thing to study (20).The articles endangering and disturbing hi ghlight Susans primary(prenominal) goal in hiding her secret from Elizabeth Jane and reflect her entire purpose in life. Because Susan is meek and intimately controlled, she is afraid to cause a reaction that she cannot control. She is fearful of anything beyond the ordinary, including unexpected reactions. This character trait is unadorned when she first meets Henchard and is surprised by his appearance as mayor. I dont think I can ever meet Mr. Henchard, she says in shock. He is not how I thought he would behe overpowers meI dont wish to see him any more (29). The sentiments she expresses in this statement illustrate her fear of the unknown, and her easily manipulated nature. Susan uses the word overpowers to demonstrate the lack of control she feels in her life and her tendency to be dominated by a superior. In Elizabeth Janes case, as in her relationship with Henchard, she prefers secrecy over openness because of her fear of upsetting others. Susans secrets are unexpectedly d isclosed to twain parties, when she is no longer alive to view the reaction.Their show results in the opposite effect, harming both Henchard and Elizabeth Jane. Susans superior desire is to shield her daughter from trouble, but her fear of dealing with the truth ends up bringing on what she dreads most. Susan is overly concerned with appearances and manners, and she fusses about what others will think and say. Susans letter exhibits her tendency to avoid disappointing and shocking others. Even in her paper one can sense her fright at revealing the news to her husband.She begins her letter by prefacing I swear you will understand why (108). Later on she begs, Dont curse me, Mike. Although she is only writing and not speaking, she finds it hard to let out her secret, explaining I can hardly write it. However, despite all of Susans reservations and hesitations, and intentions to protect her daughter, she ends up harming her. Her worst fears are confirmed when Henchard begins to treat Elizabeth Jane coldly and Elizabeth Jane lived on, a dumb, deep-feeling, great-eyed marionette (115).Instead of showering her with warmth and love, Henchard sharply reprimands her when she uses incorrect grammar. are you only fit to carry wash to a pig trough, (114) he yells, degrading Elizabeth Jane and humiliating her. Susans secret keeping leaves Elizabeth Jane worse off. Her lack of bureau ends up bringing on what she fears most. Hardy uses secrets in The Mayor of Casterbridge to highlight Susans character tarnish and demonstrate that the situations people fear most are those they ultimately bring upon themselves.While Susan acts out of a desire to help Elizabeth Jane and Henchard, she ends up harming both of them. The concealment of information from her daughter and husband is what destroys their relationship. Susans greatest concern is what people will think about her daughter and her top priority is conforming to social standards. However, her meek personality and constant worrying last cause her worst fears to come true. Susans saga of secret-keeping serves as a warning to readers concealing the truth will come back to haunt you.