The names of the male characters
Posted by Kay on September 23, 1998 at 19:05:13:
In response to jerk or another victim of fate?, written by Jane on September 22, 1998 at 12:50:36
Is Angel supposed to be a sympathetic character, just torn by his beliefs after been brought up in a religious family? Or does Hardy mean for him to be a jerk?
] At least Hardy gave us Farmer Gabriel in Far From the Madding Crowd, who almost makes up for this. (Especially as portrayed by Alan Bates!)
I pondered how some of Hardy's male characters have names that fit. The one passage I highlighted in "Tess" had this description of Angel:
"Clare's love was doubtless ethereal to a fault, imaginative to impracticability. With these natures corporeal presence is sometimes less appealing than corporeal absence. . . . " (Section 36)
This love of the ethereal reminds me of his name Angel. On the other hand, with Gabriel Oak (although his first name is that of an angel), Hardy seems to emphasize the "Oak." He's steady, sturdy and someone Bathsheba can lean on in times of trouble.
I hope others can come up with examples of some of Hardy's other male (and even female) characters.
- Notice how... Caroline 21:41:02 9/24/98
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- Now that you mention it Constanza 11:14:37 9/24/98
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- I never thought about the names that way! That's cool (nfm) Chael 23:58:08 9/23/98
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