Economic Sagacity in Thomas Hardy’s <i>the Mayor of Casterbridge</i>

Abstract

The Mayor of Casterbridge is a true reflection of a turbulent time, where two protagonists, driven by two combative moralities and  instincts, cross their sword at the battlefield of Casterbridge. Interestingly, while one party is keen to carry out the battle till death, the other shows reluctance which makes things more bizarre. In this article, I would try to understand the economic scheme of a protagonist  in Marxist framework and show to the readers how the complex current of economic base and superstructure effects and affects changes  to the lives of characters in this explosive novel.