Far from the Madding Crowd Lesson Plan

What do the reactions to Bathsheba's new role of farmer show about gender expectations in rural Victorian England?

Bathsheba has to assure her workers that, though she is a woman, she will perform her role impeccably. This shows that a woman in this position of leadership is unusual, and she is not necessarily expected to succeed. When Bathsheba begins to perform her duties publicly, such as going to the Corn Exchange, the men in the village openly stare at her. The combination of her beauty and unusual role make her a spectacle. The reactions of her laborers are mixed. Some, like Gabriel, seem to implicitly respect her, accepting her as a master regardless of her...