The Looking Glass (Symbol)
In the novel's first scene, Bathsheba takes out a looking glass and admires her reflection as she is onboard a wagon travelling to go and live with her aunt. Although she does not know it, Gabriel observes her looking at herself. The looking glass symbolizes Bathsheba's pride and vanity; she knows that she is beautiful, and that this beauty gives her a certain kind of power. At the same time, the looking glass also symbolizes her playful spirit, and the whimsical, irreverent nature that is part of what makes her so attractive.
The Gold Watch (Symbol)
Bathsheba is shocked when Troy impulsively gives her a gold watch that belonged to his father after the two of them have only known each other for a short time. The watch is both materially and emotionally valuable, yet Troy gives it away to someone he doesn't know well. The watch symbolizes Troy's reckless and impulsive behavior. First with Fanny and then with Bathsheba, he rushes the relationship due to his passionate nature rather than letting it unfold organically. He gets caught up in his feelings and desires, and acts without thinking. His careless gesture of giving away a precious heirloom to a woman he barely knows also symbolizes that he doesn't respect or value family or tradition, foreshadowing the way he will not take his marriage or his responsibilities seriously.
The Change of Seasons (Motif)
The change of seasons is an important motif in the novel; Hardy indicates the month to the reader for most of the key action, and carefully details how different parts of the agricultural cycle line up with different times of the year. The motif of changing seasons allow for a connection between the natural cycles of growth, decay, and rebirth to form a symbolic backdrop to similar cycles in the lives and emotions of the characters. Bathsheba's ability to love and feel desire blooms during her relationship with Troy, only to die out in the tragic discovery that her marriage has been a lie. With time, however, her heart gradually opens again. The relationship between Bathsheba and Gabriel also follows a cyclical, organic course; like a plant or a crop, it needs time to ripen and develop slowly.
Gabriel Wounding the Sheep (Symbol)
Gabriel is shearing (removing the wool from the bodies of sheep) when he sees Bathsheba going off to talk with Boldwood. Distracted by this sight, Gabriel accidentally cuts one of the sheep. The wounding of the sheep symbolizes Gabriel's own pain as he realizes the woman he loves is possibly going to marry someone else. Part of what makes Gabriel such a good shepherd and a good person is his empathy: "Hardy suggests that Gabriel’s empathy toward other humans relates directly to his ability to feel for and with his animals" (Kreilkamp 477). When he cuts the sheep's flesh, the pain both he and the animal feel becomes unified.
Troy's Sword (Symbol)
Early in their courtship, Troy and Bathsheba meet up secretly so that he can show her his skill as a swordsman. He demonstrates this by going through a series of exercises that involve coming very close to injuring Bathsheba, and requiring her to show courage and remain perfectly still. His sword symbolizes the alluring but dangerous masculine energy that Troy enticingly represents. The shape of the sword makes it quite clearly a sexually charged phallic symbol, but it is also aligned with the idea of courage and valor that would often be part of why soldiers were attractive to women. Noticeably, Troy never uses his sword to defend his country, family, or anything valuable; he uses it to show off and make people admire him. Like his swordplay, Troy is capable of generating excitement, but never seems to show any principle or morality.
