Why did Michael Henchard fail? Essay -- English Literature

Why did Michael Henchard fail?The Mayor of Casterbridge is a novel about the rise and fall of amercurial man called Michael Henchard. The admit takes us through hislife when he is twenty- mavin and outlines his ascent and descent insociety.Michael Henchard is a man of many characteristics. Amongst hischaracteristics he has a kind, honest and obdurate personality alongwith a cold, ruthless, and stubborn personality. Henchardsimpulsiveness, aggressive attitude, self-centredness made failureinevitable in his life.We first meet Henchard a disconsolate twenty-one course old hay-trusser,he is married with a young daughter. We see Henchard sell his wife anddaughter in a drunken rage in furmity live at a county fair. At firstit was a bit of a joke, a friendly banter but then it turned nasty.The two main reasons for Henchard not backing down from his offer of awife and daughter this was alcohol and his pride. Alcohol played a bigpart in Henchards mistakes in life. He often regrets things after hedoes them, and suffers the consequences like the fact that he sold hiswife and daughter to a sailor whom he had not known, a completestranger for five guineas. It stays on his conscience and haunts him.Henchard was young and naive and felt that his wife and daughter werea burden upon him, and he felt he needed a new start. The sale of hiswife and daughter suggests Henchard is childish and stubborn. It isalmost as if when Henchard is under the influence of alcohol he turnsinto a aggressive child saying No I said I will sell my wife anddaughter, I dont care what happens I said i will and I willThe next morning Henchard knows that he has committed a terrible sin,but the fact that Hencha... ...hard is now declared bankrupt and in front of the creditors throwsdown his gold watch rather childishly. He would do this because he isa very proud man and he wants nothing.He had used his one talent of energy to create a position ofaffluence out of absolutely nothing.One thing about Mic hael Henchard is that you have to admire him forwhat he has achieved in his life, his energy, aspirations anddetermination allowed him to do this. But the only problem is thatHenchard is too impulsive and acts n emotions, and does not thinkbefore he acts. That is why he failed in life. I also believe thatfate played a big part in his failure. For example the weatherforecast, he acted on impulsion and he did not think about theaccuracy of the reading.So overall I think that Michael Henchards character contributed tohis failure along with pure fate.