PENGUIN READERS

Answer keys LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

The Mayor of Casterbridge

Book key 9–10  Open answers
11 a  Farfrae  b  Farfrae  c  Susan  d  Lucetta
1 a carriage, wagon e  Susan  f  Susan
b cottage, barn 12 a Lucetta is a woman who Henchard met in Jersey
c donkey, bull and who looked after him when he was ill. People
d landlady, mayor, stepdaughter, magistrate thought they were lovers and treated her badly.
e affection, relief, grief Knowing this, Henchard asked her to marry him,
2 a False: When he is young, Michael Henchard sells But when Susan appears, Henchard feels that he
his wife to a sailor. must marry Susan instead.
b False: Henchard stops drinking because of what he b He gives Elizabeth-Jane five guineas. He has
did when he was drunk. promised to marry Lucetta. Her marries Susan.
c True At first he is kind to Farfrae.
d False: Henchard can be kind but he has a dark, c Farfrae wins an argument with him about Abe
dangerous side to his character. Whittle. Farfrae’s fair is more successful than
e False: He achieved real success with Far from the Henchard’s dance. Farfrae then dances with
Madding Crowd. Elizabeth-Jane. He starts a corn business that is
f False: Some people found the story improbable and in direct competition with Henchard’s business.
were shocked by it. Farfrae’s business starts to grow.
g False: Hardy stopped writing novels because of the d She tells her that she sent the note because she
reaction to Jude the Obscure. wanted Elizabeth-Jane to marry Farfrae.
h True 13 Susan is a gentle and kind person. Although Henchard
i False: As an adult, Hardy did not believe in God. treated her very badly eighteen years ago, she does not
He believed in a blind force that rules the universe want to make trouble for him. She is a loving mother
and has no interest in human lives. and believes that she is helping her daughter by
3 a  talk/speak  b  fair  c  rum  d  angry writing the note. She is not very clever – she believed
e  wedding ring  f  sorry  g  wife and child that her marriage to Newson was legal.
h  sailed for Canada 14–15  Open answers
4–5  Open answers 16 a  father  b  letter  c  unkindly  d  live with
6 a  T  b  F  c  F  d  T  e  T  f  F  g  F e  marry  f  Lucetta  g  Elizabeth-Jane
7 Possible answers: 17 a Henchard says this to Elizabeth-Jane about
a … it is the last place where she saw Michael Newson, who Elizabeth-Jane believed was her
Henchard and she is looking for him. father.
b … Newson has died and she does not want her b Henchard writes this to Farfrae. He is referring to
daughter to grow up in poverty. Elizabeth-Jane.
c … he has sold them bad bread. c Lucetta writes this to Henchard. She is referring to
d … her mother cannot afford the hotel where they the fact that Lucetta has invited Elizabeth-Jane to
want to stay. live with her.
e … he has a useful invention, and he thinks there is d Lucetta writes this to Henchard. She is referring
more chance of developing it in America. to the fact that so far Henchard has not visited
f … he wants Farfrae to stay, and he tells him many Lucetta.
things about his past. e Farfrae is talking to Lucetta about the corn
8 Farfrae is a respectable, educated, young Scotsman. He machine.
is in the corn business and intends to go to America f Elizabeth-Jane says this to herself. ‘She’ is Lucetta.
because he has an invention that can cure bad corn. The truth is that the story Lucetta told her about
He thinks there is more chance of developing this ‘a friend’ is really about herself.
invention in America. His conversation is amusing, 18–19  Open answers
and when he sings about Scotland, Elizabeth-Jane 20 a  2  b  3  c  7  d  6  e  5  f  1  g  4
realises that he has a ‘sensitive soul’.

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 PENGUIN READERS
Answer keys LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

The Mayor of Casterbridge

21 a He threatens to tell the whole town about the secret 26 He gives the letters in a package to Jopp and asks him
of her past if she does not marry him. to give the package to Lucetta. But Henchard does not
b He makes a bad business decision about the price of know that Jopp hates Lucetta. Jopp opens the package
his corn. The result is that he finds himself in debt. and guesses that the letters are from her to Henchard.
He then sells a lot of his property, but the price of He then reads the letters to two townswomen and they
corn then rises. If he had waited three more days, plan a skimmity-ride to shame Lucetta. Henchard did
he could have sold his corn and paid his debts. not want this to happen.
c Lucetta loves Farfrae, and she was afraid that 27–29  Open answers
Henchard would tell him the secret of her past if 30 a  F  b  T  c  F  d  F  e  T  f  T  g  F  h  F
she did not marry Farfrae at once. Also, she had 31 Possible answers:
heard how Henchard had sold his wife and child at a … he is no longer the mayor and he is wearing
a fair, ‘like a horse or cow.’ dirty old clothes.
d Henchard stands as if he has been struck by b … Henchard helped Farfrae when he had nothing,
lightning. He is very angry and leaves her with a but now Farfae is treating him badly.
wild and wounded look in his eyes. c … he once loved Farfrae.
22 Henchard, who is a magistrate, goes to the town hall d … that he does not care about anything any more.
to hear the case of a drunken old woman. But the old e … her husband will see it and he will stop loving
woman is the woman who sold him furmity twenty her.
years ago. She tells everyone how Henchard sold his f … do not believe him.
wife. Lucetta hears the story and is very shocked. She g … he thinks that it is a trick and Henchard plans to
regrets promising to marry Henchard and marries get him alone in a dark wood and murder him.
Farfrae instead. 32 a She tries to stop Lucetta seeing the skimmity-ride.
23 Open answer She is the only person who is kind to Henchard
24 a  He becomes bankrupt.  b  Elizabeth-Jane when he returns from trying to talk to Farfrae.
c  Farfrae  d  He starts drinking.  e  Farfrae b Henchard shows the good side of himself when he
f  Jopp  g  Lucetta’s letters  h  A skimmity-ride is in a position to kill Farfrae and does not do it. He
25 a An old man says this to Elizabeth-Jane. He is also shows the good side of himself when he tries
working in the corn business that was owned by to tell Farfrae that Lucetta is ill. He shows the bad
Henchard but now belongs to Farfrae. He says that side of himself when he tries to welcome the royal
things are much better under Farfrae. visitor and when he tries to kill Farfrae.
b Farfrae says this to Henchard. Farfrae is now mayor 33–34  Open answers
and owns Henchard’s old house. He tells Henchard 35 a  Elizabeth-Jane  b  dead  c  seed shop  d  Farfrae
that he can live in a part of it. e  Casterbridge/the town  f  marry him  g  help/find
c Henchard says this to Lucetta. He is a hay-packer in h  Abe Whittle  i  dies
Farfrae’s yard, which he once owned. He is trying to 36 a The sailor, Newson, returns and visits Henchard.
upset Lucetta. He tells Henchard that he pretended to drown
d Henchard says this to himself. He means that it is at sea so that Susan would be free to look for
only two more weeks before he can start drinking Henchard. He visits Henchard because he has
again. heard that Susan is dead. Henchard tells him that
e Henchard says this to Lucetta. She meets him to both Susan and Elizabeth-Jane are dead. Newson
beg him not to tell her husband who wrote her leaves Casterbridge but returns when he hears that
letters. Henchard feels very sorry when he sees how Elizabeth-Jane is in fact alive. He meets her at
frightened she is. Farfrae’s house and tells her that he is her real father.
f Jopp says this to Lucetta. He wants a job as corn
manager in Farfrae’s yard. Lucetta, who knew him
in Jersey, refuses to help him.

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 PENGUIN READERS
Answer keys LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

The Mayor of Casterbridge

b Henchard is standing on the stone bridge looking Discussion activities key
down into the river when he sees the model of him 1 Open answer
that was used on the skimmity-ride. At first, frozen 2 Suggested answer:
with horror, he thinks he is staring at his own dead 1840 Thomas Hardy is born in Dorset.
body. The next morning, a farm worker finds the 1871 Hardy’s first novel comes out. He meets and
models in the river and they are quietly destroyed. falls in love with Emma Gifford.
No one ever discusses the skimmity-ride again. 1886 The Mayor of Casterbridge is published.
c At first Farfrae is very bitter about his wife’s death 1895 Hardy attacks marriage in his novel Jude the
and wants revenge. But then he realises that the Obscure. He stops writing novels.
tragedy is no one’s fault. He decides to forget 1913 Emma dies. Hardy writes some of his greatest
about the tragedy and work hard. He starts seeing love poetry.
Elizabeth-Jane again, and when Newson returns 1914 He marries his secretary, Florence Dugdale.
he invites him to his house to meet her. He then 1928 Hardy dies; his heart is buried in Emma’s
asks Elizabeth-Jane to marry him. After the grave.
wedding, Elizabeth Jane asks Farfrae to try and help 3–9  Open answers
Henchard. Farfrae agrees because he has never hated 10 Suggested answer:
Henchard as much as Henchard hated him. He They would be very shocked. He would lose his
goes with his wife to look for Henchard. position as mayor.
d Henchard gives this note to Abe Whittle just before 11–22  Open answers
he dies. It is a list of things he does not want to 23 Suggested answer:
happen. For example, he does not want Elizabeth- He shouldn’t have bought so much grain if he was not
Jane to know he is dead and he does not want sure.
anyone to see his dead body or to be remembered He should have waited after the good spell of weather.
by anyone. It is a very sad and bitter note. He shouldn’t have sold his house to the bank.
37 a When Henchard learns that Elizabeth-Jane is He should have kept his corn manager.
meeting Farfrae, he does not become angry. Instead, 24 Suggested answer:
he feels defeated by life and becomes quiet and The drivers represent their masters – they are
moody. travelling the same road (they are in the same
b She is relieved to hear it because it explains business) in opposite directions (Farfrae’s approach is
Henchard’s behaviour towards her. When she hears modern, Henchard’s is traditional).
that Henchard told Newson that she was dead, she At first they will not give way to each other.
is delighted to accept Newson as her real father. Then Henchard’s man backs off and loses his load,
c Because Elizabeth-Jane tells him that Newson has just as Henchard loses his business.
asked her to meet him. He knows that Newson Farfrae’s man is in the right (like his master) and
will tell her that he is her real father and that Henchard’s man is in the wrong. Both women support
Elizabeth-Jane will be angry with him because he Farfrae’s man, just as both women love Farfrae.
told Newson that she was dead. He realises that 25–28  Open answers
Elizabeth-Jane will leave him. 29 Suggested answer:
38 Elizabeth-Jane feels calm and peaceful for the first Farfrae wants to arrange for Henchard to manage
time in her life. She understands that chance plays an a small seed shop, but the town clerk tells him that
important part in our lives. Before, she believed that Henchard hates him. Farfrae decides to leave the idea
life was painful, but now she sees that there is beauty for a while. The story gets into the town that Farfrae
and pleasure in the world and it is possible to be opposed the idea.
happy. 30–34  Open answers
39–49  Open answers

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 PENGUIN READERS
Answer keys LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

The Mayor of Casterbridge

35 Suggested answer: 6 a black > light brown
Henchard feels that Farfrae treated him badly in b wants to > doesn’t want to
public during the royal visit and that Lucetta told lies c is > isn’t
about Farfrae’s early days in Casterbridge. Alcohol d jacket > trousers
exaggerates his feelings. Farfrae has beaten him in 7 a Because they have an argument in public and
everything and has now taken his pride. The only Farfrae wins.
way Henchard can beat Farfrae now is in a fight. He b Because it rains.
stops before he kills him because he once loved him so c He didn’t ask Farfrae’s advice.
much and he probably still loves him. d Because Farfrae opens a corn and hay business in
36–45  Open answers direct competition with Henchard.
e That she arranged the meeting in the barn between
Activity worksheets key Farfrae and Elizabeth-Jane.
1 a Because they have no work and no home. 8 a False. Richard Newson is her father.
b That she’ll put some rum in his soup. b True
c Getting married too young. c False. He is angry.
d Nothing – they’ve never seen him before. d True
e Susan’s wedding ring. e True
2 a Richard Newson 9 a Henchard, Elizabeth-Jane
b Michael Henchard b Lucetta, Henchard
c Richard Newson c Farfrae’s new planting machine
d the old woman who sold furmity d Lucetta, Henchard
e Susan, Newson and Elizabeth-Jane e Elizabeth-Jane, Lucetta, Farfrae
3 a Because he has sold them bad wheat. 10 a He was interested in her and now he ignores her.
b No, it was an accident – he didn’t know the wheat Because he is in love with Lucetta.
was bad. b He felt pity for her and now he finds her exciting.
c It said that he had a new method of curing bad Because before she was poor, but now she has
corn. wealth and independence.
d Because it looks expensive – they can’t afford it. 11 a  6  b  9  c  1  d  7  e  8  f  5  g  4  h  3  i  2
e Because there’s more chance of developing his 12 a Casterbridge
inventions there. b mistake
4 a Because he has employed Farfrae as his manager. c saved/rescued, stick
b It means that Susan has not told people about his d stepdaughter
secret past. e lend
c Because she believed the business between Newson 13 bankrupt, foolish, bitter, more positive, dangerous
and Henchard was legal. 14 a Lucetta
d That he is a young man with modern ideas and that b Susan
he is a kind and understanding man. c Lucetta
5 Suggested answers: d Nance Mockridge
a relieved e Open answer
b grateful and guilty 15 a They like him and they don’t want him to see the
c full of affection for her skimmity-ride.
d ashamed b She doesn’t want Lucetta to see it.
e fatherly c Because it’s wearing her clothes and has got her
f unhappy green umbrella.
d Because he thinks he wants to murder him.
e It kills her.

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 PENGUIN READERS
Answer keys LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

The Mayor of Casterbridge

16 a Michael Henchard. 2 a  7  b  2  c  4  d  9  e  8  f  5  g  3  h  1
b Because he doesn’t want to lose her. i  10  j  6
c He sees the skimmity model of him. 3 a  3  b  7  c  3  d  7  e  7  f  3  g  7  h  7
d No, he isn’t – it makes him quiet and moody. i  7  j  3
e Because he knows that Newson has come back to 4 a  3  b  1  c  2  d  3  e  1
Casterbridge and he will lose Elizabeth-Jane. 5 a They planned a skimmity-ride.
17 a False. He cannot stay away from the sea. b She died.
b False. He was possibly penniless. c So that Susan would be free again to find her real
c True husband.
d False. He didn’t want any help. d Because Elizabeth-Jane learnt the truth about his
e True father.
e He did not want any flowers or bells, he did not
Progress test key want anyone to see his dead body or Elizabeth-Jane
1 a Henchard to be told of his death.
b Susan
c Furmity woman
d Newson
e Farfrae

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