The Mayor of Casterbridge

**Quiz Question: *The Mayor of Casterbridge* by Thomas Hardy** At the start of the novel, what shocking act does Michael Henchard commit that initiates the entire plot? A) He burns down his farm in a fit of rage B) He sells his wife and daughter at a country fair while drunk C) He murders a business rival in Casterbridge D) He abandons his family to seek his fortune in America **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation: In the first chapter, a drunken Michael Henchard sells his wife Susan and their baby daughter Elizabeth-Jane to a sailor named Newson at a tent run by a furmity woman during a village fair. This morally reprehensible act weighs heavily on Henchard throughout the novel and underpins the key themes of guilt, consequence, and the struggle to escape one's past.*

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**Quiz Question: *The Mayor of Casterbridge* by Thomas Hardy** At the start of the novel, what shocking act does Michael Henchard commit that sets the entire story in motion? A) He burns down his family's cottage in a drunken rage. B) He sells his wife and daughter to a sailor at a country fair while drunk. C) He abandons his wife and flees to the town of Casterbridge alone. D) He gambles away all of his money and is forced into indentured servitude. **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation: In the novel's striking opening scene, a drunken Michael Henchard auctions off his wife Susan and their infant daughter Elizabeth-Jane to a sailor named Newson at Weydon-Priors fair. This act of moral failure haunts Henchard throughout the novel and drives the central tragedy of the story.*

ap_lit · aqa · ib_lang_lit · gcse

**Quiz Question: *The Mayor of Casterbridge* by Thomas Hardy** At the start of the novel, what shocking action does Michael Henchard take that kickstarts the entire story? A) He burns down his family's cottage in a drunken rage. B) He sells his wife and daughter to a sailor at a country fair. C) He abandons his wife by fleeing to the town of Casterbridge. D) He gambles away the family's savings at a roadside inn. **Correct Answer: B** *Explanation: In the novel's gripping beginning, a intoxicated Michael Henchard auctions off his wife Susan and their baby daughter Elizabeth-Jane to a sailor named Newson at Weydon-Priors fair. This morally reprehensible act haunts Henchard throughout the story and drives its key themes of guilt, consequence, and the potential for redemption.*

ap_lit · aqa · ib_lang_lit · gcse