#Thomas Hardy and Suzanne Collins writing techniques

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THG Book Club: Far from the Madding Crowd - Chapter 2

In chapter 2 of Far from the Madding Crowd, there is much religious imagery. It takes place on the eve of St. Thomas's day when traditionally poor women would go out begging for money to fund Christmas dinner. Farmer Oak is portrayed as the young David of Psalms' fame, being a shepherd out in the field during lambing season. He plays a flute like David. His hut on wheels is described as a small Noah's Ark. 

He takes a barely alive newborn lamb into his hut where it is revived from the warmth of a fire. We learn that Farmer Oak is in debt (with sheep not yet paid for). Hence we see his kindness in paying the two pence for the young woman's toll in chapter 1.

There are two longish paragraphs describing the position of the stars as a timepiece, the second which is used as a transition to explain Farmer Oak's search for a nearby light which leads him again to peering in a window to spy. There he sees two women, one is the young woman he encountered days earlier. Hardy sets up bird imagery again with the young woman noting that Farmer Oak "saw her in a bird's-eye view..."

Farmer Oak hears the young woman's conversation and we learn that she and the older woman have no money. She's lost her hat, and she plans to ride for oatmeal at first light (without a side saddle). "I can ride on the other: trust me."

Again I see shades of Katniss in this young woman. Unlike the women in District Twelve, Katniss hunts in the woods, this woman defies convention by not riding side saddle. Also, note the bird imagery between Katniss and this young woman.

[mtk4fun]

THG Book Club: Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - Chapter 1

As a The Hunger Games fanfic writer, I'm looking at Far from the Madding Crowd through a writer's eyes and comparing Thomas Hardy's writing techniques to that of Suzanne Collins (author of THG).  In chapter 1, the first thing I note is the main character is introduced as Farmer Oak. Collins picks names with double meanings -- I'm guessing Hardy does too. "Farmer" because it's his profession, but farmers also plant seeds and wait patiently for them to grow. "Oak" makes me think of a sturdy, stately tree. His first name is revealed to be "Gabriel" which reminds me of the angel who appears to the Virgin Mary.  Our female protagonist is not yet named in this chapter but is described in colorful terms - riding in an ornamental spring wagon painted yellow and gaily marked, and dressed in a crimson jacket with a bright face and dark hair. It's mentioned that a caged canary is in her wagon. I'm thinking this woman is like this canary -- colorful but caged.  From his field, Gabriel spies on her and watches her gaze at herself in a mirror. The author has also mentioned that Gabriel has a habit of peering into his neighbors' windows to see what time it is -- so I'm wondering if this is his flaw -- spying on others to get information or make judgements about them. At the end of the chapter, Gabriel pays the extra two pence the woman needs for the gatekeeper to let her through the gate. The woman doesn't thank him. After she passes, Gabriel tells the gatekeeper that she's vain. Does he put her down because he's hurt he wasn't thanked? In this first chapter I find an interesting comparison to THG. Peeta saves Katniss by throwing her a couple of loaves of burnt bread. But Katniss doesn't thank Peeta. It makes me wonder if Peeta was hurt by it (even if years later he basically says it was no big deal).