How Bathsheba Everdene Has Changed in the Novel Far From The Madding Cr

How Bathsheba Everdene Has Changed in the Novel Far From The Madding Crowd "Bathsheba Everdene is a changed woman by the end of this novel". By referring closely to events in the text, show to what extent you agree with this statement. In this essay I am going to be deciding to what extent that I think Bathsheba Everdene has changed in the novel 'Far From The Madding Crowd'. I will compare the two sides and reach my conclusion. I think that in the novel, in some ways Bathsheba has changed. When we first meet Bathsheba she is going to live with her aunt, and is probably dependant upon her. Then, Bathsheba inherits a farm and money. This occurrence would give Bathsheba more independence and freedom, so in that way she has changed from the start of the novel. When Bathsheba's sheep get into a field of clover, the only person who can help her is Gabriel Oak. At first Bathsheba refuses to ask Gabriel for help as they have had a row but then she does. Gabriel replies "beggars mustn't be choosers". We know that Bathsheba is a very proud, independent woman and doesn't like to ask for help, but here she swallows her pride and sends a note reading, "Do not desert me Gabriel". This must have been quite a hard thing for a stubborn person to do, and I think that earlier on in the book, Bathsheba wouldn't have been able to do such a thing. This therefore shows that Bathsheba is now more grown up and able to see the bigger picture of life. At the start of the novel, Bathsheba is very young and innocent. When Gabriel Oak proposes to Bathsheba the first time, Bathsheba says "I shouldn't mind being a bride at a wedding, if I could be one without having a husband" However, at both times when Bathsheba is mar... ...ne because she is jealous that he doesn't look at her at the fair, she wants what she can't have, so when he proposes to her, she doesn't know how to let him down gently. But the second time she isn't straightforward because she doesn't want to hurt his feelings. So although she is indecisive, she does seem to develop feelings for Farmer Boldwood, as she doesn't want to hurt him in the end. After reading this novel I have decided that Bathsheba is a changed woman to some degree, but underneath she is still the same stubborn, vain girl. I think the changes that have occurred are due to her growing up and becoming a woman and I think that she has learned from her mistakes and from the experiences she has dealt with. I think any changes that have happened to Bathsheba have happened for the better as she is noticing her faults and is better because of it.