Gabriel and the Fire at Bathsheba’s Farm
When Gabriel comes across a fire that is threatening to destroy crops, he eagerly helps to get the flames under control. He does not seem to have any self-interested motive for doing so, but once the disaster has been averted, it does occur to him that the farmer might now be more likely to hire him. Ironically, that farmer turns out to be the woman who rejected his marriage proposal only a short time before. Even though Gabriel would have had a reason to not want to help Bathsheba, he has done so unwittingly. The situation is even more ironic because part of her motivation for rejecting his proposal was because she did not want to become dependent on a man, and yet now Gabriel has shown what a useful partner he would be.
Bathsheba’s Motive for Sending Boldwood the Valentine
As a beautiful woman who takes on a very public role of managing the farm, Bathsheba attracts a lot of attention. She is somewhat vain and likes to be admired, so it annoys her that Boldwood ignores her. She comes up with the idea of sending him the valentine because she wants to attract his attention. Ironically, her plan succeeds but in such a way that she ends up regretting it. Bathsheba thinks she can get Boldwood interested enough that she will have power over him, but in an ironic reversal, he becomes so obsessed with her that she is left in a vulnerable situation where she is constantly trying to defend herself from his persistent courtship.
Bathsheba’s Encounter with Boldwood on the Road
After she sends Boldwood a note telling him that she cannot ever marry him, Bathsheba becomes anxious that he will try to speak with her and persuade her to change her mind. She decides to go and visit Liddy’s sister in order to avoid the risk of seeing him, but ironically this journey is what leads to the two running into each other. Because Bathsheba is travelling on the road away from her farm, she runs into Boldwood and the two have a confrontation in which he becomes angry about her relationship with Troy. This encounter is what leads Bathsheba to decide she must go to Bath to speak with Troy, and it therefore contributes to her hasty marriage.
The Misperception that Bathsheba’s Horse has been Stolen
Bathsheba wants to go to Bath without anyone knowing that she has changed her travel plans. She therefore takes her horse and wagon secretly in the middle of the night, but this leads to some of the servants and employees mistakenly believing that the horse has been stolen. Jan Coggan and Gabriel pursue the horse and end up catching up to her, but realize that Bathsheba is going to Bath alone. Ironically, the actions Bathsheba takes in order to try and keep her journey secret are what lead to it being revealed.
