In many instances, life is more what we make of it than anything else.
             This is especially true when exploring lessons dealing with happiness, self-
             knowledge, and growth. Thomas Hardy examines these themes in his novel,
             Far From the Madding Crowd, with the characters of Gabriel, Frank, and
             Boldwood. Gabriel is portrayed as a man who learns from his circumstances
             in life, whether he deserves them or not. He becomes a character that
             embodies strength and determination despite the odds. In contrast, Frank
             and Boldwood are characters that do not completely develop because they
             had passed through an ordeal of wretchedness which had given him more
             than it had taken away. He had sunk from his modest elevation as
             pastoral king into the very slime-pits of Siddim; but there was left
             to him a dignified clam he had never before known, and that
             indifference to fate which, through it often makes a villain of a
             man, is the basis of his sublimity when it does not. And thus the
             abasement had been exaltation, and the loss gain, (Hardy Chapter 6)
             he is suggesting that happiness and growth are possible but not without
             suffering. One thing Hardy does is throughout the novel is minimize the
             romantic ideal along with the idealistic dream. He replaces this romantic
             ideal with reality. Gabriel is a character whose very name represents a
             strong, enduring nature and he is the character in the novel that turns out
             to be the most realistic despite his love for Bathsheba.
             Gabriel exhibits maturity because he is willing to learn from his
             devastating circumstances. He does not spend a lot of time asking why or
             feeling sorry for himself. Instead, he processes things rather quickly and
             moves on. For example, he is very realistic when he accepts the fact that
             he alone is responsible for not insuring his sheep. One of his most
             admirable characteristic...