By Thomas Hardy

What’s Functional Stylistics?

Tell me the story…

“When Farmer Oak smiled, the corners of hismouth spread till they were within anunimportant distance of his ears, his eyes werereduced to chinks, and diverging wrinklesappeared round them, extending upon hiscountenance like the rays in a rudimentarysketch of the rising sun.”

"That's a handsome maid," he said to Oak."But she has her faults," said Gabriel."True, farmer.""And the greatest of them is—well, what it is always.""Beating people down? ay, 'tis so.""O no.""What, then?"Gabriel, perhaps a little piqued by the comely traveller's indifference, glanced back to where he had witnessed her performance over the hedge, and said, "Vanity."

Chapter 2

It was nearly midnight on the eve of St.Thomas's, the shortest day in the year.

The thin grasses…were touched by the wind…one rubbing the blades heavily, another rakingthem piercingly, another brushing them like asoft broom.

Chapter 3

She came up and looked around—then on theother side of the hedge. Gabriel was about toadvance and restore the missing article when anunexpected performance induced him tosuspend the action for the present.

Chapter 4

By making inquiries he found that the girl'sname was Bathsheba Everdene, and that thecow would go dry in about seven days. Hedreaded the eighth day.

Chapter 5

Only one responded—old George; the othercould not be found, either in the house, lane, orgarden. Gabriel then remembered that he hadleft the two dogs on the hill eating a dead lamb(a kind of meat he usually kept from them,except when other food ran short), andconcluding that the young one had not finishedhis meal, he went indoors to the luxury of a bed,which latterly he had only enjoyed on Sundays.

Chapter 6

She lifted the wool veil tied round her face, andlooked all astonishment. Gabriel and his cold-hearted darling, Bathsheba Everdene, were faceto face. Bathsheba did not speak, and hemechanically repeated in an abashed and sadvoice,— "Do you want a shepherd, ma'am?"

Chapter 7

Gabriel's fingers alighted on the young woman'swrist. It was beating with a throb of tragicintensity…

He fancied that he had felt himself in thepenumbra of a very deep sadness whentouching that slight and fragile creature.

Chapter 8

"Gabriel Oak, that's my name, neighbours.“ …

"Knowed yer grandmother."

"Likewise knowed yer father when he was a child. Why, my boy Jacob there and your father were sworn brothers“…

Chapter 9

A woman's dress being a part of hercountenance, and any disorder in the one beingof the same nature with a malformation orwound in the other, Bathsheba said at once—

"I can't see him in this state. Whatever shall Ido?"

Chapter 10

"I shall be up before you are awake; I shall beafield before you are up; and I shall havebreakfasted before you are afield. In short, Ishall astonish you all."

Chapter 11

The changes of the seasons are less obtrusive onspots of this kind than amid woodland scenery.Still, to a close observer, they are just asperceptible…

"Ho—ho—Sergeant—ho—ho!" An expostulationfollowed, but it was indistinct; and it becamelost amid a low peal of laughter, which washardly distinguishable from the gurgle of thetiny whirlpools outside.

Chapter 12

Something in the exact arch of her upperunbroken row of teeth, and in the keenlypointed corners of her red mouth when, withparted lips, she somewhat defiantly turned upher face to argue a point with a tall man.

"It is said—A woman jilted him, they say."

"People always say that—and we know very wellwomen scarcely ever jilt men; 'tis the men whojilt us. I expect it is simply his nature to be soreserved."

"Simply his nature—I expect so, miss—nothingelse in the world."

"Still, 'tis more romantic to think he has beenserved cruelly, poor thing'! Perhaps, after all, hehas!"

Chapter 13

"Did you ever find out, miss, who you are goingto marry by means of the Bible and key?"

"Don't be so foolish, Liddy. As if such thingscould be...”

"Now then, head, Boldwood; tail, Teddy. No, wewon't toss money on a Sunday, that would betempting the devil indeed."

"Toss this hymn-book; there can't be nosinfulness in that, miss."

Chapter 14

"Marry Me."

The pert injunction was like those crystalsubstances which, colourless themselves,assume the tone of objects about them. Here, inthe quiet of Boldwood's parlour, whereeverything that was not grave was extraneous,and where the atmosphere was that of a PuritanSunday lasting all the week, the letter and itsdictum changed their tenor from thethoughtlessness of their origin to a deepsolemnity.

Chapter 15

“They've been talking but now of the mis'ess'sstrange doings…”

"Now—the first man in the parish that I hearprophesying bad of our mistress, why" (here thefist was raised and let fall as Thor might havedone with his hammer in assaying it)—"he'llsmell and taste that—or I'm a Dutchman."