In the nineteenth-century, men and women commonly married by arrangement. Many parents had their children marry someone in the same social class. It was most common for women to marry men who were wealthy and able to provide for them. This concept of marriage is presented in Thomas Hardy's "Fellow-Townsmen". In the story, George Barnet and his wife are not happily married. Barnet is unable to marry the woman he loves, Lucy Savile, because she is not in the same social class. She is a very important character even though she does not really develop throughout the story. Lucy is the central cause of George Barnet's unhappiness.
Hardy introduces Lucy in the beginning of the story. Barnet goes to see her at her house where she is sketching outlines for her paintings. Readers here learn of their past relationship. Barnet admits to Lucy that he loves her by saying, "I came to see you . . . the woman I love" (Hardy 98). Lucy never once says she loves Barnet throughout their conversation. She claims that the reason for not marrying him was because her family "was so much poorer" (Hardy 100) than Barnet's family. Barnet does not feel that was a good enough reason, and he assures Lucy that his family would have loved her. Lucy then asks Barnet never to visit her again.
One reason Barnet is troubled with his marriage is because he envies Charles Downe's happy marriage. When Downe's wife is suddenly killed, Barnet suggests that he asks Lucy to be his governess. Not long after Lucy agrees, Downe marries Lucy. Barnet's wife has also died, and when he returns to ask Lucy for her hand in marriage, he learns of Downe and Lucy's marriage. Once Barnet confronts Lucy, he leaves for twenty-one years. .
Even after two unsuccessful attempts to win Lucy, Barnet returns to ask Lucy to marry him once more. Downe has died and Lucy is once again available. Lucy does not believe Barnet when he tells her she is the reason he left and the reason he has returned after so many years.