Henchard although having auctioned his wife and his child, is actually in the long term, influencing his own fate. The auctioning is Henchard's past but his fate brings this event back into the present for all the wrong reasons.
" with a contemplative bitterness that was well-nigh resentful. I married at eighteen, like the fool that I was-.
Henchard employs the image of a volatile character and furthermore, there is a pervasive loneliness about him, not only during the auctioning but also throughout the story. This persistent loneliness is bought about by Henchard's own foolishness and by the twists of his fate.
The dismissal of Susan and Elizabeth-Jane is also parallel to the Henchard's dismissal of his manager, Donald Farfrae. The readers" first impression of Farfrae is of a young man of "pleasant aspect". Henchard, once again operating under his impulsive nature, offers Farfrae a job as manager of the corn business.
"Now you are my friend come back to my house.".
After a short acquaintance, Henchard has given Farfrae responsibility for his business, taken him into his own home, and labelled him a lifelong friend but ironically, Henchard will regret this as their roles are reversed later in the story. This is where Henchard is a tragic victim of his own fate as Henchard finds himself the recipient of further help from the future Mayor of Casterbridge, Donald Farfrae. .
Farfrae's fate must also be observed, as he is the possessor of the fate that Henchard could have had if he was to change the past and mend his ways. Farfrae arrives in Casterbridge, preparing for his voyage to America but almost immediately gets offered a job as manager of Henchard's business. Farfrae has just his fate shining upon him when he turns up in Casterbridge, and this fate providentially guides him to success in Casterbridge whereas Henchard has his family and love returned but alas, he has no control over the deeds his fate will play.
