Caring and considerate Selfish and thoughtless In what ways do you think both descriptions apply to Hardy's portrayal of Bathsheba?

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2010). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. There are elements in both descriptions which may well apply to Bathsheba.
2. She is certainly a spirited young woman early on in the novel as she takes on the farm single-handedly and holds her own against her male fellow farmers.
3. She is playful and lively with Gabriel.
4. She sends Boldwood a valentine.
5. As the novel progresses she matures and becomes more circumspect.
6. She cares for others, notably Fanny, and Gabriel when he loses his sheep.
7. She is besotted with Troy and it is here that her self-centredness is seen as she resents his relationship with Fanny even after her death.
8. She is unfeeling and thoughtless here too.
9. Perhaps the more percipient may regard this as honesty as opposed to Troy's show of emotion brought on by guilt.
10. Reward highly those who identify such examples and use Hardy's text to support their views.