At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to our protagonist Michael Henchard as a 21-year old hay-trusser who holds little stature within the community. He does not act in a respectable manner, is selfish and seems only to care about himself. He does not even appear to have any consideration for his young wife and infant child as is evident by the fact that he sells them to a complete stranger. Furthermore, he drinks heavily and recklessly, showing no maturity, sense of decency, responsibility or judgement.

Although his living situation is not detailed at the beginning of the novel, it can be assumed that he lived very basically with his family. They travelled by foot with few possessions. They were not poor for he was a skilled labourer, and "they were not ill-clad." However, his living conditions change dramatically throughout the course of the novel.

His...