Chapter I

Description of Farmer Oak- An Incident

"When Farmer Oak smiled, the corners of his mouth spread till they were within an unimportant distance of his ears, his eyes were reduced to chinks and diverging wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun." (p.1)

Farmer Oak, the main, male character of the novel, as his surname recalls, is a man of nature. His farming endeavour not only shapes his character but his soul is nurtured by nature. The first paragraph sheds light on his mental portrait, his impressive smile, the impression of his eyes as a testimony of his reliable, strong character.

Here let me give some extra information about the oak tree. It is seen as a sign of masculine energy, mighty, strong, enduring and steadfast. In Ogham alphabet, the oak is named by the word Duir (i.e., door) which represents a doorway to inner strength and inner spirituality. It is believed that sitting beneath the mighty Oak brings one spiritual renewal, new understanding and vision. It restores faith in oneself and encourges to take action for future prospects. Source: The Oak Tree King of The Greenwood By By Glennie Kindred.

If we look at the sentences the author uses in the first paragraph, we can interpret this way: When Gabriel Oak smiles, his smile is not false or artificial, but deep from the heart. It changes the whole shape of his face. His eyes which reflects the light of his soul, resembles the rising sun. Darkness, pessimism and fears don’t take root in his inner life. He brings light, hope, warmth and positive energy to his surroundings. You can benefit from his friendship and count on him and feel the joy of life.

I heard a wise man noting once; "the essence of beauty is embedded not in the features of the face but in the expression of the eyes and the smile". Perhaps we can evaluate his impressiveness from this perspective. Any way it is just a connotation.