"The Mayor of Casterbridge" by Thomas Hardy is a classic novel that tells the story of Michael Henchard, a man who, after drinking, proves through his own actions that people cannot escape their past. After he sells his youngest daughter at the fair, Henchard vows not to drink alcohol for 21 years. However, when he immediately manages to forget this promise, this mistake becomes the basis for his further life and death. The novel "The Mayor of Casterbridge" explores themes of passion, guilt, power and responsibility, unfolding the tragedy of one wrong decision that haunts the protagonist until the very end.