In a different work by this author, Gabriel Oak falls in love with Bathsheba Everdene; that novel's title comes from a line in Thomas Gray's  Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, in which Gray describes the titular group's (*)  "ignoble strife".
In one work by this author, Michael Henchard and his antithesis, Donald Farfrae, successively hold the title position. In a different work by this author, Gabriel Oak falls in love with Bathsheba Everdene; that novel's title comes from a line in Thomas Gray's  Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, in which Gray describes the titular group's (*)  "ignoble strife". In another work by this author, the title character murders her lover Alec; she is therefore not "A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented", not even if this author says so. For 10 points, name this author of  Far from the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and  Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
In one work by this author, Michael Henchard and his antithesis, Donald Farfrae, successively hold the title position.
Thomas  Hardy 