Dunce Class

A dunce is a person slow in learning or intellectually dull.  It historically stems from the 13th century philosopher John Duns Scouts.  A class dunce typically represents the stereotype of the weakest student, often subjected to sitting in a corner wearing a cone shaped dunce cap as a punishment. 

In Chapter 44 of Far From The Madding Crowd, the novel byThomas Hardy, Bathsheba while sitting alone in a thicket away from her home as a retreat to escape the shock of Troy's relationship with Fanny Robin, saw a dunce coming with a bag and a book. The book was psalter ( biblical book of psalms used for private prayer).

The scene has several functions: 
It provides comic relief.  Bathsheba has undergone the worst experience of her life.  Yet she is slightly amused by the boys absurd method of learning.  Even in deep distress there remains s superficial film of consciousness that notices trivial things.  Her ability to observe and smile at the boy suggests that the first shock of Troy's betrayal is beginning to subside. 

The boy repeats words without grasping their meaning. Bathsheba, by contrast, has been forced to confront harsh realities, and think deeply about her situation.  The dunce's mechanical recitation stands against her painful awakening from illusion. 

The episode is brief, but it marks a transition.  Bathsheba is moving from emotional collapse towards reflection and resolution. 

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