The thing that characterizes Gabriel Oak most consistently in this book is the quiet, dignified way he goes about his life, no matter how many terrible things happen to him. This calmness allows Gabriel to quietly appreciate a lot of things in life that other characters don't. For example, "Being a man not without frequent consciousness that there was some charm in this life he led, he stood still after looking at the sky as a useful instrument, and regarded it in an appreciative spirit, as a work of art superlatively beautiful" (2.19)