Snell (1998) says that the term 'regional novel' refers to "fiction that is set in a recognizable region, and which describes features distinguishing the life, social relations, customs, languages, dialect, or other aspects of the culture of that area and its people. Fiction with a strong sense of local geography, topography or landscape is also covered by this definition" (1998:1). Novels belonging to such a genre, Duncan (2002) claims, are thus distinctive and familiar. distinctive in the sense that each is differentiated from the metropolis or from other regions within the nation, and familiar in the sense that they all have one thing in common 'the imagined community' of Anderson (Anderson, 1991). Duncan (2002) maintains that provincial or regional fiction was established and flourished in the nineteenth century. He argues that the eighteenth century witnessed some attempts at the regional novel, notably Smollett's (1818) The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker written in 1771; however, the real introduction to the regional novel was Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent in 1800. Afterwards, regional fiction was developed by Scott, Galt, and their Irish and Scottish contemporaries. This view is supported by Bellamy’s (1998) argument “the origins of the regional novel have conventionally been traced back to Maria Edgeworth and Walter Scott” (1998: 54). The novels about Ireland or Scotland, Duncan (2002) suggests, made English writers think about the varieties of community within England and in the Victorian period, after which we see the appearance of English regional novel. He points out that industrialization and modernization processes led to the disappearance of many rural and pastoral values; the simple pastoral life was replaced ... ... middle of paper ... ...e reduced to just classifying him as a regional writer (Seymour-Smith, 1994). Williams (1974) supports this argument indicating “This argument gives a one-sided picture of Hardy’s creativity and ignores an important part of the Victorian social and cultural context in which Hardy had lived and worked for some time—that of urban society” (1974: 5-6). One major problem with regional discussions of Hardy is that their vision and perception of Hardy’s work is very narrow in the sense that (1) they are almost restricted to what Hardy calls ‘novels of character and environment’, and (2) they ignore other important thematic concepts within the texts. Equally important, such reviews are always based on some biographical elements of Hardy himself. The involvement of biographical considerations however in thematic reviews makes any discussion subjective and not empirical.
In literature, both regionalism and naturalism are derived from realism. Regionalism describes specific regional landscapes and reveals that area’s form of communication and customs. On the other hand, naturalism focuses more on society, the environment, spirits, and the concepts that are beyond what our brains are capable of comprehending; more or less, the facts. Although both make for a diverse set of literature work, they seem to interlink in ways. For instance, both regionalism and naturalism expose the reality of life and the struggles that humans face.
With this, his last novel, Hardy is moving away from the convention of the "inner life of the characters to be inferred from their public behavior" (Howe 513), so, although Sue...
Taking an Ecocritical approach, Hardy seeks refuge in the country and his past. Looking at Hardy’s poems, I conducted the evaluation that has led to the agreement of the statement. Hardy seeks refuge in the country to connect with his past, giving him the safety he physically and emotionally needs due to the grief he feels towards the loss of his late wife: Emma. The three poems that link into the statement are: ‘Under the Waterfall’, ‘Your Last Drive’, and ‘The Going.’ Each one gives a different aspect towards the topic of refuge.
Similarly, Bathsheba of Far from the Madding Crowd is destined to suffer and lead a miserable life. Bathsheba Everdene is paying a visit to her aunt and is seen by Gabriel Oak, a hardworking farmer. He falls in love with her and proposes to marry her but she declines his offer. Afterwards, Oak loses his sheep and becomes very poor. So he moves to Casterbridge in search for a job. He chances to arrive at the outbreak of a fire in Bathsheba’s farm and he puts it out. She offers to hire him as a shepherd and he agrees. In the meantime, she tries to attract Mr. William Boldwood but he is not interested in her and she comes to marry Sergeant Troy, a deceitful and inconsiderate husband. He squanders her money on gambling. He used to love Fanny Robin before getting married to Bathsheba and he chances to see her one day between Casterbridge and Weatherbury. He decides to go to her and help her but he finds her and her child dead. Feeling desperate, he quarrels with Bathsheba and leaves for America. Thinking that she is now a widow, Bathsheba decides to marry Boldwood. However, Troy returns a...
Thesis: Hardy is concerned with the natural cycles of the world, and the disruption caused by convention, which usurps nature's role. He combats convention with the voice of the individual and the continuing circularity of nature.
The trial of Jude and Sue evoke a sympathetic response from the reader because the couple reflects the values which are prevalent in modern society. They suffer persecution for yielding to emotions which are no longer considered unacceptable or forbidden, as they were then. This portrays Victorian society as being cruel and unnatural, thus creating affection for the characters. Hardy understood the tendency for society to swing like a pendulum from one extreme to the other. He knew that the Victorian era would not last indefinately, and that future generations would become more liberated. This is beautifully illustrated in this reflection of Sue's: 'When people of a later age look back upon the barbarous customs and superstitions of the times that we have the unhappiness to live in, what will they think?’ (p.276) According to modern values, it is wrong to condemn people for following their pure and natural instincts, though they ‘have wronged no man, condemned no man, defrauded no man.’ (p.378) Therefore, by predicting these shifts, and exposing the injustice of Victorian society, Hardy evokes sympathy in the reader for Sue and Jude.
In “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” Hardy does expose the social injustices and double standards which prevail in the late nineteenth century.
Dictionary.com defines the literary movement called Regionalism, as “the theory or practice of emphasizing the regional characteristics of locale or setting, as by stressing local speech.” The Regionalism movement was a time after the Civil War and the nineteenth century. It was a movement that emphasized the characters, dialect, customs, and landscape of a particular region. Writers during this period would stray away from normal settings and focus on distant lands that contained an exotic or interesting setting. The literary works of this time period were very descriptive and the writing greatly enhanced the surroundings of a certain region. The literary work entitled “The Mountain” by Robert Frost is an excellent example of a Regionalist piece of writing. It exemplifies the ideas of the description of setting and enhances the characters from this village setting. The Regionalism literary movement emphasized that every region had something special inside it that was worth writing about. No matter...
Set in the late 1880s in a fictional county called Wessex, England, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, is the story of Tess Durbeyfield, an innocent sixteen year old girl who grows into a complex women as the result of fate. The main theme throughout the novel is how accident determines the destiny of characters’, in particular Tess. Through fatalism, male dominance, and the views of social class, Tess of the D’Urbervilles exhibits the characteristics of literary naturalism, an outgrowth of realism developed in France in the late 19th century.
So, the sense of pessimism in Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge has been presented in a bit different way. No doubt the protagonist of the novel is a pessimistic character, but the whole credit of his pessimism has not been given to his own flaw only. But the pessimism has been broadly caused by the luck, fate, conscience of human beings. Life has been presented there as pessimistic in the hand of luck or chances. Our pessimistic life is a kind of truth, but the very cause behind it is beyond our control. This sort of pessimism is there is Henchard's life too. Hardy was the painter of darker side of life as it was no wonder if people charged him of “pessimist”. The opinion is both right and wrong in this context. Infact, there are some factors that compels us to believe him a pessimist. He was hypersensitive; his own life was tragic and
Nor is Hardy indifferent to man's senseless cruelty to his brother. He structures the events so that even Elizabeth has become too prim and unrelenting in her firm stand on Lucetta and Henchard. He is unsparing in his portrayal of the lower-class townspeople for their cruel and vicious "skimmity-ride."
Thomas Hardy was a famous author and poet he lived from 1840 to 1928. During his long life of 88 years he wrote fifteen novels and one thousand poems. He lived for the majority of his life near Dorchester. Hardy got many ideas for his stories while he was growing up. An example of this was that he knew of a lady who had had her blood turned by a convict’s corpse and he used this in the story ‘The Withered Arm’. The existence of witches and witchcraft was accepted in his lifetime and it was not unusual for several people to be killed for crimes of witchcraft every year.
In Thomas Hardy?s three short tales, the presentation of women is negative, however typical of the 1800?s. His stories show just how women lived in these times and how it was difficult. They received few opportunities and choices as most were made for them. Their main role in life was to be a good mother and a devoted wife.
Further into observation, syntax is also a very important aspect of Hardy’s style. Hardy’s structure of dialogue depicts the defensiveness of Henchard. Hardy constructs his sentences in
Hardy originated from a working class family. The son of a master mason, Hardy was slightly above that of his agricultural peers. Hardy’s examination of transition between classes is usually similar to that of D.H. Lawrence, that if you step outside your circle you will die. The ambitious lives of the characters within Hardy’s novels like Jude and Tess usually end fatally; as they attempt to break away from the constraints of their class, thus, depicting Hardy’s view upon the transition between classes. Hardy valued lower class morals and traditions, it is apparent through reading Tess that her struggles are evidently permeated through the social sufferings of the working class. A central theme running throughout Hardy’s novels is the decline of old families. It is said Hardy himself traced the Dorset Hardy’s lineage and found once they were of great i...