Hardy, Thomas - Life and Literary works

Childhood and Career of Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was born in the county of Dorset located in the british region of Essex. He was a very bright child that soon started attending specialized schools in order to become an architect, however he abandoned this possible carrear path to follow his passion for writing. In this period of time as a matter of fact he ended up writing a total of eight-teen novels and some poetry as well. The novels were known as "Novels of character and environment" and this particular category included:

• "Far from the Madding Crowd", the main character id Gabriel Oak, he is described as a poor young shepherd, that lives in a sheep farm. He ends up falling in love with a new girl that arrives in his village named Bathsheba Everdene, the two seem to get along and start a relationship. But when it's time to tie the knot, she actually refuses in the name of her independence;


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• "The Major of Casterbridge", as usual the novel is set in the British country-side, in particular in the region of Wessex in the little town of Casterbridge. The main character is the young, drunken 21-year-old Michael Henchard, the novel begins with one of his tragic mistakes, dictated by alcohol. As a matter of fact he miserably auctions his wife Susan and infant daughter Elisabeth in exchange for five guineas.

Hardy's Pessimism and Philosophy

Every novel is connoted by Hardy's typical pessimism: he was a matter of fact convinced of the inability to dare what he defined "the blind forces of nature" or the so called "immanent Will". It is a careless and insensitive might that has the power to alter destinies and cannot be dominated by anyone. So, fate and chance play a significant role in everyone's life, here the philosophy of determines comes to play: life is determined by place, background and moment, hence men are set to yield to nature's hostile laws.

Tragic Life of Tess

The Novel revolves around the mournful life od the young main character Tess, who becomes the prey of every single that comes into her life. Her family was so poor and crushed by debts, that she is sent to some wealthy cousins in order to beg for kinship. They accept but her life takes a tragic turn when she is raped and gives birth to a dead infant. She later starts working as a milk lady and falls in love with a young handsome man named Angel Clare, who claims to feel horrified by her past and refuses to peruse a relationship with her. Tess the marries another man, Alec, but as Angel is ready to forgive her, than they decide to plan the murder of her husband.