Thomas Hardy Research Paper

Filled with many wonderful and talented authors, the Victorian Era novels give the reader an adventure into a time of different fashions, technology and mores. The Victorian Era spans from 1837 to 1901, that is One Hundred and Seventy-Nine years ago to One Hundred and Fifteen years ago. Found in any bookstore, taught in academia and made into films and television series, these authors exhibits the interest and influence they have on today’s society.
Even though many of these authors are outstanding, there is one that surpasses the rest: Thomas Hardy. Today Hardy is famous for his novels Return of the Native and Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Hardy wrote many novels and volumes of poetry over his 50-year literary career. Hardy life has a huge
Hardy novels are all set in fictional Wessex, which is located in Southern England and is very similar to the area where Hardy lived most of his life. This showed a way of life that was starting to fade away and for the most part, literature did not focus on this way of life. Not only does Hardy talk about this way of life, but he also tries to tackle the class problem in his novels. In his novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, Bathsheba rejects Gabriel Oak marriage proposal, since, “You [Oak] are better off than I. I have hardy a penny in the world” (Hardy 40). Class position plays a role, in the novel and effect how characters interact with one another. The relationship of Gabriel and Bathsheba changes as the social position for each character changes. Bathsheba goes on to inherit a farm and wealth. Gabriel has to work for Bathsheba after the loss of his own farm, and then when he takes over another farm he is on equal footing with Bathsheba. Through the class changes in characters in Far From the Madding Crowd, the reader can see the class system in rural communities and how the classes interact with one another. The setting of Hardy’s novels in rural communities helps to give a glimpse of this way of life, which is important since most writers of the era do not talk about these rural communities. Without Hardy, this view of rural life in the Victorian Era could be
Hardy writing is important because of his focus on rural life style. It has been said that, “the close-knit life of the small rural community, and the often harsh environment of the surrounding heath and woodland formed a deep and lasting impression on Hardy ‘the man who used to notice such things’” (Fincham). This stands out in Hardy novels. His novels fit so well with the landscape he puts them in that it is hard to see the novels set elsewhere. Hardy’s life influenced him and it gives a depth to his story that makes them have a lasting impression. Hardy ability to take the influence of his life and turn it into his wonderful crafted novels is why he is the best Victorian Era