Short note on Thomas Hardy
Question: Write a short note on Thomas Hardy.
Introduction
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was born in Dorset, England. He is at the same time Victorian era (1833-1901) and the Modern era (1901-1939) figure in English literature. Even sundry critics have called him Shakespeare of the novel.
Thomas Hardy’s designation in literature
He was a novelist, poet, and short-story writer.
Hardy’s style of writing
Hardy had a pessimistic point of view on life and love. He wrote a wide variety of works. He wrote from epic dramas to spirited ballads. He used a short statement of incidents and characters that are not limited to humans. In his literary works, even nature and animals play a role.
Facts of popularity
Basically, Victorian realist, romanticism, critical description of rural people are the facts of his popularity.
Cause of giving up novel writing
He was charged that he wrote a novel about sexual relationships purely for sensationalism. He was hurt by this charge and stopped to write novels in 1895.
Click here: For all the notes of History of English Literature
A short list of his works
- ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ (1872).
- ‘A Pair of Blue Eyes’ (1873).
- ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ (1874).
- ‘The Return of the Native’ (1878).
- ‘Wessex Tales’ (1888).
- ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ (1891). (Sub-title)- ‘A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented’.
- ‘Jude the Obscure’ (1895), for this novel, he was criticized as being immoral.
- ‘Napoleonic Wars’ (1903-08).
- ‘Winter Words’ (1928).
Features of Hardy’s writing
After scanning his literary works, we get some features of his writings that are given below:
- Characters are not themselves fully conscious.
- Positive affirming attitude.
- Pessimism
- Allusion of history.
- Allusion of geography.
- Use of symbolism etc.
Conclusion
Thomas Hardy is a conventional novelist. His plot, art of characterization is like a traditional novelist. In a sentence, he is one of the finest figures in English literature.
