In V.S. Pritchett's Collected Essays (1991) he says of Thomas Hardy "we are always struck by the largeness of the panorama and by the narrowness of Hardy's single, crooked, well-trodden path across it." Hardy always starts his characters on a journey down a road. The "road" is a symbol of path toward that character's fate and an opportunity for Hardy to promote his views of anti-industrialism and romantic country charm. Invariably all people have to walk their own path.
This balance of large setting (Wessex) and narrow aspect of character is distinctive of all Hardy novels.
- As you start the next text, knowing what you know from Tess, what can you expect from this new work?
- What predictions can you make?
- Any themes, symbols, motifs you may want to search for?
photo by Jola Dziubinska
I expect the character(s) in the next Hardy novel to experience hardships that test their character and possibly make them stronger. With Tess, her rape made her more pure for her intentions were much more defining than her unwilling participation in impure actions. If this is a predominant theme--that is, characters experiencing something that should by definition make them less, they rise above it and become better for it, I expect a similar situation (perhaps not rape) for the main characters of Hardy's other novels.
ReplyDeleteIn the next work, I expect there will be more than one character that goes down a journey because in Tess it showed many characters going down their own paths. Also there should be some weird romance aspect because it seems Hardy likes to play characters off each other and likes to build romances between people, like the love triangle in Tess. I will look for foreshadowing of bad events and weird symbols throughout the book because in Tess, it would foreshadow and there would be a weird symbol that meant something to the characters, like the rooster crowing after the wedding that would also foreshadow something. Also I expect there to be "villian" and "hero" characters that seem like a villian or hero in that society but when you see their characters more, they may not just be black and white - villian or hero.
ReplyDeleteI think that in the next novel that I am reading, Far From the Madding Crowd, Hardy will have put in similar character personalities, and similar themes. I expect to come across the theme of destiny, since it was so prominent in Hardy's novel, Tess of the d'Urberbilles. The two novels seem similar because Tess had two men after her: Alec and Angel, and now Bathsheba (I've heard) has a few men after her as well. So hopefully they have very different endings so the new one can keep my interest.
ReplyDeleteI expected Hardy to incorporate his theme of fate to Far From the Madding Crowd just as we saw in Tess. So far coincidences such as Gabriel Oak’s sheep falling from a cliff, Gabe and Bathsheba meeting a second time, Bathsheba sending Boldwood a valentine with the seal “Marry Me” upon it, and Bathsheba’s need for Gabriel’s help shortly after she had kicked him off the farm stuck out as “fated” incidences.
ReplyDeleteI expect, like Allie and Katie, that fate and destiny will be clearly integrated within the next novel I am reading, Mayor of Casterbridge. I'll definitely be looking for the foreshadowing of events, and also try to identify the path Hardy chooses for the main character. As well as expecting fate, destiny and foreshadowing, I also expect that the next novel will be set in Wessex, Hardy's imaginary land.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am expecting from the next hardy novel I read is the idea of fate and the consequences of free will. Just like in Tess, it is fate when Tess is raped and conceives a child out of wedlock, but it is her choice when the decision comes to run away. I expecting a lot of foreshadowing and that the location be another figurative land where each town and travel has a purpose. I am also hoping to read about some events facing reality that maybe the Victorians would not approve of.
ReplyDeleteFrom this new work I can expect a lot of details and setting descripitions, as I have seen so far in The Return of the Native. However, in Tess there were many settings that we described in detail, but in Return there is one setting, the Heath, which is described to the point where it becomes a character in itself. Based on reading Tess I can predict that there will be many complicated relationships and difficult decidions that wiil be made by the charactera. Also, that the characters will push through their difficulties and make the best of their situations. Because fate plays a role in Hardy's novels I will search for foreshadowing of future events that are meant to happen.
ReplyDeleteI expect the overall writing style of Hardy to stay much the same as it was in Tess. Hardy always gives a very detailed description of the character's surrounding, and he always puts his characters in very difficult situations. I do not expect anything different in the Mayor of Casterbridge. After reading 5 chapters of Mayor, I have already seen the deatail that Hardy puts into his settings. The marketplace scene was described in a way that one almost felt like a part of it. So far, though, I have not been able to see a distinct path that Henchard will have to follow, but I have seen the how fate will play a role in his future. The forshadowing of events following Henchard's "wife swap" is starting to show. Now that his wife is looking for him, nearly 15 years later, fate may have a way of redeeming Henchard or condemning him. Like Tess, there is the one traumatic event that causes the character to follow a set path, and to run into problems with characters involved. Like Tess with Alec, Henchard will have to face his wife later on.
ReplyDeleteIn the next novel, I expect that there will be many similar themes and symbols. From fate and destiny, to foreshadowing and direction, Thomas Hardy always has a reason and purpose for his characters. The characters must over come a difficult choice and persevere on their journey down their own path of discovery. I also expect that there will be a similar countryside setting, as well as a romantic twist that makes things interesting. But, knowing what I know about Hardy’s writing from Tess, I know he does not write happy endings. But, I still hope that Hardy will change his style and that the new novel will end on a more cheerful note than the last book.
ReplyDeleteBEST POST FROM LAST YEAR'S BLOG:
ReplyDeleteEthan Bishop
"It may sound like Pritchett was not fond of Hardy, but I really don't think that is the point. I believe Pritchett was right whether he liked Hardy or not. Hardy's world was changing drastically before him, ugly industry seeming to protrude into his beautiful nature which surrounded his highly regarded rural life. It is true that Hardy was probably a little narrow minded about the positive side of the industrial revolution and the urban life it created, but many of these things did not seem very positive until long after Hardy died. As more and more people moved and grew villages to towns and towns to cities, life increasingly became worse physically, morally, and intellectually for a majority of the population who might not have suffered so much if Hardy's ideal rural life had for the time been preserved."
In Tess Hardy wrote about how Tess's past effected her life. Throughout the novel Tess was constantly trying to overcome obstacles caused by her infidelity with Alec. So in this next novel I expect a dramatic event to occur at the beginning of the novel. This event will then continuously affect the characters as the characters attempt to move on and forget their past. Since Tess was unable keep her past from interfering with her life, I doubt these characters will keep their past from interfering with their lives. In Tess, Hardy wrote about the complexity of romantic relationships, so I also expect Hardy to continue this pattern in his other novels. In the next novel couples will most likely experience hardships, which will test their devotion and bring out their true character, like in Tess how Angel proved he to be a hypocrite when he learned of his wife’s indiscretions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erin, that Hardy will continue to incorporate the ever-present ideas of fate and destiny into his novels, with a hint of foreshadowing and loads of subtle symbolism. From what I know about the writing style of Tess and Hardy’s views of industrialism and its effects, I think he will “hate on” the idea of cities and industry, while promoting small-town life and farming. And due to the way the novels were published, he will make many dramatic twists throughout the book, leaving cliffhangers at the end of a Book. Although I know it is not his style, I also would like to have a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Krista that Hardy would begin with a dramatic event that will affect the main character throughout the entire novel. This first event will determine the fate of the protaganist as Tess's rape shaped her fate and she then had to overcome it.
ReplyDeleteIn the next text written by Hardy I expect conflicts of love. This was a major theme in Tess, where she was torn between Angel and Alec. I also expect that there will be a heavy focus on landscape and nature. Hardy was passionate about revealing the evils of Industrialism while Tess was working on the farm, using visual sensory detail to depict machines tearing up the ground. In the new book i am reading, The Return of the Native, I predict that society and religion will somehow limit a character in their ability to grow and pursue their individual dreams. I say this because how society viewed Tess after her rape and the death of sorrow drastically limited her life and made her constantly feel unworthy. Pritchett's comment speaks to Hardy's tendency to trod a "single, crooked" path, and it is this tendency of his that leads me to think that he will stress the same issues that he did in Tess.
ReplyDeleteBased on the start of the novel, it is my guess that the storyline will center in Egdon Heath. There is a very long description by Hardy about Egdon Heath, which I believe will be the center of the storyline.
ReplyDeleteThrough previous knowledge I know that the protagonist of the novel, Clym, will journey to Paris for a period of time, but it is my guess that he will return to Egdon Heath later in the novel. Our class has been well informed that Hardy has a distinct passion for the country lifestyle and is not fond of the city life. In Tess, the story is centered in small communities, jumping from place to place throughout. I believe that in The Return of the Native, the story will be more focused on one town.
Also, after reading Tess and some publications about Thomas Hardy I can assume that a major tragedy will occur, probably affecting most of the major characters in the novel.
Along with everyone else, I am also expecting Hardy to include fate as a major theme in the next novel im reading, Mayor of Casterbridge. I will also expect Hardy's writing to be pushing the controversial boundaries of that time period, going along with what courtney said. Tess was very controversial for Hardy's time because he did not have the same traditional views as many others. For example he pushed for womens rights in his writing and equality between men and women. Mayor of Casterbridge is already becoming controversial and we see this when Henchard sells his wife and child. Also that Henchard is a political figure and has a secret life.
ReplyDeleteBefore I had started reading Far From the Madding Crowd, I had expected another novel where a woman has to chose between multiple men, based on Mr. Getty's description. I also expected there to be ironic situations or events centered around the idea of fate. In both novels so far, the lead female character is controversial. In Tess, she was raped, and seen as a pure yet tempting woman. In this novel, Bathsheba is in charge of her uncle's farm. A woman in power was rare during this time. I have also found that Hardy often uses animals as symbols, and in both books, the death of an animal essential to the character's income dies. This event acts as a catalyst that sets off the rest of the events in the book. From these two novels, Hardy seems to have written in a similar style, with the same type of characters.
ReplyDeleteI expect from Hardy's next novel that there will be other people who go down their own "paths". Also, i would expect that those "paths" become more complex and meaningful depending on the plot. The theme of this new book will probably stay in a rural setting similar to that in "Tess Of The D'urbervilles" because of Hardy's preferences. Lastly, i expect this new book to be some what of a tradgety because of the ending in Tess, which shocked me because i didn't think that one person would get killed, let alone two.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the characters will be much like those in Tess, deep emotionally, with dark secrets, and mcuh development. I also feel like they will share the same attitude of detacment from one another which the characters in Tess seem to express. They do not seem to realize that their actions are related and live their lives in relative oblivion to one another.
ReplyDeleteI believe that, much like Tess, my character will meet a fate that no one would like to meet. The only difference is that my character is a boy. I don't think that Jude will be as emotional as Tess, I think he may know what he wants out of life and love but he may encounter troubles much like Tess. I think what I should be looking for in the book are relations toward Tess or other characters in Tess of The D'Urbervilles for example if he is like Alec and will do anything to get what he wants or if he is like Angel and cannot decide what he wants.
ReplyDeleteCan I just take a second to laugh at the fact that Hardy is apparently "promoting his romantic country charm"? HAHA...I'm sorry, I understand the idea of Thomas's "rural" outlook on life, but I don't find his works to be romantic or charming. Just depressing and pessimistic. ANYWAY...
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Krista's point that the past of his characters always seem to dictate their life. I mean for Tess it was the fact that she was raped by Alec, and in turn this eventually leads to her marriage failing with Angel. He refuses to love her after he realizes that she is no longer a pure woman in his eyes. These are just the same with the Mayor of Casterbridge. Michael Henchard sells his wife and child in the opening chapter of the novel. It is his guilt ridden past that makes his life filled with despair and mistakes. He cannot seem to escape it, and when everyone finds out that he had committed such a crime, his credibility in that town is lost forever. He becomes a broke, social outcast.
Next to the guilt ridden past and depressed outlook, Hardy also uses the symbol of fate in his novels. The events depicted in both "Tess" and "Mayor" are not of coincidence, but of fated events that were meant to happen. This supports Hardy's outlook on life. I was not surprised to see evidence of this in The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Although I am writing this on the morning of, let's pretend I haven't read my book yet. I expect my character to have a presence of fate with them throughout the novel. There will be hardships that the main character will have to overcome, but always makes the wrong choice or may not even be able to help the situation with the exception of how he reacts. Hardy seems to have a thing for twisted romance and journeys that only get more difficult. I expect my character to be somehow involved in a sinful or unwanted relationship while experiencing terrible event after another.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I WOULD HAVE said if I hadn't read my book, but evidently found this in the story of Jude the Obscure. There is a large number of parallels to Tess of the D'Urbervilles and there is no doubt a theme to Hardy's novels.
If I had commented on this blog before I had finished Hardy’s novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, I would have said…
ReplyDeleteKnowing what we know from Tess, I can expect that there would be some sort of love triangle or maybe even two within the novel. I also assume that fate will play a major role in this novel.
When first reading Mayor, I predicted that Mr. Newson was not at all dead and lost at sea (this was correct). But I also thought that he would return to Casterbridge in search for his wife(who again became Mrs. Henchard) and his daughter Elizabeth-Jane. Hardy decided to wait until the last thirty pages or so of his novel to reveal that Mr. Newson was not dead and that he had returned for his child. My prediction of the sailor returning for his wife was incorrect and we learn that he did not return for her because he believed she no longer wanted him.
Again, I believe fate will be one of the major themes in the novel, just as it normally plays a part in the majority of Hardy’s novels. I also believe that Michael Henchard is a symbol of Thomas Hardy, with him being one of his only male protagonists in his novels.
I had also expected death, heartbreak, and deceit throughout this novel, all of which were of course found.
(I expected these things based on what we saw in Tess and also based on what the critics said of his work.)
Considering I have read many criticisms of Thomas Hardy and a few of his novels, I have learned to expect pessimism, death, fate and sexual love. In Tess and Mayor there is a character that is an alcoholic, therefore I think that Hardy may have had such a "character" in his childhood because his novels often reflect that. I also expect to see a love triangle that ends in a death. In Tess, she tried to look for love, but ended up being rapped by Alec. Then she left him and fell in love with Angel, who later left her. Then when Alec came back a changed man, she finally gave him a chance and started to love him. Toward the end, Angel came back and made her kill Alec so that she could be with him. Tess was so lovestruck, confused and crazy that she killed to find true love, and when she committed the sin of murder, she was hanged. I believe that in Mayor the main characters will be part of a love triangle that will result in deaths and tragedy.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Grace,
ReplyDeleteI also started 'Jude' with an idea that it would indeed be a depressing and negative book. Hardy is constantly throwing his characters into difficult and depressing situations. It's a habit he has formed in his books. I defiantly expected everything to turn out bad for Jude because he was ill-fated from the very first chapter. When I first started the book I noticed that there was yet again, a reference to birds, just like i Tess of the D'urbervilles. Tess breaks the pheasants necks to put them out of their misery, while Jude allows crows to eat at crops instead of shooing them away because he realized they are just as ill-fated as he is, to not be given what it is that they desire.