Essay on Thomas Hardy

Submitted By bdobe5
Words: 1510
Pages: 7
Open Document
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy was born in rural England where he spent his early life training as an architect. His family did not have much money and this made him acutely conscious of social inequalities in Victorian England. He moved to London when he was a young man and worked there for a time. He later returned to Dorset, becoming a fulltime writer. The decay of rural Britain, the status of women in society and social inequalities of his times and the Christian idea of God are some of the recurring themes we see in Thomas Hardy’s novels. Many of his stories are set in semi-fictional Wessex. Thomas Hardy’s characters struggle against adverse social circumstances, strong passions and an inexorable fate that decides the path of their life. Thomas Hardy’s works were much admired by later day writers and his position as a poet has seen enhancement in the later twentieth century.

A Son’s Veto: Background/Setting
The story A Son’s Veto is set in rural England in its early parts before moving to inner city London. Sophy, the principal female character of this story belongs to Gaymead, a village set in a remote corner of North Wessex where she worked as a parlour maid in the parson’s house. The story later shifts to London suburbs. Like Thomas Hardy himself, Sophy too never felt completely at home in London. The values of Victorian England and the social mores find echoes in this story. The vicar’s marriage to Sophy is considered “social suicide” and they escape to London with its anonymity to escape scrutiny.

Characters/Characterization
Rev. Twycott was the vicar at Gaymead, a little village in North Wessex. Following the death of his wife, he becomes aware of Sophy’s devotion in caring for him. Following the sad little accident that left Sophy incapacitated, perhaps feeling responsible, Twycott proposes marriage to her. Twycott has committed what in his eyes was “social suicide” and he moves, exchanging the charming Gaymead for dull and drab south of London. The Reverend seems to have had a poor opinion of Sophy as a manager of money and on his death allowed her only a small allowance and the use of a small house. Twycott continued to control Sophy’s life from his grave. Twycott is a typical Victorian man who decides for others what he thinks is best for them.

Hardy’s women characters suffer at the hands of fate and an unkind society. Sophy is gentle and attractive and devoted. Her only flaw was that she was not a great judge of what was best for her. She agrees to marriage with Rev. Twycott. She respects him but there is no love in this marriage, naturally. Her influence on Randolph her son is negligible and the boy grows up thinking his mother to be inferior to him in learning and position. Sophy has no control over her life. Her husband has left her only a small sum of money; the rest is under the control of trustees. She loves her son with tenderly and does not want to hurt him in any way but the boy has only crumbs to shower on her. Too late she realizes that she would have been happy with Sam but Randolph does allow her the freedom to make her decision and follow it. Too long Sophy has allowed others to control her life. Her immobility becomes a symbol for her dependence in life on her son’s will.

Randolph is a poor specimen of humanity. Even as a young boy he displayed a condescending attitude towards his mother that bordered on impatience. As he grows up, he becomes acutely conscious of the difference in their status. He is the son of a gentleman but his mother is of poor stock. She lacks education and “culture” and is not worthy of being considered his equal. She dotes on him but he considers her with ill concealed impatience. Her love for him is of no importance to him and he seeks the company of others of equal station in life. When he enters Church, she hopes that he would take a more humane view of her and the less fortunate world but the more he studies the more humanity he seems to lose it. Her desire to marry
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Thomas Hardy

Analysis Of The Ruined Maid By Thomas Hardy

instance, some are meant to purely entertain readers while others attempt to teach a lesson or convey a theme. Thomas Hardy uses his poem “The Ruined Maid” to highlight the importance of people’s backgrounds. He uses content and form in the poem to reflect on this theme by writing about an impoverished girl who gains wealth from prostitution and runs into an old friend while in town. In the poem, Hardy utilizes informal word choice, descriptive word choice, and a dramatic dialogue structure to prove that…

Words 763 - Pages 4

The Ruined Maid Thomas Hardy Analysis

During the nineteenth century, women were meant to be pure and submissive. Because ‘Melia is not necessarily the typical woman, she is looked down upon. The “Ruined Maid”, by Thomas Hardy, is a conversation between ‘Melia, who left behind the country for a city life, and a country girl who stayed behind in the country. Hardy implies that ‘Melia is a prostitute; therefore, she is ruined. The country girl, who admires ‘Melia, is obviously unaware that ‘Melia is unhappy and unable to change her lifestyle…

Words 763 - Pages 4

“Darkling thrush” by Thomas Hardy Essays

“Darkling thrush” The first poem that is being discussed is The Darkling thrush, written by Thomas Hardy. The poem was difficult for me to make sense of at first, but I slowly started to absorb it as I read it a few times. Although I still don’t have a complete understanding of come of the specific details, the tone was conveyed to me almost immediately through Hardy’s descriptive language. The first two stanzas were filled with bleak words and phrases that brought dark images to mind when you read…

Words 768 - Pages 4

Thomas Hardy Research Paper

FOR THE CAVALIERS TO HAVE ANY SHOT IN THIS SERIES, LEBRON JAMES IS GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY A STYLE OF BASKETBALL THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM PLAY BEFORE. After a long lay-off, game one of the NBA finals exceeded expectations. We got an overtime thriller that included an abundance of memorable shots and defensive plays, but the thing that will stick in our memories forever will be the injury to Kyrie Irving. Before leaving the game with about two minutes left in overtime, Irving was playing terrific…

Words 349 - Pages 2

Robert Frost and Thomas Hardy 1 Essay

Thomas Hardy, in “The Darkling Thrush,” and Robert Frost, in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” both offer the eerie beauty and the painfully depressing loneliness of the winter season and also give a piercing glance into how these aspects of winter resonates with his psyche. Hardy’s use of similes (e.g. “the tangled bind-stems scored the sky like strings of broken lyres,”) and personifications (e.g. “the lands sharp features seemed to be the century’s corpse out leant,”) shows his pervasive…

Words 829 - Pages 4

Comparing The Sniper 'And The Man He Killed'

made by Bertrand Russell, a british author, mathematician, and philosopher. In this quote, Russell is saying that it does not matter who dies in battle, but who lives through it. This quote relates to Liam O’Flaherty’s short story “The Sniper” and Thomas Hardy’s poem, “The Man He Killed”. The two literary pieces have many similarities and differences between their plot, irony, and theme. The two readings, “The Sniper” and “The Man He Killed” have many similarities and differences such as the plot…

Words 1145 - Pages 5

The Man He Killed Poem Analysis

Killed” By Thomas Hardy. In war potential friends can be torn apart, you could kill someone you were friends with and the guy you killed may have been family or someone you might have known. These stories both say something about war, how people turn against anyone. In both “The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty and “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy both use situational irony to prove that anything can happen in the war. Both “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty and “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy both…

Words 950 - Pages 4

The Ruined Maid Analysis Essay

Emily Egbert Dr. Karen C. Holt ENG 333 3/26/2013 Literary Analysis: “The Ruined Maid” Introduction Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Ruined Maid” introduces its reader to the harsh reality of lower class Victorian Women. Critical scrutiny through a feminist lens helps widen the scope of understanding to reveal beyond the satirical irony of the writing and bring to light the deep rooted social issue of Victorian England’s paralyzing poverty and its effects on women. In Critical Theory Today feminist…

Words 1872 - Pages 8

Dr Thomas Cold Hardiness Summary

Cold Hardiness of the Yellow Sparkly Daisy Before Dr. Thomas starts his cold hardiness tests he needs some background information on what “cold hardiness” of a plant really is and how a plant reacts to cold. In plant tissue, there are different types of cells that have different functions. Some cells are “empty” (non-living) while others are filled with a cytoplasmic fluid (living). Cell walls are made up mostly of cellulose, and everything in that cell wall system is considered living tissues and…

Words 791 - Pages 4

Essay Reader Response

Southeastern University Analysis of Morbid Obsessions Introduction Thomas Hardy, Stevie Smith and Dylan Thomas present themes in their writing that consist of life, death, and sorrow. These authors were known for their use of a variety of literary elements that, in some ways, deflect the reader away from the serious subject of morality while revealing underlying issues within society. Analysis Thomas Hardy’s Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave (1912) presents a deceased woman who is having…

Words 1526 - Pages 7