A Study Of Thomas Hardy's Tragic Vision Manifested In Major Novels

Thomas Hardy, one of the greatest writers of nineteenth-century, plays a decisive role in the history of English literature. Tragic novels crucially shape his masterpieces. Consequently, three of Hardy's tragic novels are selected as the targets of my study: The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. They are chosen for the reason that they are representative of Hardy's achievement as a novelist, which cap his career in fiction. Furthermore, they reveal Hardy's conviction that there is a fundamental dissonance between humanity and the ruthless fate. As a result, his main characters struggle in vain against the onslaught of that blind force until fall victims to the irresistible fate. Based on thematic analysis of the three novels, this thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One is an introduction to the life and works of Thomas Hardy. Chapter Two discusses the formation of Hardy's tragic vision from three perspectives: the influence of his life experience, the influence of Darwin's evolution theory and some philosophers'thoughts, and in the light of historical and social background as well. Chapter Three analyzes tragic features of Hardy's three novels through the depiction of tragic flaws of central characters and use of recognition and reversal, accidents and coincidences, in addition to symbolic setting to indicate the profound effect of Aristotle's tragic theory on his creation. In a way Hardy intends to emphasize that the internal factors, combined with external factors contribute to the tragic ending of those characters. Chapter Four focuses on the analysis of the development of Hardy's tragic vision. Hardy's tragic vision has undergone an obvious development and there are three progressive stages of the development: personal tragedy, social tragedy and tragedy of human being as a whole. It should be noted that Hardy's tragic vision to a great extent manifests his sensitive perception of society and people's life. Chapter Five is the conclusion. Under the influence of Aristotle's tragic theory, Hardy's major novels are characterized by the subtle use of tragic elements and striking writing techniques. Hardy's close connection with the profound social and historical background and his sober reflection on a variety of social problems are embodied in his tragic vision and its development.