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Thomas Hardy's views on society
Introduction to history of english literature
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How does Thomas Hardy present a picture of society at the time his
stories were written?
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Thomas Hardy presents a picture of how society was by the language he
uses and also what happens in the stories. The differences with
today's society and Thomas Hardy's society are their everyday lives,
social status, relationships, marriage, morals, superstitions and law
and order.
In Tony Kytes, life was very different from how it is today. They used
to travel along village lanes in a horse and cart, "wagon" and rode to
market where Tony had been doing business for his father. Men in those
days spent their days finding the right girl to marry. This is because
it was difficult to get a divorce so they had to stay with that person
for the rest of their life.
In the Son's Veto, the town they described was a horrible place "… a
narrow, dusty house in a long, straight street". These days the towns
are full of offices and shops and are not so crowded and polluted.
This makes the reader feel that Sophy and Mr Twycott have had to leave
such a beautiful place, "abandoning their pretty home, with trees and
shrubs and glebe".
In The Withered Arm, many rich men e.g. Farmer Lodge, were farmers.
Nowadays farms are poor, due to the increase in tertiary businesses.
The Son's Veto shows us a lot about the social status of men and women
in the old days. Sophy started out as a parlour maid but the vicar
fell in love with her. They later married but only held a small
wedding ceremony. This was due to the fact that Sophy was of lower
standing to him and although his wife had died, it was still his
second marriage. This was indeed frowned upon and Mr Twycott ...
... middle of paper ...
...ng, arson and
burglary". Hanging was also seen as some kind of entertainment as some
called it a "hang-fair". Many people travelled for miles around to see
"the spectacle". Also they sold the rope that was used for the
hanging, "Tis sold by the inch afterwards".
In conclusion I feel that Hardy presented a clear and understandable
picture of what society was like when he wrote the stories. From
evidence I have gained from reading the stories, Hardy has shown us
about society throughout each story under many topics e.g. marriage. I
felt that the Withered Arm gave me the most insight into society. This
is because I got emotionally involved, as I felt pity for Rhoda near
the beginning of the story but as I became aware of Gertrude's
feelings I felt anger towards Rhoda. This helped me to understand what
life was like in the time when Hardy wrote the stories.
Many people everyday worry how they’ll be seen in the world. You will either be loved for being the ideal person, or live a life of shame and sorrow because you chose or have to be different than others. I believe that the theme of the story is best represented as, Don’t conform to society, allow society to conform to you. In the tragedy genre short story “The Scarlet Ibis” written by James Hurst we receive a first hand account of how cruel a society can be. Doodle died only because someone tried too hard to change someone who didn’t want as much to be changed. The opinions of society can completely alter how one’s life will play out.
Today, Upton Sinclair is regarded as a hero to the working class people. He is currently recognized for the extensive work he has accomplished, such as most famously writing The Jungle. This dynamically contrasts the way Upton was viewed during his time. Although some viewed him as famous, his fame was controversial. Many denounced his religious and political views, and felt he was extremely unpatriotic. While reviewing several documents and periodicals from his time period, it was proven that many felt negatively towards Upton Sinclair and his beliefs.
For instance, in 2008 there were 147,848 marriages and a staggering 70,266 divorces (Statistics Canada, 2013). Thus, this illustrates that almost half of all marriages end in divorce. There are many reasons that a couple may choose to divorce including but not limited to economic issues, unrealistic expectations, and the weakening societal view of marriage. The implantation of the no-fault divorce grounds in 1968 have resulted in an easily attainable divorce (Riedman et al, 2003). In the film, many characters have been affected by divorce. First, we observe Duncan’s mother, Pam and Trent who have both been divorced in the past. Next, friends of Trent, a couple that also vacations during the summer are evidently heading for divorce as their marriage is filled with infidelity and
In chapter fourteen, Separation and Divorce, on slide nine it states that people who marry under the age of eighteen years old, have a 48% divorce rate after ten years (Whyte, 2016). In John and Kathy’s’ case, they technically never legally separated; Kathy just decided to run off leaving John to take care of Adam all on his own. She abandoned her family all because she could not handle the stress of a newborn baby crying all of the time. Even though Kathy thought the right thing to do was leave them behind, but little does she know, she missed out on an amazing journey that she could have been a part
Throughout the lives of most people on the planet, there comes a time when there may be a loss of love, hope or remembrance in our lives. These troublesome times in our lives can be the hardest things we go through. Without love or hope, what is there to live for? Some see that the loss of hope and love means the end, these people being pessimistic, while others can see that even though they feel at a loss of love and hope that one day again they will feel love and have that sense of hope, these people are optimistic. These feelings that all of us had, have been around since the dawn of many. Throughout the centuries, the expression of these feelings has made their ways into literature, novels, plays, poems, and recently movies. The qualities of love, hope, and remembrance can be seen in Emily Bronte’s and Thomas Hardy’s poems of “Remembrance” “Darkling Thrush” and “Ah, Are you Digging on my Grave?”
Otto von Bismarck once said, “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” The arduous process that a bill undergoes in order to become a law may seem grueling and pointless; however, the processes high caliber of difficulty allows for the extreme prestige and exclusivity of bills that are passed. Because the process is so exhausting, and filibusters, subsequently requiring a super-majority vote to pass a bill, have always been such a threat in Congress, historically, bills that attempt to reform sensitive issues have not fared well in the legislative branch. However, when Congress does pass controversial laws, it then also faces the task of effectively enforcing them. But, when the process is carried out to completion, laws that are enforced have significant impacts on the everyday lives of the American people—such as laws concerning abortion rights. In the United States, the government and Congress have significantly affected the rights of women with regard to abortions through laws that either restrict or guarantee their legality and availability, while the government’s capacity to do so is affected by the principle of federalism along with that of the separation of powers.
When someone is confronted with legal separation from the person to whom they've committed their adult life, it may seem as though their whole life is disintegrating right before their eyes, especially if they're not the one choosing the separation. The future stops existing, and only an empty present looms ahead. For some, the feelings evoked by a divorce and the issues that surround it pass relatively quickly; for others, the anguish and consequences last for years.
But was this blatant act of dynastic succession an unfortunate chapter in democracy? Adam Bellow, author of In Praise of Nepotism: A Natural History, would venture to say no and that in fact the November 2000 presidential election was evidence of a growing cultural and societal acceptance of familial enterprise and kinship. Nepotism, Bellow argues, is inevitable, natural, and healthy -- even in a democracy (25).
“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision,” professes Howard Roark, attempting to validate his expression of identity while prosecuting himself during the trial of the Cortlandt Homes (Rand 678). The futuristic society within Aldous Huxley’s 1932 dystopian novel, Brave New World, introduces a paucity in the freedom of the individuals, through a lack in the way the society is allowed to think, to the submission of the actions of the individuals, to the conformity in the overall daily lives. Born in Surrey, England in 1894, Huxley was born into a society in which technological advancements were held in high praise and with full excitement. Striving to one day become
In many instances, women and children have no say so as to what goes on inside the home. Whatever the father believed is what their children and wife’s had to conform to. Many women, such as Lucy Knox and Abigail Adams, began challenging their husbands for respect and partial control in their union and homes. Despite gains in rights and divorce, republican society still defined women’s roles exclusively in terms of mother, wife, and homemaker. Any other roles pursued would seem unnatural and threatening.
Orwell and Swift represent satirical scientific writers at opposing ends of ideology and a historical era. Swifts’ Tory anarchism and Orwell’s socialist beliefs would lead the audience to expect two very different views on progress. However, both choose to parody and satire progress to create fear and debate in the public domain. By examining the historical contexts in the themes of progress, anti-enlightenment and technology, it can be seen that the misuse of progress is feared in the time of Orwell and Swift.
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One of the most interesting aspects of Victorian era literature reflects the conflict between religion and the fast gathering movement aptly dubbed the enlightenment. Primarily known for its prude, repressed, social and family structure beneath the surface of the Victorian illusion many conflicting, perhaps even radical, ideas were simmering and fast reaching a boiling point within in the public circle. In fact writers such as Thomas Hardy and Gerald Manly Hopkins reflect this very struggle between the cold front of former human understanding and the rising warm front know only as the enlightenment. As a result we as readers are treated to a spectacular display of fireworks within both authors poetry as the two ideas: poetics of soul and savior, and the poetics of naturalism struggle and brutality, meet and mix in the authors minds creating a lightning storm for us to enjoy.
Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge. Sex is so intertwined in our society that it pervades each facet, including television, books, advertising, and conversation. Movies like The Matrix toss in gratuitous sex because the audience nearly expects it. Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, therefore, is exceptional in its lack of sexual situations. The subject of sexual motivation and its inherent ambiguity with regard to Henchard's actions is a topic that caught my attention from the very first pages of The Mayor of Casterbridge.
A man or novelist Thomas Hardy was a very successful man who had an interesting birth, the schools he attended, Hardy’s career, his personal life, death, and Thomas’ appreciations.