Essay on Thomas Hardys Views on Marriage - 1227 Words

Thomas Hardys Views on Marriage Thomas Hardy lived in a time when marriage was the expected practice for young men and women. He had a very distinct view of the institution and the implications that came along with it. He himself was married twice in his long life, both times not very happily, and had progressive views about the union of the sexes, most particularly regarding divorce. His ideas and opinions are not too carefully concealed in his literary works, though he contested that he kept his own views out of his fiction. In order to understand Hardy and his views on marriage, we must first understand the time in which he lived. The Victorian society held rigid views on marriage and the role of women in life. Most women†¦show more content†¦People most often simply lived apart or separated from one another. The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1923 equalized the grounds for divorce by allowing woman to sue an adulterous husband for divorce. In the middle of this strict social code, Hardy came into being. He met his first wife, Emma Gifford, in 1870 when he visited Cornwall. He was captivated by both her and the landscape that surrounded her. Some controversy surrounded her methods in securing his hand in marriage. She probably exaggerated her attachment to a local farmer in the hopes of pressing Hardy into a proposal. It did eventually come, and the two were married on September 17, 1874. They were both thirty years old, though she thought he looked older and he thought she was much younger. Although the first years of their marriage were comparatively happy, tensions infused their union. Arguments over whether to make their home in London or at 1 Arundel Terrace, their inability to have children, tension between Emma and her mother-in-law, and Hardys various flirtations either indicated the underlying problems or represented the actual problems themselves. Regardless, each was ill-suited for the other. Hardy retreated inside himself and sought emotional connection with other women like Rosamund Tomson and Florence Henniker. She kept a private journal wherein she recorded her complaints about him and also discussed their marriage with a few acquaintances.Show MoreRelatedSons Veto1519 Words   |  7 PagesThe Author 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 recurringRead MoreSons Veto1509 Words   |  7 PagesThe Author 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 recurringRead MoreUse Of Language In Thomas Hardys On The Western Circuit1136 Words   |  5 PagesThomas Hardy’s short story On the Western Circuit is an interesting text that captures the plight of women during Victorian era England. A time when women were treated as second class citizens valued for their conformity to societies standards and not their intellect or individuality. Confined by religious dogma and unable to control their own destinies, our characters must face the consequences of their a ctions in an era of restrictions. The selected text in Thomas Hardy’s short story, On the WesternRead More Sue and Arabella in Thomas Hardys Jude the Obscure Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesSue and Arabella in Thomas Hardys Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardys diary contains an entry that explains how he will show the world something it needs to be shown in a story about a poor, struggling young man who has to deal with ultimate failure (Howe 132). This brief description of a story has turned into Hardys phenomenal Jude the Obscure. Jude is emotionally torn between the two main women in the novel, Sue and Arabella, because each woman can only partially satisfy his urges. TheRead MorePortrayal Of A Woman Associated By Thomas Hardy1483 Words   |  6 Pages Novelist Thomas Hardy voiced many strong opinions through his writing about the crushing power of Victorian society and the rules and regulations concerning marriage. 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Jude, a working class boy aiming to educate himself, dreams of a high level education at a university, but is pushed away by the cruel and rigid social order. In the second part of the book, Jude abandons his idea of entering Christminster and the focus shifts to SueRead More Hardys Presentation of Bathsheba and Fannys Experiences in Far from the Madding Crowd1395 Words   |  6 PagesHardys Presentation of Bathsheba and Fannys Experiences in Far from the Madding Crowd How does this novel reveal the social reality of the time? In this essay I will look at Thomas Hardys Far from the Madding Crowd in the first section, I will look at the different ways Hardy portrays Bathsheba and Fannys experiences. Since Hardy based this novel in the 1840s, and being true to history, it does reveal a lot about the social reality of the time. However, Hardy could have a differentRead More Jude the Obscure and Social Darwinism Essay927 Words   |  4 Pageseven having the opportunity to be tested; and Sues reversal of all her ideals and decisions upon the death of her children, which she sees as some sort of divine warning, and her subsequent return to Phillotson, to name but a few).    Hardys view of all this cruelty is related with a grim irony that is evident in Judes death scene. While the festival celebrations of the world outside continue in oblivious gaiety, Jude himself quotes morbid poetry:    Let the day perish wherein