Abstract
This paper explains that "The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy reflects mankind's over confidence in ship building. The author points out society's arrogance reflected in the luxury and extravagance that the Titanic symbolized in her wreckage. The paper relates that in the sinking of the Titanic, Hardy presents a metaphysical yet morally challenging idea of human achievement in sea faring history.

From the Paper
"This literary critique will seek to understand stanzas within the poem "The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy. By analyzing stanza III, stanza X and stanza XI of this poem, one can realize possibly stronger clarity in composition in relating the idea of vanity within the Titanic's tragic sinking. In essence, this poem will be critically To glass the opulent The sea worm crawls--grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent" (Hardy 7-9) In this stanza the object of mirrors to glass the opulent appears to suggest that vanity mirrors of many of the wealthy patrons on-board the Titanic now reflect indignation and repulsion of luxury items. However, when discussing mirrors, one can also get images of deep-sea ocean reflections or the glassy movement of the `victorious waters' over the ship."

Tags:hardy, poem, history

Abstract
The British novels "Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy and "Silas Marner" by George Eliot were published in the nineteenth century, and both would become accepted classics to be read and studied for generations. According to the paper, the authors were very different in their approach to fiction and in their biographies, but they also show some similarities.

From the Paper
"The British novels 'Far From the Madding Crowd' by Thomas Hardy and 'Silas Marner' by George Eliot were published in the nineteenth century, and both would become accepted classics to be read and studied for generations. The authors were very different in their approach to fiction and in their biographies, but they also show some similarities. Thomas Hardy achieved his first great success with Far from the Madding Crowd, though he originally published the book anonymously. George Eliot was a pseudonym for Mary Ann Evans, who chose the name George to hide the fact that she was a woman in an era when being male was an advantage for a writer, though there had been a number of successful female novelists before Eliot..."

Tags:hardy, eliot, novels

Abstract
The novels of Thomas Hardy have created intense critical debate and discussion in recent years, especially in terms of post-structuralist and feminist readings and interpretations of the texts. A central focus of this critical and theoretical literary discourse is the apparent ambivalence and ambiguity that many scholars perceive in the works with regard to his attitude towards women and their place in society. This apparent ambiguity in Hardy's presentation of women forms the underlying and central trajectory of thought in this paper and an attempt is made to relate these critical views to the two main texts under discussion; as well as presenting an overall view of the feminist stance as it pertains to the interpretation of the selected texts. A further and equally important dimension of this study is the exploration of the view that Hardy's perception towards women was influenced by the conservative society and times in which he lived. This paper also explores to what extent the writer questioned and opposed the patriarchal views that were dominant in Victorian society at the time. The central core of the present analysis of Hardy's novels is therefore focused on feminist interpretations and critiques of the works in question. More specifically, the feminist critique is involved with the post structuralist and postmodern deconstruction of western society and the interrogation of the constructs and master narratives that inform or create various social attitudes and perceptions of gender. This is an aspect that is developed in the theory section of the present study and is expanded on further in the analysis of the novels. A central fulcrum around which the discussion in this paper revolves is the apparent ambiguities and contradictions in Hardy's works, when seen from a feminist perspective. This paper also attempts to reconcile these two seemingly opposing views of the works to some extent. Another central element in this analysis of Hardy's novels is the focus on the politics of sex and the cultural and social norms and values that played an important part in the view of women and gender discrimination in Victorian society. There is little doubt that Victorian society had a very narrow view of the potential and individuality of women. There are many feminist views, concepts and theoretical constructs that are also incorporated into the analysis of the texts. For example, the importance of the theory that society "politicizes" the female body and the way that the female body is objectified and becomes an "object of desire" rather then a living person. However, throughout this analysis a balance is maintained between the theoretical views and analytical tools that are used by feminist critics and an analysis of the text itself. In other words, the theoretical views are measured against the actual text.

Outline:
1. Introduction
1.2. Thomas hardy and Victorian society: a brief background.
2. Feminist theory and Hardy
2.1. Modern theoretical trajectories and feminism
2.1. 1. A note on post - structuralism and postmodernism
2.2. Feminist theory and literary criticism
2.3. The Social and cultural context
2. 4. The Male Gaze
3. Tess of the d'Urbervilles
3.1. The problem of Hardy as a feminist novel
3.2. Overview
3.3. Tess and traditional feminist interpretations
3.4. Tess of the D'Urbervilles and sexual politics
3.5. Sexual construction
3.6. The development of Tess and the fight against the 'male gaze'
4. Jude the Obscure
4.1. Introduction and overview
4.2. Brief summary of the novel
4.3. The male world divided from nature
4.4. Arabella
4.5. Sue
5. Conclusion and Assessment
6. Bibliography

From the Paper
"The most imperative aspect that Mitchell notes is that feminist interpretations are extremely important in an understanding of these works due to the fact that female characters and issues surrounding sexuality and gender form such an important part of almost all of Hardy's novels and cannot be ignored in terms of modern analysis. This may seem like a rather obvious point but in many of Hardy's works the focus is on the female characters as a reflection of and comment on society and the cultural milieu of the novels.
"Sexuality and its ramifications in terms of characters like Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles is also an important aspect of contemporary feminist critique that applies to the novels. This is an aspect that is especially important in an analysis of the novels.
"One of the most important early feminist critics of the work of Thomas Hardy is Mary Jacobus (1975). Her work has been focused on the psychological dimensions and representations of Sue Bridehead and the nature of her emancipation, in Jude the Obscure. (Harvey 183)."

Tags:discrimination, theoretical, feminism, interpretations, society, victorian

Abstract
This paper relates the story of Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the Madding Crowd", which is a blend of romance, pathos, irony, coincidence and regionalism that distinguishes much of Hardy's fiction. The rural chorus, the author points out, is the best example of how connected this novel is to the earth. The paper concludes that this early novel demonstrates characteristics of Hardy's future writings, such as the emerging role of nature, the typical dramatic romantic situations, plots that have an improbability and a sense of the miraculous found in folklore.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Story
Critical Evaluation
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Fanny goes on to Casterbridge, but she is so weak and ill when she arrives there that she dies shortly afterward. When news of her death reaches Weatherbury Farm, Bathsheba, unaware that Troy was the girl's lover, sends a cart to bring the body to the farm for burial. When the body arrives, Gabriel sees scrawled on the coffin lid a message that both Fanny and a child are inside. He erases the last words in his fear that the real relationship of Fanny and Troy might reach Bathsheba's ears; but Bathsheba, suspecting that the coffin conceals some secret, opens the casket late that night. At the same moment, Troy enters the room and learns of Fanny's death and of the death of his child. Torn with grief, he tells Bathsheba that she means nothing to him, that Fanny was the only woman he ever loved, and that he married Bathsheba only for her looks and for her money. Bathsheba shuts herself up in an attic room.
"Troy has a beautiful tombstone put up over Fanny's grave, which he covers with roses and lilies. During a heavy storm that night, water pours from the church roof through the mouth of a gargoyle, splashes on the grave, and ruins all of his work. Troy disappears from Casterbridge."

Tags:power marriage, agricultural life, melodramatic, series of coincidences

Abstract
This paper explains that love encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from passionate desire and intimacy to the nonsexual emotional closeness of platonic and family love, both of which are present in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" and Thomas Hardy's poetry. For both poet Thomas Hardy and Salinger's protagonist Holden Caulfield, memories are an important part of love. Whereas Holden's romantic relationship is a stereotypically adolescent, Hardy writes about his long and unhappy relationship with his first wife Emma.

From the Paper
"Another speculation is that Holden is unable to love because he is incapable of maturing. The protagonist of the novel has a curious fondness for his friend Jane, who is said to 'keep her kings in the back row.' Holden has kissed Jane on only one occasion but he becomes frantic as he learns that his roommate has a date with her; 'I nearly dropped dead when he said that.' Critic Stromwell has interpreted Holden's repeated mentions of 'keeping her kings in the back row' as representing Holden's unwillingness to mature."

Tags:memories, baseball glove, darcy death enjamblement

Abstract
This paper examines Hardy's unique style by analyzing some of his poetry. The writer claims that even though Hardy wrote many novels, short stories and poems, the best way to analyze his unique style is through his poetry. By looking at specific lines from various poems, Hardy's writing is analyzed. In "In Tenebris," Hardy's tone is examined; the poem "Afterwards," is shown as a classic example of his humor; while "The Oxen" is chosen for his significant ability of word choice.

From the Paper
"Thomas Hardy was a successful writer of novels, short stories and poetry. While each of these areas could be used to analyze his writing style, the area of choice is his poetry. This is based on two reasons. Firstly, poetry is an area of writing that comes closest to representing the writer's style because of its personal nature. Secondly, it is known that Hardy had to revise many of his short stories to make them acceptable for publication. The short stories then, do not only represent Hardy's own style, they also represents what publications wanted to see. Hardy's poetry is thought to be the best example of Hardy's own individual style, and for this reason the poetry will be considered as a means of investigating his style."

Tags:tenebris, oxen, afterwards, tone, humor, word, choice

Abstract
This paper explains that the protagonist Tess, in Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles", is a young, poor and naive girl who not only dreams of falling in love but also feels a strong sense of duty to provide for her family. The author points out that this novel also portrays powerfully the greed and selfishness of the other main characters. The paper suggests that Tess' poverty and a capitalist society are the motivation behind the greed, which led Tess' parents to hopes she would marry a rich gentleman and bring home money to them. The author underscores that, throughout the novel, the structured class system and rules of society influence Tess. The paper concludes that, although Tess appears to be weak in character and makes some wrong choices, her misfortunes are not all her fault and have been inflicted on her by others, especially Alec D'Urberville and Angel Claire.

From the Paper
"Not only is Alec a great influence and cause of Tess' misfortunes, but it is the abandonment from her husband Angel Claire that has the greatest impact on her. Tess is not only ashamed of her life of poverty and where she comes from, but Angel further adds to her feelings of shame of what has happened to her. Angel always assumed that Tess was a pure and respectable woman. He tells his parents that Tess is "open to conviction...a regular church-goer of simple faith; honest-hearted, receptive, intelligent, graceful to a degree, virtuous as a vestal, and...exceptionally beautiful.""

Tags:love family naive, structured class system, capitalist

Abstract
This paper discusses the life of Jude Fawley in "Jude the Obscure" by Thomas Hardy, and his community's responses to the rapidly modernizing life and loosening of moral standards in the society. The paper argues that society's intolerance to change, the modern life, led to Jude being labeled as a deviant in the society, as he was forced to live a life devoid of any education, opportunities, and privileges. However, despite Jude's deviance, he still aspired to become an educated and privileged man, since he was also intolerant of the change happening in his social environment. The texts included in this paper puts into the novel's context the theme of intolerance to social change, and the dynamics between Jude Fawley and his traditional community.

From the Paper
"Nineteenth century was marked as the transitional period wherein traditional society gave way for the modern one. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, a corresponding change in social structures occurred, thereby influencing and changing the norms and values of societies as well. This is the social condition that Thomas Hardy found himself in when he wrote the novel, "Jude the Obscure." True to its title, the novel depicted the life of the individual in a society that was undergoing a radical change from traditionalism to modernism, from the rigidity of norms to the loosening of social standards. In 1895, society was challenged to endure the shift in ideologies, beliefs, and values among people. During this period, society was torn between people who chose to live life the conventional or traditional way, while others opted or was forced to live life in the prevalently more radical and modern manner."

Tags:modern, moral, social, change, christminster, characterization, poor, educated, oppression, isolation, aspirations

Abstract
This paper examines the poems of Thomas Hardy and Philip Larkin in terms of their negative presentation of human nature. This is often in contrast to the positive portrayal of human nature in most other works of poetry.

Abstract
This paper begins by presenting a short literary analysis of the poem "The Man he Killed" by Thomas Hardy. It mentions theme, tone, diction and narrative and other literary devices used throughout the poem. The paper then compares the anti-war tone of the poem to the current Iraq war. The author of the paper presents the negative aspects of the war and questions its justifications.

From the Paper
""Had he and I but met/By some old ancient inn," are the first two lines of Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed." The poem is narrative poetry that is told through the eyes of a solider who relates his wartime experience. The soldier doesn't seem to be taking the experience too well and regrets that he had to kill the enemy. By reading 20 lines of poetry, it is clear that the speaker in this story is totally against the war and he has a legitimate claim and many will agree with his protest. War is not a pretty sight and with it comes consequences that we don't think too much about."

Tags:speaker, conflict, terror