Thomas Hardy's novels are characterized by 3 key elements: 1) Naturalistic and realistic depictions of rural English life through the use of everyday language and descriptions of the landscape. 2) Complex and morally ambiguous characters who often struggle against their passions and circumstances. Their dialogues reflect their social positions and personalities. 3) Dramatic plotlines with suspenseful mini-climaxes between quick scene breaks, told through a theatrical style with monologues and soliloquies in each chapter.

1. Hardy’s Narrativa Style
Prepared by Khuman Bhagirath
Paper Thomas Hardy as a
Novelist
Roll No. 02
Class M.A. Sem-IV
Year 2012/13

2. The Mayor of Casterbridge
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The Return of the Native

3. “Now I am not the man to let a cause be lost for
want of a word. And before ye are gone for ever I'll
speak. Once more, will ye stay? There it is, flat and
plain. You can see that it isn't all selfishness that
makes me press 'ee; for my business is not quite so
scientific as to require an intellect entirely out of
the common.”
-Henchard

4. Countrified
Expression
Blunt Character
Impulsive

5. Dialogues -
Reflection of
Characters’
Social Position
and Their
Personality

6. Hardy’s
Fondness for
Gothic
Atmosphere

7. Subtitle:
“The Life and
Death of a Man
of Character”

9. “There was a great stir in the milk-house
just after breakfast. The churn revolved as
usual, but the butter would not come.
Whenever this happened the dairy was
paralyzed. Squish, squash, echoed the milk
in the great cylinder, but never arose the
sound they waited for.” (21.1)

10. Use of
Everyday
Words
Short Sentences
To the Point

11. “Their gauzy skirts had brushed up from
the grass innumerable flies and butterflies
which, unable to escape, remained caged
in the transparent tissue as in an aviary.
Angel's eye at last fell upon Tess, the
hindmost of the four; she, being full of
suppressed laughter at their
dilemma, could not help meeting his
glance radiantly.”(23.14)

12. Longer and
More Complex
Passages
Sophisticated
Words

13. "O – Tamsie," said the elder, weeping, "I don't like to let you go."
"I – I – am –." Thomasin began, giving way likewise. But
quelling her grief, she said, "Good-bye!" again and went on.
Then Mrs. Yeobright saw a little figure wending its way between
the scratching furze-bushes, and diminishing far up the valley – a
pale-blue spot in a vast field of neutral brown, solitary and
undefended except by the power of her own hope.
But the worst feature in the case was one which did not appear in
the landscape; it was the man. (2.8.44-46)

14. Visual Novel
Description
of Nature
Realism
Strong
Imagery

15. "And I have no money to go alone! And if I
could, what comfort to me? I must drag on
next year, as I have dragged on this year, and
the year after that as before. How I have tried
to be a splendid woman, and how destiny has
been against me!" (5.7.20)

16. Monologues
and
Soliloquies Each Chapter
=
Individual
Scene
Mini-climaxes
Quick Scene Break

17. Theatrical
and
Dramatic

18. “Minute after minute passed by, perhaps ten
minute passed, and the shadow on the moon
perceptibly widened. He heard a rustling on
his left hand, a cloaked figure with an
upturned face appeared at the base of the
Barrow, and Clym descended. In a moment the
figure was in his arms, and his lips upon
hers.”
"My Eustacia!" (3.4.5-6)

19. Suspenseful