Literary Context Flashcards
What is Thomas Hardy’s background? (3 points)
Born on June 2, 1840, in Higher Bockhampton in Dorset
Although he gave serious thought to attending university and entering the church, declining religious faith and lack of money led Hardy to pursue a career in writing instead
Hardy considered himself first and foremost a poet - novels were primarily a means of earning a living to him
Who was Thomas Hardy’s family? (3 points)
Eldest of the four children of Thomas Hardy, a stonemason and jobbing builder, and his wife, Jemima
The Hardys fancied themselves descendants of a noble and ancient family line - presumably a branch of the Le Hardys
Clement Le Hardy - a fifteen-century lieutenant-governor of the British Channel island of Jersey
What is the reasoning behind the serialisation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles? (2 points)
Like many of his contemporaries, Hardy first published his novels in periodic installments in magazines or serial journals
To ensure that readers would buy a serialized novel, writers often structured each installment to end with a cliffhanger
What is Wessex? (3 points)
A fictional county based on Hardy’s home county of Dorset
Many of his works are set there and describe the lifestyle and the rural beauty of the English countryside
However, he did not overly romanticise it and described the hardships of lower-class life - verisimilitude
