Wessex in Hardy’s Novel

Thomas Hardy is a novelist and poet, generally regarded as one of the outstanding figures in English literature. Most of his novels take place in the "partly-real, partly-dream" county of Wessex (named after the Anglo-Saxon kingdom which existed in the area) and called Wessex Novel. It is regarded as the reflection of his hometown Dorset. His novel creation could be generally divided into three periods. The first period was romantic and pastoral; the masterpieces are Under the Green Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd. His second period mainly focuses on the social tragedy of Wessex, such as The Return of the Native and The Mayor of Casterbridge .In the last period of his creation, he began to write the pessimistic fate of the villagers in Wessex, this could be seen through Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. From the evolution of Wessex we can know the English society in the 19th century as well as Hardy's love for his hometown and his individual philosophy.

Wessex in Hardy's Novel

Thomas Hardy is a novelist and poet, generally regarded as one of the outstanding figures in English literature. Most of his novels take place in the "partly-real, partly-dream" county of Wessex (named after the Anglo-Saxon kingdom which existed in the area) and called Wessex Novel. It is regarded as the reflection of his hometown Dorset. His novel creation could be generally divided into three periods. The first period was romantic and pastoral; the masterpieces are Under the Green Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd. His second period mainly focuses on the social tragedy of Wessex, such as The Return of the Native and The Mayor of Casterbridge .In the last period of his creation, he began to write the pessimistic fate of the villagers in Wessex, this could be seen through Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. From the evolution of Wessex we can know the English society in the 19th century as well as Hardy's love for his hometown and his individual philosophy.