Interpreting hardy: a darwinian perspective
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Date
2002-10
Authors
Rajandram, Kalal Vaani
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Abstract
The works of Thomas Hardy have generally been viewed from a negative
perspective by readers and critics alike, because of his pessimistic inclinations in
his prose and poetry. The objective of this thesis is to show that, the general
impression of Hardy's works as pessimistic, offers a rather one-sided view.
Therefore, in order to redress this issue of Hardy's pessimism, this thesis will
utilise the Darwinian framework to show that, a positive interpretation can be
derived regarding Hardy's works. The rationale for using Darwinism to interpret
Hardy's works, is based on the fact that Hardy was influenced by Darwin's
conceptualisation of life, which in fact, brought about Evolutionary Meliorism.
Darwin conceptualised life and death, as an integral process towards evolution.
And since Evolutionary Meliorism emanates from Darwinism, a positive
interpretation of Hardy's works can be derived if Darwin's Theory of Evolution is
utilised. This in¥estigation will be based on three salient concepts of Darwinism:
The Struggle for Existence, The Principle of Natural Selection and The Geological
Succession of Organic Beings. Each of these concepts focuses on different aspects
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of the theory, but all three subsist on geological time. In order to show how the
Darwinian framework works in .p ractical ways, a study of Hardy's poems will be
undertaken. The analysis will highlight the pertinent aspects of Hardy's poetry, in
relation to critics' pessimistic interpretations and show that such views do not
allow the positive aspects of Hardy's poems to manifest. By utilizing Darwinism
vis-a-vis Evolutionary Meliorism, the positive elements embedded within Hardy's
poems can be viewed. In that way, an alternative interpretation, which is also a
positive one, can be made tenable when reading Hardy's poems. This thesis thus
concludes by providing implications for pedagogy and the methodological aspects
of teaching Hardy to students of literature. The aim of providing the pedagogical
aspect of teaching Hardy, is to not only foster a broader perspective amongst
teachers and students, but also to suggest the relevance of the scientific theory in
the study of literature.
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Keywords
Darwinian perspective