Thomas Hardy

You will meet Thomas Hardy twice during your two years of Literature GCSE. In Year Eleven you will do a major piece of coursework which will account for a third of your marks in literature. You will study Thomas Hardy's 1870s novel 'Far From the Madding Crowd'. You will write two essays of between 750-1250 words each, about the social and historical context of this novel.

So what's so interesting about the way Thomas Hardy writes? His novels were considered so outrageous they were publicly burnt! Hardy was depressed by this reaction, gave up writing novels and concentrated on poetry instead.

Far From the Madding Crowd

Hardy's heroines were considered much more 'modern' than the 19th century situation in which they appeared. In 'Far From the Madding Crowd', Bathsheba Everdene inherits a farm, decides to run it herself as the manager, receives five offers of marriage, turns down three of them and sees her husband shot by one of her suitors. This was not how 19th century women were supposed to behave! But what will you make of Bathsheba when you meet her next term?

Hardy lived through greatly changing times, the Industrial Revolution was almost complete. Instead of living in the country and working on the land, people lived in the new cities and worked in factories. Hardy did not think much of this change. He tries to capture a passing way of life with humour and affection. You'll get chance to study just how Hardy managed to do this.

Of your two essays I will keep your best one for your literature portfolio.

Under the Greenwood Tree

Thomas Hardy is quite a difficult author to write coursework about on your first meeting therefore we will get to know him a bit in Year Ten. We will study the simpler and shorter novel 'Under the Greenwood Tree' which nevertheless contains the same sorts of characters and themes. Instead of Bathsheba we will meet Fancy Day and follow her relationship with Dick Dewey. Poor Dick is taken in by the sophisticated Fancy, but does true love win through in the end?

Hardy's theme of regretful change is carried in this novel by the Mellstock Quire. The choir are a close-knit social group of musicians who have led worship for previous generations. Their days are numbered as Fancy Day is set to replace them in church worship on the 'new-fangled' organ. If you end up feeling sorry for the choir then Hardy will have done his job!

You will study 'Under the Greenwood Tree' and attempt two practice essays just to warm you up for 'Far From the Madding Crowd' in Year Eleven.

Web Links

• The Thomas Hardy Society
• BBCi - Thomas Hardy profile
• Download Thomas Hardy's works (free)

Far From the Madding Crowd

• Photos of locations
• Download text (free)
• Buy book from Amazon

Under the Greenwood Tree

• Photos of locations
• Download text (free)
• Buy book from Amazon

Related pages:

Category: English

Author: Mr Moon