Representation of Space and Time and its Relation to Jenre and Visual Culture in Hardy's Novels

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The purpose of this research paper is to trace Hardy's novels from earlier period to later one, and to find how they have shifted from pastoral to tragedy, how this generic shift has caused the changing representations of space and time, and specifically to analyze how contemporary visual culture affects his representation of space. In terms of space the earlier novels are written in pastoral mode and represent harmonious relationship between nature and humanity and have as an indication of communal stability a symbolic centre such as an ancient oak tree and a sheep shearing stable, where village people are celebrating a wedding and doing a traditional job. They are firmly rooted in the Wessex soil. The time they are experiencing is a circular time of nature with four seasons and this is, as it were, a human time. But due to the modern advance of science and technology, such as geological and evolutionary idea and railway, and the advent of modern capitalism even in agriculture rural people are obliged to lead a life of movement trying to establish their identity somewhere outside their native land. But the failure of this attempt comprises tragic fate of Hardy's main characters. In terms of time modern linear time is starting to take the place of human time, and as this covers the long time span humans cannot imaginatively comprehend it starts to disregard humanly felt pastoral time and paves the way to tragic grasp of vast time scale. In chapter one and two Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure are discussed in detail with due regard for the points mentioned above.