Discuss thomas hardy as a pessimist

Is Hardy a pessimist?

A lot of ink has been taken away to prove, and even dislike, that Hardy is pessimistic through and through. But Hardy himself repeatedly denied this allegation in his ancestors, letters and diaries. He called himself an "evolutionary meliorist" and a realist. Let us examine the arguments here, both for and against, and then by our own conclusions.

                                                        Is Hardy a pessimist?

Hardy's critics argue

Those who accuse Hardy of being pessimistic do so because of his 'blurry' or pessimistic view of life. He explains that in Hardy's view, the whole life is suffering. Grief is universal law and happiness is an occasional episode. In his poems, "The title of Tire Poet", he calls life an "insensitive school" and in another that "life only provides for denial." To hide a child named Obus Time murders his half-brothers and sisters and then hangs himself. He does this because he feels that life is not worth living, and it is better not to be born at all. Hardy himself remarks that Father Time is a symbol of the universal desire not to survive.

Hardy pessimistic about the first cause

Furthermore, critics of Hardy point out, he is pessimistic about the rule of the world. He rejected early in life a benevolent and omnipotent theocratic God or the Christian faith of the First Cause. He rather fantasizes about her as a male, who brings us joy in the suffering of mortals. In Tess we are told, "Justice was done, and the president of Amar ended the game with Tess."

In one of his poems, he speaks as the creator, "Godhead is dying downwards, gone all with eyes and head" and refers to it as some "huge imbalance" elsewhere. Thus in his view, the supreme power is blind, uncivilized and malevolent and it takes pleasure in killing and torturing his innocent creation. With this hostile imitation as the supreme governing force, in this imagined scheme of things, there can be nothing but a "strange orchestra of agonized scream and pain". If it is not pessimism, ask Hardy's critics, what is?

Hardy's own perspective

But Hardy denied this charge several times. He said that he was an artist and not a philosopher. It would be wrong to read any belief or principle of life in their mood-writing. Expressions, such as the one in Tess, regarding the President of the Immortal, were merely poetic fanatics, using only poetic devices such as ghosts, witches, fairies, etc., which are commonly used in all imaginative literature. Poems such as "The Poet's Epitaph" were only impressions at this time and did not represent his view. Justice should not be done by them. In his letters, diaries and prefixes he often explained himself and called himself "evolutionary meliorist" or "explorer of reality".

Hardy a Realist and Not a Pessimist

The fact that Hardy was completely realistic. Born and bred in the scientific age, he could not close his eyes to the fact of sorrow. Hence the cheap, blind optimism of poets like Browning, who sang,

"God is in his heaven

All is right with the world."

Failed to satisfy him. Rather, the ferocious and ruthless struggle for existence that he saw pierced everywhere in nature, starvation, hunger, sickness and disease that staggered the earth, he realized that God was not in heaven and was all wrong with the world. He claimed, and rightly so, that his position was close to the truth. Nor could he agree with romantic poets like Wordsworth, who said that nature had a "sacred scheme" and that there was happiness everywhere in nature. How can this happen, when a number of children were born to born parents like formidable parents, to hurt themselves and others. The world was already overcrowded, there was already too much hungry face to be fed. Conscious of this fact of universal suffering, he realized with his own Jude that mutual butchery was the law of nature. This is not pessimism, but realism. This situation can be faced not by turning our back, but by giving it a square shape. So he taught:

“If a way to the better there be
It implies a good look at the worst.”

It is a completely sensible and healthy view of life and no right person can object to it.

Hardy's view of the first reason: scientist

As regards the manufacture and the manufacturer, Hardy was greatly influenced by the scientific theories of his age. He agreed with evolutionary scientists, like Darwin, that the universe could not be created by a single act of creation. It was in a continuous process of development. As with all modern thinkers, he lost faith in the orthodox, anthropological God of Christian orthodoxy and conceived the First Cause as a superfluous force or energy working continuously from within. Thus Hardy's universe is in a state of constant evolution. He imagines as indifferent and unconscious of this energy, without any sense of enjoyment of enmity or suffering. This is his idea. But when his outrage is overcome, he shakes his fist because of things and recognizes it as a conscious and hostile creator. For example, with Tess's unilateral sorrow burning her heart, he calls First Cause the president of the Immortals who beat us for their game. That inch may be an excuse for poetic fiction, as they have been used by all poets and writers of fiction. They do not reflect this logical position in any way.

Ultimate knowledge of first cause

Furthermore, they believe that this energy or power will gradually develop consciousness and then a human lot must undergo acidification. At the end of his epic-drama, The Dynastes, his most philosophical work, he hopes for the gradual emergence of a better order of things. In this play, he says First Cause, Immanent Will, and already,

“….. a sound of joyance thrills the air,
Consciousness the will informing
Till it fashion all things fair,
And the rages of the ages shall be mended.”

This is certainly not pessimism. This may be what Hardy calls "evolutionary polytheism."

The philosophy of resignation, not Nihilism

Also, Hardy is not Nihil. Except for his last novel, Jude the Obscure, he never advocated the rejection of life. Grief, no doubt, is universal law, but a human being can be enriched to a great extent through strategy and knowledge, and through correction wisely. It is a philosophy of resignation that he teaches. The villagers of Wessex resigned their lot and suffer patiently. Joan Durbeyfield's agony is not so intense, because when she faced misfortune, again and again, mutters, "it had to happen", and then goes on about her as usual. Elizabeth-Jane and Thomasine cleverly adjust themselves to their circumstances and therefore survive a lot of grief.

Emphasis on sensible social reform

Human reforms can go a long way towards greatly improving human beings. Marriage laws, in particular, should be lenient in favour of fair sex. 'Pure' women, such as Tess, who are more sinful than sinning, should not be ignored and are considered ostracized. Our morality has double standards. Marriage should be dissolved as soon as possible because it becomes a cruelty to either of the two contracting parties, followed by marriage.

Hardy's Man of View

Furthermore, Hardy does not take a humiliating view of mankind. Weird villains, disgusting and malicious crooks, are few in Wessex novels and none of them is an unbelievable villain. Thomas Hardy cannot completely attract people. David Cecil wrote in this regard, "Ambiguity means; And this means that people neither feel deeply nor are aware of any issues involved in fulfilling their selfish desires. "If Hardy tries to pull such a mean person, he is a terrible failure. This does not mean that all his successful creations are virtuous. Henchard and Eustacia sin, but they do so grandly. They include There is no calculative selfishness. Furthermore, they know that they are wrong: they are torn with a conscience. They are simply carried away by an over-zealous obsession. Therefore, we do not like it. Mankind Hardy always considers heroic proportions. Wessex Novels are "Apotheosis" of the human soul and no exposure of its meaning.

Hardy a humanist, and not a pessimist

The spirit of "Loving-Mercy" that Hardy advocates, he needs the basis of all human relations. Most of the human suffering results from the flaws of the first cause, but much suffering can be avoided if we are kind and sympathetic to each other. Instead of taking refuge in nature and turning our back on life, we should turn to our kind, like,

“There at least discourse trills around,
There at least smiles abound,
There sometimes are found,
Life-Loyalties.”

A poet who could write like this cannot be called a pessimist. Thomas Hardy is an ist humanist ”or has called himself an“ evolutionary meliorist ”.

To sum up

1. There has been heated controversy over whether Hardy is pessimistic or not.

2. Those who consider him a pessimistic point:

(a) In his view the whole life is painful and happiness is only an occasional intervention.

(b) The ruling power is blind, unconscious of human suffering and lacking in a moral sense. Its activity is aimless.

3. Hardy considered himself a realist and evolutionary meliorist. He believed that,

(A) If there is a way to do better, it requires a good look at the best.

(b) The ruling power will gradually become enlightened with the passage of time.

(c) Human behaviour can be improved and adjustments can be made for anyone. By circumstance, intelligent social reform and "loving-kindness".