Thomas Hardy - Book Report/Review Example

Hardy showed the prevalent changes which had spread over England, and the spiritual malaise which infected the country and in the writings of her poets. Hardy had lived in a time of physical and spiritual instability. (Hardy, 1954) Hardy kept a careful record of people, places, and events, and he used and reused these notes for his writings. He used the topography of rural Dorset as the fictional Wessex in his writings. He described the pathways with uncanny precision. He was a zealous researcher of people and events.

(Millgate, 2004) Hardy made use of contrast and comparison in his writings. He was an excellent student of the French technique in the art of shaping a narrative. (Cox, 1979) In Hardy's writings, he presents the idea of property as the foundation of the social life of peaceful and orderly community. Hence, he refers to regular laws dealing directly and indirectly with this matter. (Grismditch, 1962) For example, in this short story, Hardy made reference to Timothy's felonious action of changing the will of his grandfather to benefit Rupert, his son.

His writings emphasize that without the security of property, whether publicly or privately owned, no civilized government can exist. Other affairs are dealt with by social conventions. Conventions reflect degrees of importance, and they change from one year to the next between nation and nation. In this story, Timothy enjoyed the trappings that go with a rich property owner during his time. In Squire of a Petrick Lady, the works emphasize the impact of long-standing social divisions and from the prevailing juxtaposition of rank and culture.

The permanence of one's social condition is also reflected in this particular work. Timothy Petrick enjoyed the security of property as he had the skill in gaining possession of fair estates by giving sums of money on their title deeds. Timothy was a lawyer by profession, and agent to several noblemen and he used this profession for his own benefit. In this story, honesty for Timothy Petrick is not the best policy but it is a show of an amiable weakness. Thomas Hardy makes use of early surroundings and conditions as factors in the development of his characters (Firor, 1931).

In this story, he emphasized that Timothy's wife sent for him and told him about the case of the newly-born infant. Initially, the infant was cut off but then Timothy restored his inheritance after battling some inner conflicts. In the end, Timothy felt really bad because the boy Rupert was from his own lineage. Rupert was not descended from the Dukes of Southwesterland. This story showed the preference of Timothy, Hardy's character, for the boast of heraldry and the pomp of power that goes with the lineage of the royalty.

Timothy's estimate of men is made on the basis of ancestry and exalted rank. This story shows the beauty of the juxtaposition of the privilege of royal rank and that of a common lineage. References:Cox, R. 1979. Thomas Hardy: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge. Firor, Ruth. Folkways in Thomas Hardy. 1931.