Quest for Organic Unity in Thomas Hardy'sThe Woodlanders

Abstract

his research on Hardy'sThe Woodlandersexplores the relationship between human andnon-human world, which reflects Hardy's quest for organic unity.In this novel, the relationship between nature and characters is subtle, indirectly reflecting Hardy’s concern for organic unity. The people who live in woodland have a strong sense of the natural degeneration in the surroundings, and they are quite familiar with every natural phenomenon. In the novel, the characters are led to explore the relationship between human and natural world. This thesis explores Hardy’s portrayal of nature as sometimes being cruel so as to teach the human beings the lesson about the significance of the organicism. The characters are made to acknowledge the significance of maintaining harmony with nature. The perception of nature suggests modern civilization exists ifonly it harmoniously cohabits with nature. Although nature provides human beings with living stuffs, it also forces humans to acknowledge its power through its processes. In the novel, the characters such as John South and Giles Winterbourn’s attempt to identify and relate their emotional-- sentiments--and physical state to natural phenomena reflect their quest for organic unity.