Quest for Organic Unity in Thomas Hardy'sThe Woodlanders
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Department of English
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.