55

THE MALE CHARACTERS

OF HARDY'S MAJOR FICTION

Tohru

Kojima

Department of English and American Literature Nara University of Education, Nara, Japan

In most of Hardy's tales women characters impress us more forcibly No attentive reader will fail to observe this fact. Even in Desperate

than men. Remedies,

Far from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, Major, the titles of which are related to men, the protagonists

and The Trumpetare not necessarily

male in substance.

and Miss Aldclyffe2

In Desperate

Remedies,

for instance,

Cytherea1

both outdo Manston, the hero of the novel, in activity on the stage. The same may be said of The Return of the Native. Eustacia, tall and straight in build, makes her appearance does

as early

Clym turn

as Chapter

up for the

Six, Book First;

first

time

with

while

in Chapter

a well-shaped

One, Book Second,

and attracting

countenance

in front of Eustacia. Judging from this fact, Eustacia seems to be the central figure of the novel, though the Native is Clym. None of Hardy's womenare unalive, and very few of of occasional only

them bold

are entirely uninteresting; deeds. Against the active

two men who dominate

his

Jude Fawley. There are not a few essays but the

novels;

even the innocent women protagonists

one is Michael

on Hardy's

Henchard,

women by the

students

and the other of the author,

those on his men are not often to be met with. Therefore I shall pick leading men from Hardy's seven major novels-A Pair of Blue Eyes,

from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the bridge, The woodlanders, Tess of the D'Urbervilles,

thoughts

others. resigning

firmly-Miss

Aldclyffe,

Bathsheba,

out Far

Native, The Mayor of Casterand Jude the Obscure-and

dwell upon each of them. In Hardy we find many women who are of an unyielding their

girls are capable Hardy presents

Ethelberta,3

Men in Hardy, on the other hand, are generally themselves to fate, and do not give way to feeling.

nature

and carry

Eustacia,

out

Sue, and

amiable and patient, Even Henchard, one

The

56

of the

Male

few exceptions,

he has lost notice

Characters

lonesomely

Elizabeth-Jane,

the

of Hardy's

philosophy

leaves

the

only

of resignation

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

Casterbridge,

light

of his

which

all

reconciled

life.

In his

males

to his lonely

lot,

figure

have in the world

when we can

of Hardy.

\

II A Pair

of Blue

Eyes is a tragic

novel

uniting

some of the

elaborate

plotting

of Desperate Remedies and some of the romance of Under the Greenwood Two men enter the stage with Elfride Swancourt between them. One is the natured,

passionless

to restore Stephen's secretly

Stephen

a young

architect

who has

come to Cornwall

a church tower; the other Henry Knight, a cultured intellectual, formerly friend and adviser. Stephen goes to London in order to marry Elfride there,

but

comes back

He is too half-hearted for us to find

In Hardy's

unwedded

to compel

passionate

married to Stephen have lived happily leads stood

Smith,

Tree. good-

persons

there

with

of her vacillation. it would

as we see them in Conrad.

If Elfride

her

in birth,

in every

are men who think

he is charmed

because

In Hardy

a man into wrong judgment. aloof from the violent stream

sees Elfride

Cornwall

her to obey him.

who was like with him.

stories

to

respect

except

too much. Excessive

be difficult had she

been could

thinking

often

Knight is this type of Hardy man. He has of life til he has come to maturity. When he

her fresh

innocence.

Elfride

saves

his

life

on the

cliff, and the two soon become lovers. Knight never been loved byanother can be his partner.

thinks that only a girl who has He has never kissed a woman as

a sweetheart till he kisses Elfride. the secret engagement with her

disappointed at her Though desperately

her, he leaves

her

after

from Knight, inheriting are quite alike: Knight

much

He is much former lover. consideration.

much of his goes to the

Angel

fastidious Continent

starts for Bragil, abandoning Tess who pleads wards of their thoughtless actions. Knight

is a figure,

like

Sue Bridehead,

Clare

confession of in love with

is descended

directly

character. Consequently their after parting from Elfride;

ways Clare

forgiveness;

after-

of the

person

and both

repent

who suffers

from some

sexual defect. If that were not the case, he could not so easily forsake Elfride whom he fervently loves. Unconsciously he tries to avoid sex. Hardy writes: Perhaps towards result

Knight

was not shaped

women, which of instinctive

acts

he had so minute

by Nature attributed

for

a marrying

to accident,

as to be undiscernible

man. Perhaps

was not

chance

even by himself.4

after

his

lifelong all,

but

constraint the

natural

The

Sue

says

But

it is in

permit

that

she all

Jude

Male Characters

is

because

of

ironically enough, come to realize the

seeking

her.

coincidence

As Carpenter

to emphasize

and Stephen

is Elfride

(Kojima)

(She

sexual

57

bears

Jude

incapacity

if anything

they

they errors

her

Fiction

three

that

children.)

she

does

not

are under the same roof.

men go abroad

become aware that

Major

creature.5

to get near when they

When they

wall

a sexless

probability

Many of Hardy's hurriedly, Stephen

not

of Hardy's

disagreeable

happens

have done wrong in doing

to

them.

so and come back

find that it is too late. As soon as Knight and of their ways later on, the two hurry to Corn-

points

the irony travelling

out,6 here Hardy

of fate. for her

For,

uses the power of strange

on the same train

home asleep

in her

with

Knight

coffin.

Ill Far from

the Madding

Crowd

which

succeeds

A Pair

of

Blue

Eyes is a

novel with the vivid setting of romantic fields and farms without the stern dignity of Egdon as in The Return of the Native. In this story we see a beautiful, wayward young woman, Bathsheba Oak, the dissolute humorously depicts

extending

of his

ears, his

upon his

and three

men: the resourceful

Sergeant Troy, and the dignified William Farmer Oak at the beginning of the book:

When Farmer Oak smiled, distance

Everdene;

eyes

the corners were reduced

countenance

like

the

of his

mouth

to chinks, rays

spread

till

they

and diverging

in a rudimentary

Boldwood.

were within wrinkles

sketch

Gabriel

an unimportant

appeared

of the

rising

Hardy

round

them,

sun.7

Oak is plain, modest, taciturn, and not attractive in appearance. But he has the steady and staunch character to be seen in many other tales. At first, when Oak makes Bathsheba

an offer

But he is never disappointed. after her. He renders loyal

of marriage,

He becomes her bailiff services to her patiently.

wood are contending for Bathsheba, crowd'. When Troy and Bathsheba he is, changes as faithfully emergency,

colour.

declines

competence

mere caprice.

for being near and looking Even when Troy and Bold-

from heartbreak

as ever. We find in Oak a man of perfect neither hurries nor flurries, doing his utmost

enormous

it from

Oak is keeping aloof 'far from the madding have been married, the staunch bailiff, calm as

But he soon recovers

thunderstorm8 his devoted to that of Troy snoring the

she flatly

and serves his master composure who, in an in his duty. In that great

form working at the stacks exhibits a strange contrast loudly in a drunken sleep in the barn. Bathsheba sights of Oak and the careless

immorality

of her

husband.

It

The Male Characters

58

is a natural consequence that as a reward for his faithfulness, of the

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

Hardy finally unites Oak with Bathsheba though some artificiality exists in the

plot.

Troy is attractiveness

the

typical example of a frivolous of a lady-killer. He is very clever

Boldwood for Bathsheba, middle age to gnash his

he, teeth

make an error under

influence

defect

in his

the

charcter-lack

person. at tactics.

He has the calmness When he competes

to a satisfactory

a double-dyed

of a passing

of belief.

Bathsheba, he thinks pounds

conclusion.

villain.

and with

a twenty-year-old young man, causes Boldwood in vexation. We have not seen him suffer a loss It is true

He has his

Though

his

of or

impulse.

He, however, has a great

that

never

he

makes a failure

any event he meets with, and that his plans are mostly successful being just as Arabella's are; but for want of conviction, he cannot cess

in marriage development

actions

own sincerity.

for the time bring his suc-

are to be blamed, When he,

after

in

he is not

marriage

with

meets Fanny9 again who is now only the shadow of her former self, he must show her his true heart and look after her. Carrying twenty in his

but finds of which

pocket,

Troy

goes to Fanny

on the day appointed

she is already gone. Afterwards opens with the words:-'Erected

Fanny Robin'.10 In the stories

he erects by Francis

This episode tells that by Hardy we could not

for the

meeting,

a grand tomb the inscription Troy in Beloved Memory of

he has something of humanity in him. find villains in the true sense of the

word. Dare,ll Manston, and Alec behave abominably, that appeals to our tender feelings. Hardy believes

that

that even those of whom we think as wicked have Hardy does not think that there are any accomplished

some goodness about them. scoundrels in the world.

Boldwood

is in striking

contrast

to Troy

in all

but

things.

have each something all men are born good;

No one is so pathetic

as

this middle-aged farmer, grave and good. He has borne nobody malice, nor designed to deceive others. Even when he is coping with Troy for Bathsheba, he does not try to inform her that the arrogant soldier has another lover, Fanny. In fine, he

is too

sending

honest.

He,

however,

has

him an anonymous valentine.12

a run of ill-luck. Troy

Bathsheba

teases

wins away Bathsheba.

him

In the

by

mean-

while he loses all the income of the year. After the disappearance of Troy he secures, to his great delight, her promise to marry him, but his joy turns out to be premature-Troy

has come back.

Boldwood,

enraged

at Troy's

riotous

towards Bathsheba, shoots him to death. The farmer is sentenced tude for life. He is one of the persons who have fought with destiny a sad defeat.

behaviour

to penal serviand sustained

The Male Characters

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

59

Boldwood has a queer vanity. Though he lives in the country farm, he is not content with the country life, but yearns after to imitate will

the urban

be a great

ways. He feels

mistake.

Those

it a great

who live

honour

in the

Hardy teaches that if a to escape from it, he will

countryman dislikes suffer the punishment

though

hates

the

living

in Egdon,

displeasure

of Egdon,

Parenthetically, Although

the Hardy

denouement, beginning

the

sighs

meets a tragic

following

allows novel

it and

us the does

not

has been as thoroughly

words

end

destroyed

again with

will love

love

city

life.

She,

their

country.

in the

end,

incurring

as Troy

Vye.

are interesting:

sop to our feelings 'happily'.

This

place he lives in and undertakes of Heaven. There is a woman who,

of Carpenter

This means Bathsheba has completely what she was. It is a mournful change that 'never as furiously

for

should

'urbanized'.

doom. The woman is Eustacia

questionable really

to be called

country the

and works on the city life, and tries

The

of

vibrant

a marriage

and proud

with girl

Oak as a

we see at the

and Boldwood.13

been emasculated; in her. We feel

she burst forth in a fine or at her temerity'.

blaze

that she is entirely not lonesome when we think of fury,

nor will

she

blush

IV It may safely be said Carpenter writes, 'The

that The Return of the Native is the book of Egdon. most massive and compelling image of the timeless that

Hardy ever created is Egdon Heath, With this heath for a background Yeobright, Yeobright. acter

of

Diggory Venn, and Damon Wildeve; Eustacia Vye and Thomasin Hardy likes the character of Clym. He remarks, 'I got to like the charClym

before

I had

heroes, and not a bit like Clym is a true 'native', rural

life.

the setting of The Return of the Native.'14 appear three men and two women: Clym

He is one of

done

me.'15 wishing Hardy's

with

him.

I think

to combine

the

pure intellectuals.

he is the

intellectual He

nicest

encourages,

heartens,

and consoles

all

my

life

with

the

has a look

that

expresses

'the view of life as a thing to be put up with.'16 Finding the life of merchant in Paris prosaic and meaningless, he comes back to his dear Egdon, seeking some valuable task. He realizes to his soul and that its plainness agrees with

of

plain

a diamond native place

that the severity of Egdon is suited his ascetic life. It is the heath that

him in distress.

Though

it is a cruel

task-master

The Male Characters

60

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

to Eustacia, for Clym it is a great educator training him solemnly. settle upon the lonely waste as long as he lives. For he loves the place other

in the

world.

Hardy

writes:

'If

He was permeated with its scenes, might be said to be its product.'17Due master,

his

symbolic of his

eyes give

out and he

of his spiritual illusions.

In

with its substance, to his excessive becomes

blindness. Chapter

any one knew the heath

half

blind.

As Carpenter

Three,

Book

the

well,

it was Clym.

and study

with its odours. He to become a school-

This

physical

says,18Clym

Third,

He desires to more than any

blindness

is

can not see the nature

careful

readers

will

foresee

Clym's eye trouble. For they read some passages concerning 'blind' there. When Hardy touches on some matter briefly at the beginning of his book, it will certainly come out again Eight

of The

later.

He, for instance,

Woodlanders,

writes

and sure

about

enough

'man-trap'

it reappears

Forty-two of the book and plays an important part in the The affection of Clym for his mother is of an exceptionally

shortly

in Chapter

suddenly

in Chapter

plot. exalted

kind.

says: 'The relation between Clym and his mother is stated to be a relation Clym is not fully conscious that his attachment to his mother is so exclusive be loved.

Duffins of love.'19 deep and

that he has not really a heart which can love Eustacia as she requires to As a result, when his mother dies, he behaves like a lunatic; and he gets

angry beyond reason when he discovers that Eustacia has not answered the door. It may be said without much exaggeration that Clym's fervent attachment to his mother

is Oedipus

Prometheus21

complex.20

into an Oedipus.22

beyond that of ordinary Egdon does not kill

As Carpenter Surely

remarks,

the relation

between

after

that

the first

much patience,

Venn, an exotic, developments strange

vitality.

The

reddleleman,

with his

sight

not originally

characters. does

unexplicable

heath,

the scene

that

serves

great

Egdon

Bathsheba

endurance. the

and goings.

wonderful

When he turns

becomes at once enlivened dice

is

of Oak and Bath-

much towards

throwing

from

mother

As Oak marries after

comings

of Venn and Wildeve

of a lantern not easily

becomes Thomasin's did

staunch

and his

preacher,

resembles

Venn marry Thomasin

from among the

the feeble light on the readers Hardy

so does

of the plot

up suddenly

two are subsidiary

is transformed

Clym

son and mother. Clym it likes. He, as an itinerant

in preaching the gospel to all good people. The connection between Venn and Thomasin sheba except

Clym

for

gold

with pieces

a by

is quite mystic.23The scene will leave a vivid impression forgotten. Venn is the spirit of Egdon. In the end he

husband, intend

as mentioned

above, following

to end the story

like

this.

the

death

He had

of Wildeve. conceived

that

The Male Characters

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

61

Venn disappears from the heath, 'nobody knowing whither'24 after saving at the crises of her fortunes. But 'in deference to the wishes of the Hardy

modified

his

The following

of

anything

The

a young

to admire,

and Alec

description

of Wildeve

man. The

grace

career.

Altogether

a lady-killing

inconstant

Quiet

plan.'25

is the

He was quite expression

Wildeve

indicates

the

Educated marries

courts her secretly. desecrated Egdon

was singular:

seen anything

development

of pleasures

with

it. Egdon

dislikes

fickle,

on the

sombre

showy,

indecent

The Mayor of Casterbridge Henchard, Hardy says in the

is the Preface:

and character

Exhibition of Wessex Man of Character.'

life.'27

is passionate,

he often

of the

intimate

Eustacia's

pantomimic

type

in Fitzpiers

the landlord

relations

marriage

than,

heath

with

of the Eustacia,

to Clym,

he still

tale of the remarkable 'The story is more perhaps,

and jealous

practises

a rash, reckless

to fall

into

disgrace

people.

any other

Hence comes the subtitle stubborn,

are sure

in character.

act without

reflecting

character particularly

of those

of this

and kind-hearted, but is frequently driven by his impulsive bring about unhappy results. When he gets excited at things wishes,

was

to dislike.26

he becomes

having

After

it

was one in whom no man would have seen

His philandering is the ruin of himself after all. His having has caused the anger of the heath. Those who idle away their

in pursuit

Henchard

later

While

Thomasin.

days

one man's deeds

movement

he

as an engineer,

Woman Inn on Egdon Heath. and

of his

by Hardy:

and in whom no woman would have

D'Urberville.

he captivates

Thomasin publishers

book, Basically,

of Michael a story of

included 'A Story

in my of a

he is honest

nature into acts which that will not go as he on the consequences.

He has no time to consider how closely repentance treads behind the steps of a thoughtless act. This is his great weakness. As I have written in Chapter I of this essay, Hardy's women are all general, dull and unattractive. beginning nowhere is mostly

to end he is the

interesting Henchard sole

active

and fascinating, alone, however, figure

on the

stage.

while his men are, in is an exception. From Hardy

depicts

a man

else so memorably as he does this dynamic person. Henchard's ill-luck of his own making. When he must be prudent in his corn transaction,

The Male Characters

62

he boldly gambles and loses and Farfrae, he does things

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

his all. When he requires one after another which

the love of Elizabeth-Jane ensure that they will turn

away from him. Hardy writes: 'Instead of thinking cherished stepdaughter and the energetic thriving Donald for her

good

and his

own, he hated

the

that a union between his was a thing to be desired

very possibility.'28

In the novels preceding this, fate is mainly treated as an exterior thing-it from without. In the case of The Mayor, however, fate is considered internally In this

as well as externally. story Hardy says that

some fateful things within In the words of Douglas

In Henchard men are often

fate is often his impulsive brought to ruin or led to

them, such as impulse or passion. Brown29 The Mayor is the tale of the

the native countryman and the alien invader. a Scotchman. On his way to America Farfrae

The alien invader stops at Casterbridge,

comes to exist character. misery by

struggle

between

is Donald Farfrae,. and is persuaded

by the Mayor to become his partner. At first Henchard is attracted by his striking ability, but gradually feels jealous of his increasing high reputation, and at last quarrels

with

and is partner.

and

separates

from him. Then

Henchard

rivals

outdone. Though Henchard hates him, Farfrae The generous Scotchman assists him in becoming

Farfrae

beats

Henchard

not only

in business,

but

also

Farfrae

in

business

never does his former a seed merchant. in love.

He wins Lucetta3*

whom Henchad loves. The difference between the two persons are marked and interesting. Henchard is energetic, and strong in build. Farfrae is fair, and slight in physique.

The former envious,

efficient, Coldly

and magnanimous. received by Elizabeth-Jane,

and alone. What has turned stepdaughter thinks that she Farfrae set to work to find small

cottage

dead

only

where half

he lives.

an hour.

obstinate,

and narrow-minded, the

ex-Mayor leaves

while his

the latter

Casterbridge

grateful, secretly

him into such a miserable figure? In a few days his has treated him harshly, and she and her husband where he has gone. Ultimately they come upon a But unfortunately

Here is also

the

they

irony

arrive

of fate-it

too late-he is 'too

has been

late'.

VI As Beach bling

that

of The

who would respects

points

The

out,31 the Return

say that

theme

of the

it is Hardy's

Woodlanders

is his

of The

Native.

Woodlanders Rutland

best

novel.'32

best

novel.33

remarks:

Hardy

himself

has many points 'There

resem-

are many today

also says that in some

The Male

At the Melbury.

Major

like

Fiction

to fate,

a townsman. But he has that

he stands

he has not the

the

so-called

loss

of

culture,

(Kojima)

63

and Edred Fitzpiers and dealer in cider. patience

hardships; he has that simplicity which dew; and he has the noble spirit to sacrifice

Submitting though

of Hardy's

centre, between Giles Winterborne Giles is a modest planter of trees

and not polished bear all morning

Characters

love his

is placed Grace He is uncultured

which

for his wife,

He loves

he could

solitude

and

not be happy

and

property

personality

stillness,

and

with

rarely

with

makes

to the

dignity.

Even

him worthy

her who is so refined

goes

him to

is as clear and bright as the himself for the sake of people.

name of a gentleman. That Giles always humbles himself is a pleasing fine character. He is wise enough to foresee that even if he could freely

enables

tavern

for

of the

evidence choose

of his Grace

and educated. making

merry

with villagers. So long as he is with others, he is unhappy. He feels the supreme happiness when he is in the bosom of the nature of the woodland. He is the very one who is called (Grace), Giles passes

the spirit of the woods. Watched by the woman he loves away quietly. He, however, is quite content with his lot.

Marty34 whispers:

'I can never forget

things.35

Giles

Though

is in the

'ee;

grave,

for you was a good he is well

pleased;

man,, and did

because

he

once a week by this silent and solitary girl. Fitzpiers inherits from Clym and develops into Clare. Giles takes life while Fitzpiers is a man of strange meditations, and has doubts about says to Grammer Oliver,36 the world.37 speculation,

'Everything

It is hardly possible and even he himself

is Nothing.

There's

is

good visited

as it is; life. He

only Me and Not Me in

that an old countrywoman can understand such probably can not comprehend the meaning of

what he says. Though he is a physician, his medicine, as Carpenter says,38 has a smack of magic rather than of science. Fitzpiers has something in common with Vilbert, the quack doctor, in Jude. He is a pilgrim of love. He itinerates from Suke39 to Grace,

from Grace to Charmond.40 He lives

in the country,

and yet scarcely

sees the country

around him.

the

in the woodland

It is quite

natural

that

peasantry

should comment gently on Fitzpiers' speculative nature and immorality. In the end Grace reconciles herself with Fitzpiers as the result of the accident,41

and the

once affection

revives

between

'mantrap'

them.

VII Duffin writes in praise of Tess of the D'Urbervilles: 'The novel has no superior among Hardy's novels, and it must take its place among the three or four

64

The

greatest

Male

works of fiction

In order to lead berville and Angel

Characters

the

of Hardy's

nineteenth

Major

century

Fiction

(Kojjma)^

produced

in England.42

Tess into misfortune Fate manipulates two puppets: Alec D'UrClare. Clare makes his appearance on the stage as a sceptical

youth who is learning the business of a farmer. the idea that woman must be pure. He asks

He, like Knight, is obsessed with for feminine chastity as a right,

whereas

hours'

he has once plunged

into

eight-and-forty

womanin London.

What is more, he feels

him

thought

to Brazil.

His

in compassion

and tolerance.

When Tess too strong true

is quite

confesses

After

He has no qualification

her past

to him,

his

Liz,

all

Tess's

against

with wanting

woman's purity. woman' is

And yet he has a Clare

carries

her

in his sleep to a stone coffin across the stream and lays her act he sometimes murmurs, 'My poor, poor Tess-my dearest,

in it. darling

During Tess!

the So

so good,

so true!'44

It is interesting

that

It is clearly

Carpenter

after

friend,

a 'ruined

and innocence.

him. A few nights

a doubtful

he is an egoist

for demanding

prejudice

chastity

with

her confession

sweet,

for Tess within

to take

inconsistent.

for him to see her essential

love

inclined

dissipation43

the

likens

deed

of love

Talbothays

and sorrow.

to a Paradise,

saying

that

Angel

and Tess play the parts of an Adam and an Eve respectively. Judging from the fact that Hardy often writes the names of Adam and Eve in the novel,45 it is probable

that

Hardy

When Tess calls young

himself

compares

Angel

on Mrs. D'Urberville

man comes out

smoking.

to Adam, and Tess to Eve.

for the

first

The man is Alec

eyes on the fascinating, full-grown figure of Tess. plicty the libertine cleverly leads her into temptation. After

the

return

of Tess

to her home, Alec

it up when he sees her again. which she gives out unwittingly. -sex appeal.

Though

'Tess,

Tess,

me? I was firm

was such a maddening

mouth

since

D'Urberville. Taking

becomes an evangelist.

a tall

He rivets

his

of her

sim-

advantage

he has

something

of truth

But he gives

which

words seem to have come out of his

I was on the way to,

have you tempted

at her residence,

He can not resist the bewitching power of Tess He has yielded to the strength of Tess's attribute

he is a liar,

to be human. The following

time

at least,

social

as a man could

salvation be till

I saw

till

I saw that

you again.

mouth

proves

true And

again-surely

him

heart: why,

then,

there

never

Eve's.'46

Do I go too far in saying that Alec's fall from grace has been caused by Tess. He might have been all right, had it not been for the unconscious enticement of our heroine. him

lying

Alec dead

with

is a weak man, too. We feel pity a knife

stabbed

into

the

heart.

for

him

when we think

of

The

Male

Characters

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

(Kojima)

65

VIII Jude

the

Obscure

is a sad account

of the

wanderings

of the

Fawley. Among the books of Hardy Jude is the only man-from childhood till death-is written biographically. men and as many women: Jude Arabella

Fawley,

Richard

evil-starred

Jude

one in which the life of a In this story we see two

Phillotson;

and Sue Bridehead,

Donn.

Jude is the most complex of all Hardy's men. He is far more complicated Clym and Angel from whom he has developed. He, like them, is possessed contradictory easily

motives.

fades

He sets himself

to become

the allurement

of Arabella.

away before

a good friend to Sue, and yet finds himself the idea of becoming learned, he resolves despondency

that

a scholar,

he is a man of too many unholy

of his

He makes up his mind

to be

desires

to make a good clergyman.

and weak-hearted as Jude His character is diametically

to that of Henchard. It is not too much to say that about from his resistance to fate with this weak will. as is always

hope

madly in love with her. After giving up to become holy, but he perceives with

In Hardy's fiction no one is so irresolute completely lacking in courage and decision.

he has done,

but that

than with

the case with

feeble

is. He is opposed

his misery has been brought He is always sorry for what

minds.

His life

is a series

of re-

grets. Jude is pulled this way and that by the merciless fate, but he continues to fight against it till all his strength is gone. There is good reason for Carpenter to call

him a contemporary

'hero'.47

This novel has two pitiable sights of Jude which deeply is the figure of Jude, who knows that his time is not far, see Sue at Marygreen rain.

He, unable

and rain

bidding

to attain

his

to Christminster

Here in the necessary heat.

for

teeth

slowness

her

object,

where the

goes

of the

north-east

windand

walk

from

lack

and,

raining

milestone

Jude

through

totteringly

Arabella

rain

of his

farewell

back

faithless

of his

He came to the

a last

touch our hearts. One walking a long way to in

strength

as it was,

spread

the

being his

cold,

wind

for him:

his way,

wet through,

insufficient

blanket

driving

persistent

is waiting

now pursued

former

the

to

and

lay

maintain

down

the his

there

to

rest.48

The

other

and cheerful,

is what

we see whenhe

as it is the

is lying upon his bed hardly recognize him.

is in the

summer festival

agonies

day. Arabella

of death.

The town is gay

is away from home. Jude

of death. He is now so thin that his old friends would He is severely suffering from coughs and thirst, but there

The Male Characters

66

are none who care for him

of Hardy's

in the

Major

Fiction

room. He is too

(Kojima)

emaciated

to move:

Nothing but the deserted room received his appeal, and he coughed to exhaustion again-saying more feebly: 'Water-some water-Sue-Arabella!' The room remained still as before. Presently he gasped again: 'Throat-water-Sue-darlingdrop of water-please-O please-!' But no water came.49 stil

No descriptions

in Hardy's

tales

are so sad and pathetic

as those

two of Jude.

Phillotson is one of the few male characters of middle age in Hardy. Sue and Jude call on him at his school, he is forty-five years old. He looks

When much

older then. Many years of care and worry have made him appear so. His figure is so lonesome that it reminds us of the loneliness of life. He is stubborn but tolerant,

and takes

things

as they

are. He is a miserable

wonder that when a middle-aged side as an assistant, he will easily relationship of Jude and Phillotson Knight is the mentor of Smith, loves

Smith's

lover

Elfride,

bachelor inflame

love his pupil's sweetheart there is a great disparity

by Sue. It is no

has a beautiful young woman by his his passions. As Chew points out,50 the

is analogous so is Phillotson

so does

sufferer

Phillotson

to that of Smith and the teacher of Jude; Jude's

lover

Sue. For a teacher

cases of Oak and Venn this story

let

me add

by playing

the

to

is the irony of destiny. Phillotson is blind to the fact that in age between him and her. This incongruity is among

the causes of her escape to Jude. In the end, however, Phillotson taking back Sue from Jude, though she is as good as a living corpse. Lastly,

Knight. As as Knight

will

also

be the

fruit

that Phillotson

creates

role

comedian

of a poor

of his

a humorous

generous atmosphere

two or three

succeeds in As in the

tolerance. in this

gloomy

Donald

times.

IX Hardy's (1)

(2)

men may be classified

Persons Gabriel

of patience Oak, John

Farfrae,

Richard

Persons Michael

of impulse Henchard,

into

the

following

and generosityLoveday, Giles

Phillotson,

categories:-

Winterborne,

Diggory

Venn,

The

(What

the

Shepherd

D'Urberville,

etc.

etc.

and passionFarmer Boldwood,

Duke

Saw),etc. (3)

(4)

Persons Sergeant Intellectual

of loose moralsTroy, Damon Wildeve, idealists-

Edred

Fitzpiers,

Alec

The

Male

Henry knight,

(5)

Clym

of Hardy's

Yeobright,

Major

Angel

Fiction

Clare,

(Kojima)

67

etc.

VillainsAeneas Manston,

This

classification

stance,

William

the

In the against submit

to No.

Winterborne,

Farfrae,

world

rough

among them:

self-sacrificing;

efficient

fate

and loose.

I type, and

grateful;

lords

fate are doomed to a tragic to it are spared and can live

Loveday,

tender-hearted;

Venn,

obstinate

human beings.

end, while uneventfully.

for

in-

are considerable

and competent;

Phillotson,

it over

When we think,

we see there

Oak, staunch faithful

and

of Hardy

etc.

doubt,

men belonging

of character

chivalrous;

Dare,

is, without

about

differences and

Characters

brave

loyal

but

considerate.

Those

who

and

struggle

on the other hand people who Sue mournfully mutters, 'There

is no choice. We must conform. It is no use fighting against God!'51 Helena 'We are the sport of fate, and were obliged to come.'52 Through the lips

returns, of these

people Hardy preaches that men can never resist fate. Charles Darton says, 'Better go with the tide and make the best of its course than stem it at the risk of a capsize.'53

Of these

words

I should

like

to think

as an advice

from the

author

on

the conduct of our life. Clym's outlook on life-'Life is a thing to be put with'-may be a trite one, but has a meaning to be well worth pondering.

up

Notes 1.

Daughter tried

2.

of Ambrose

every

Daughter

of Captain

Heroine the

4.

of The

house

After

many hardships

ruled

with

A Pair

a firm of Blue

p. 334

where she

Eyes,

6.

Richard

7.

Far from

8.

Ibid.,

9.

When she was servant

10.

Carpenter: pp.

as lady's

up in the

but her girl

she

An ambitious

Lord

had and

by Miss

Miss

Aldclyffe

deceived

by her

cousin,

and

had

Manston. masterful

young

and was soon left

Mountclere,

Aldclyffe.

failed.

been

name of Aeneas

she was a governess, took

maid plan

a wicked

old

peer,

woman, she married

a widow for

of one-and-twenty.

a husband,

whom she

hand. p. 382

of Macmillan

the

As a young

brought

Hand of Ethelberta.

son of the

5. Jude,

She was engaged her to Manston,

Aldclyffe.

a son who had been 3.

Gray.

means to marry

Thomas

Madding

in Macmillan

edition.

edition. Hardy,

Crowd,

p.

p. 49. 1 in Macmillan

edition.

291-4. to Bathsheba's

her,

and she had to go intoa

Far

from the

Madding

uncle,

workhouse,

Crowd,

p. 377.

she was made love to by Sergeant

where

she and her child

died

from

Troy. exposure

He deserted tothe

rain.

The Male Characters

68 ll.

Illegitimate

son

Power,

of Captain

Far from

the

13.

Thomas

14.

Ibid.,

15.

F.

16.

The Return

17.

Ibid.,

18.

Thomas

19.

H. C. Duffin:

20-

In

21.

In Greek

to carry rival.

Madding

Hardy,

a plan

However,

his

pp.

Fiction

Dare wished

by bringing

scheme

(Kojima)

discredit

was upset

his

father

on George

at the

eleventh

to

marry

Somerset,

Paula

in whom

hour.

109-16.

p. 87.

E.

Hardy:

The

Life

of the

p.

of Thomas

Native,

edition.

p. 95Thomas

psychoanalysis

Hardy,

the

god

as a pusishment,

In Greek

legend, his

fondness who

Zeus

of a son for his

stole

fire

chained

son of Laius,

from

him

King

mother.

heaven

and

taught

men how to use

it,

for

to a rock.

of Thebes,

and Jocasta.

Unwittingly

he slew his

father

and

own mother.

The

Return

24.

Ibid.,

Introduction,

25.

David

Cecil:

Hardy

the

26.

The

Return

of the

Native,

27.

The

Mayor of Casterbridge,

28.

Ibid.,

29.

Douglas

p.

p.19.

an abnormal

legend,

of the

Native,

pp.

232-6.

Novelist,

p.

p. 3. p.

117.

41. Preface,

p. 2 in Macmillan

edition.

347Brown:

A Jersey

lady

thought

p.358.

of Scribners

175. Hardy,

wedded

Hardy,

p. 169

23.

30.

in A Laodicean.

out

Crowd,

Major

p. 91.

which, 22.

De Stancy

and endeavoured

he saw a formidable 12.

of Haidy's

Thomas with

dead,

p. 65.

whom Henchard

prevented

and married

him

had

relations.

from marrying

her.

The Later,

return Lucetta

of

Henchard's

wife,

whom he

became acquainted

with

Farfrae,

in love

Winterborne,

him.

31.

J.

32.

W. R. Rutland:

W. Beach:

34.

Daughter

The

Technique

Thomas

of John

who did

Hardy,

not

South.

guess

the

Woodlanders,

of Thomas

Hardy,

A pure-hearted secret

p. 460

in her

The

36.

An old woman in the

37.

The

38.

Thomas

Hardy,

39.

Hoydenish

girl

Tim Tangs

and went to New Zealand.

40.

Widow

of a rich

41.

The

42.

Thomas Hardy,

43.

Tess

44.

Ibid.,

p. 281.

45.

Ibid.,

pp.

46-

Ibid.,

p.

146,

with

Giles

of Mr.

edition. Melbury,

Grace's

father.

p. 121. of Little

Hintock

manufacturer p.

who was intimate

who was the

with

owner of the

445.

p. 58.

D'Urbervilles,

369.

she was secretly

p. 58.

Woodlanders, of the

girl,

of Macmillan

employ

p. 158.

breast.

35.

Woodlanders,

Hardy,

p. 212.

192,

p. 256

369.

of A.

L. Burt

edition.

Dr.

Fitzpiers.

Hintock

estate.

She

afterwards

married

The Male 47.

Thomas

48.

Jude

49.

Ibid.,

Hardy,

the

50.

Samuel

51.

Jude

52.

Interlopers

53.

Ibid.,

of Hardy's

Major

Fiction

69

(Kojima)

p. 146.

Obscure,

p.

Characters

p.

492.

509. Chew:

the

Thomas

Obscure, at p.

Hardy,

p. 69.

p. 432. the

Knap,

p.

196 in Macmillan

edition.

204.

(Received

June

22,

1968)