Thomas Hardy’s children in "Tess of the D’Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure"

Abstract

From the Eighteenth century onwards, the figure of the child assumed an important position in English literature. From Rousseau and William Blake until Charles Dickens and Henry James, it became clear that the child was becoming a myth, undergoing several changes and acquiring various meanings. Romantic innocence slowly transformed into Victorian Innocence: a darker, deadly point of view condemned these figures of children to die and never grow up. Thomas Hardy’s children, in particular the innocents in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” and “Jude the Obscure”, are among the most powerful and unforgettable literary characters. The author was clearly inspired by the different mythologies regarding the child and he successfully conveyed important messages through his children. The research thesis consists of four chapters. The first shows a brief excursus of the figure of the child in English literature from the 18th to the 19th century, and the second gives important information about those important moments related to childhood and children in Thomas Hardy’s life. The third chapter focuses on the figure of Tess, her siblings and Sorrow in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”. The fourth and final chapter is an analysis of little Jude, Little Father Time and Jude and Sue’s children in “Jude the Obscure”. The study shows how Hardy drew on historical, scientifical and literary contexts to portray the different elements related to the figure of the child in his last novels. Moreover, it exposes how the author’s life and opinions were intrinsically intertwined with his literary work. Finally, the last two chapters explain what these literary children meant to him and what he wanted to convey through them.