Since the publication in 1894 of Thomas Hardy's Life's Little Ironies, critical commentary has tended to dismiss it for a variety of reasons. Thus, this study contends that the formative influences on Hardy led to his creation of a unified set of stories in the book, both in the literary and traditional mode, that the stories thematically and structurally unify Life's Little Ironies, and that Hardy's rearranging of the stories in the 1912 edition gives added significance to his purpose and to the iconoclastic power of the volume as a whole. Using an eclectic approach, this interpretation contributes to a fuller understanding and appreciation of this volume. An editorial introduction establishes the need for a reliable text, notes the differences between the 1894 and 1912 collected editions, and proposes that Hardy's rearrangement of materials creates a unified whole. Chapter 2 focuses on the formative influences that helped shape Hardy as a writer, defines Hardy's conception of the short story, and gives an overview of his ironic vision. Chapter 3 distinguishes both the similarities of and the differences between the 1894 and 1912 collected editions and analyzes each of the first six literary stories thematically, structurally, and cumulatively, in relation to Hardy's conception of the "literary" story and his use of the ironic mode, while making connections with external information to enhance understanding of the story and its ironic vision. Chapter 4 also examines the seventh story, "The Fiddler of the Reels" and shows why this story occupies a central position in the volume and its significance in that position. Chapter 5 shows how "A Few Crusted Characters" reflects the oral tradition and explains why it makes a fitting conclusion, while collectively reaffirming Hardy's ironic view of life. Chapter 6 argues that the combination of Hardy's use of irony / with his narrative stance produces an artistic whole, which is enhanced by the rearranging of the stories for the inherent iconoclastic purpose of presenting a metaphor of sexual significance. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-04, Section: A, page: 0970. / Major Professor: Fred L. Standley. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77126 |
| Contributors | Beavers, Myrtle B., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 458 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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