Now I'm no literary genius. In fact, I'm not a genius at all. Thomas Hardy is possibly one of the most verbose, intricate author I've read. But he also makes some of the best points, a few of which I will analyze here, in my three favorite, and only books of his that I have read:

First up we have Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Oh, Tess. I think we can all agree the fatalistic direction of the novel is what characterizes the story and makes Tess the unique sympathetic character we see. Indeed, she represents the ideal good and moralistic young woman turned the other path by the cruel and remorseless environment. Starting with her father's laziness and fantastical notions of fame and fortune supposedly coming from the famous d'Urberville family, it is ironic that a typical good socioeconomic relation could lead her to the pits of poverty. In fact, through this novel Hardy toys with the social hierarchy and its implications, suggesting that wealth does not equate to goodness and a better life. In fact, Hardy's authorial voice in many areas concerning Tess' sexual assault and its impact throughout the rest of her relations with men.

Although society condemns a woman, no matter the situation, in which they are not chaste before marriage, Hardy makes it a point to portray Tess as a sympathetic character, and the product of evil around her, a concept almost revolutionary within these times. Tess's perpetrator, Alec d'Urberville, is also the representation of a man during this era, and carries with him the misogynistic ideals that Hardy belittles. He not only offers a half-way apology for his actions, but also comes back later in the novel and asks Tess to marry him, constantly returning no matter how many times Tess politely and rudely refuses, and blaming her for "tempting" him. The blameless image of man is apparent through his grotesque words and actions, and this story is Hardy's blatant attempt to reveal the damage this stereotype can cause with Tess' emotions, feelings, and personality at the forefront of the narrative.

While gender commentary isn't as prevalent in the next novel, Jude the Obscure, this is likely the most depressing novel I have ever read. Well, that's not true. It's the most heartbreaking novel I've read. It's the story of a young boy, somewhat poor, with big dreams of success and learning in a neighboring city of Christminster, only to be jolted back to reality with his less than enlightening experiences. It's idealism crushed by reality, and as someone who loves to dream of the future, I identified with Jude more than I care to admit. First, he is played by Arabella, who tricks him into marrying her and then leaves for Australia. Then he is shunned at the universities in Christminster, due to his social status. He enters into a loving relationship with his cousin, Sue Bridehead (Sweet Home Alabama), and she leaves her previous husband. But this abandonment of social norms comes to an end as his adopted child of Arabella, Father Time, murders his step-sibling and commits suicide in a fit of desperation and depression. Sue eventually returns to her previous husband, and Jude is once again taken advantage of by Arabella, who eventually again becomes dissatisfied with him.

This tragic story isn't without purpose; it just goes to lament the inevitability of one to escape society and religion, with a hyperbolic example. You can of course see the utilization of the sympathetic character (Jude) to perpetrate this theme, and our empathy with Jude can reflect our own failings and shortcomings, caused by things we could not control. It's another example, just like Tess, of an innately good and intelligent person trading paths because of the toxicity of his environment.

The last of these three is Far From the Madding Crowd. At first glance it's simply a love story with a somewhat convoluted plot following the antics of the headstrong Bathsheba Everdeen, and her quest of balancing love and self-respect. Through her unfortunate garnering of Farmer William Boldwood's interest, as well as falling for the charms of arrogant Sergeant Troy, she comes to realize that Gabriel Oak, the man who first showed interest in her, has been her steadfast companion and loyal confidante through it all. The progressive notion of a confident woman comes back, with Bathsheba being the centre of the narrative, and acting as the manager of a farm. The end suggests their happy romance together, but although this is one of the few novels with a happier ending, it is easy to forget the pieces that had to fall into place to bring the two lovers together.

Indeed, this novel is Hardy's way of saying that suffering must always be endured, perhaps from those that seek to benefit, and likely from those that are unwillingly thrown in the midst. First came the accidental massacre of Gabriel Oak's sheep, which caused him to move farms and eventually work for his former love interest, Bathsheba. Then, comes the demise of Fanny, who was originally Troy's love interest, who he discarded in his pursuit of Bathsheba. He saw her walking alone and pregnant (guess who's the father!) after their marriage, and decided to help her, telling her to reach the nearest village and wait for him. The journey ended up killing her and her baby, waking Bathsheba up to the true nature of her husband, making Tory guilty and running away, and eventually causing Boldwood to shoot him upon his untimely return. Boldwood, needless to say, was also an unnecessary sufferer of Bathsheba, and his mental insanity was a result of his obsession caused by Bathsheba's prank Valentine. One could argue, of course, that Bathsheba caused everything to happen, or you could argue that she needed to undergo these experiences to truly value and be worthy of Gabriel's steadfast love and devotion. But one thing's clear: one simply cannot ignore the casualties along the way.

So yeah, Hardy's pretty negative. But he offers a realistic, often pessimistic view of life without fanciful interpretations that speak of the reality in most circumstances. And this ideal, along with others, is clearly seen in the above novels.

What about now? Why should we care what someone wrote about life 200 years ago? Well it's important, especially given the times and situation we live in now, to observe toxic environments, eliminate suffering without reasonable cause, and uplift women to equal status as men, seen primarily through the Me Too movement.

Hardy, you depressing genius, you. Your words may have been shunned then, but now, are of utmost importance.