Older people and ageing in the fiction of Thomas Hardy : a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts, Department of English and Media Studies, Division of Humanities, Massey University, New Zealand

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dc.contributor.authorSainsbury, Dick
dc.date.accessioned2010-12-07T21:54:02Z
dc.date.availableNO_RESTRICTIONen_US
dc.date.available2010-12-07T21:54:02Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractIn recent years interest in literary gerontology, the study of older people and ageing in literary works, has grown. Interest has focussed on whether old people are portrayed negatively or positively in writing and the other arts, and whether the study of old people in literary works can help gerontologists in their understanding of ageing. The present thesis explores the issues of older people and ageing in the fiction of Thomas Hardy concentrating particularly on four novels: Jude the Obscure, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Woodlanders and Two on a Tower, although reference is made to other works. The working hypothesis is that ‘Older people and ageing play a central and hitherto undersestimated role in the vital themes considered in Hardy’s fiction’. Hardy was chosen because very little has been written about the subject in his work and because he is such a shrewd observer of character and a perceptive social critic. I conclude that older people and ageing do play a substantial part in the Hardy fiction canon. The major themes are: a close consideration of social issues expressed through the words and actions of older people; the significance of psychological adaptations to ageing in his characters; the investigation of relationships between people of disparate ages; and the use of the symbolism of antiquity represented in buildings, institutions, archaeology and nature to amplify the changes brought about by modernity. The subject is worthy of further and more detailed study.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/1960
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectThomas Hardyen_US
dc.subjectEnglish fictionen_US
dc.subjectEnglish literatureen_US
dc.subjectAgeingen_US
dc.subjectOlder peopleen_US
dc.subjectElderlyen_US
dc.subject.otherFields of Research::420000 Language and Culture::420200 Literature Studies::420204 British and Irishen_US
dc.titleOlder people and ageing in the fiction of Thomas Hardy : a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts, Department of English and Media Studies, Division of Humanities, Massey University, New Zealanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorSainsbury, Dick
thesis.degree.disciplineEnglishen_US
thesis.degree.grantorMassey Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts (M.A.)en_US
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