ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Hardy was a determinist who was aware that man’s life is controlled by some inexplicable external force, which he sometimes calls the Fate of Circumstances (in The Mayor of Casterbridge), the President of Immortals (in Tess of the d’Urbervilles) or the Immanent Will (in The Dynasts).

Detailed explanation-2: -In Hardy’s novels, Fate plays a very important part Sometimes it appears that human beings in his world have no individual life of their own, they are controlled by Fate. Not only this, it appears they are controlled by Fate from outside as well as from within.

Detailed explanation-3: -In “The Convergence of the Twain, ” Thomas Hardy examines chance, accident, and coincidence to demonstrate his philosophy of life in which fate is predicted as a timeless unseen force. Such force destroys people’s happiness in the same way that modernity does in bringing its pessimistic progress to the world.

Detailed explanation-4: -Hardy believes that characters are governed by fate. Clym feels that he has to use his services for the people in Egdon Heath. He has vowed to stay on the heath and become a schoolteacher. In order to be of some service to the people, he wants to stay in the Heath.

Detailed explanation-5: -Fate thus brings Oak through a series of chance and coincidences to be employed as a shepherd under Bathsheba, whom he once proposed and was rejected by. Fate is responsible for Bathsheba’s changes in fortune as well. Here also chances and coincidences play their havoc to cause miseries to the beautiful lady.