Hardy's Geography: Wessex And The Regional Novel

Hardy’s Geography Wessex and the Regional Novel Ralph Pite Hardy’s Geography Also by Ralph Pite THE CIRCLE OF OUR VISION: Dante’s Presence in English Romantic Poetry LIVES OF THE GREAT ROMANTICS: Coleridge THE VISION OF DANTE by Henry Cary (editor) Hardy’s Geography Wessex and the Regional Novel Ralph Pite © Ralph Pite 2002 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2002 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 0-333-98774-8 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Pite, Ralph. Hardy’s geography : Wessex and the regional novel / Ralph Pite. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-333-98774-8 1. Hardy, Thomas, 1840–1928—Settings. 2. Hardy, Thomas, 1840–1928 – Knowledge – Wessex (England) 3. Hardy, Thomas, 1840–1928 – Knowledge – Dorset (England) 4. Wessex (England) – In literature. 5. Dorset (England) – In literature. 6. Place (Philosophy) in literature. 7. Regionalism in literature. 8. Setting (Literature) I. Title. PR4757.S46 .P57 2002 823¢.8—dc21 2002025237 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne Contents List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgements viii List of Abbreviations ix 1 1 4 9 17 Introduction Hardy’s geography Literary criticism, local knowledge and Tess Regional geography 2 The Imaginative Geography of the West Country The country-party, King Alfred and the western parts of England Wordsworth and local independence Roads, railways and Hardy’s Dorset The Mayor of Casterbridge, Weydon-Priors and Budmouth 25 27 32 37 41 3 Ruralism and Provincialism in the Victorian Novel: North and South Ruralism Ruralism and the provincial novel George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell: provincial novelists Hampshire, ruralism and Tess 50 51 60 69 76 4 Ruralism and Provincialism in the Victorian Novel: East and West The westward look Dickens a