Thomas Hardy a pessimist or a realist?

Answer

Would you call Hardy a pessimist? Justify your answer with reference to Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

Or, Discuss Hardy’s pessimistic view is evident in Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

Or, Would you call Thomas Hardy a pessimist or a realist? Give reasons for your answer in the light of Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

Or, Do you like to consider Hardy a pessimist? If so, argue.

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) is often called a pessimist because his novels end in sadness and suffering. But many critics also call him a realist, because he shows life as it truly is. In “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” (1891), Hardy shows both these sides. He does show pain, death, and injustice—but not because he enjoys sadness. He writes about these things to show how cruel life and society can be, especially to innocent people like Tess.

Hardy as a Pessimist: Tess’s Life is Full of Suffering

Tess is a good and pure-hearted girl. But from the beginning, her life is full of troubles. She never gets the happiness she deserves. Cruel fate always works against her. Tess’s parents send her to the nearby d’Urberville family to seek help. But this only leads her to Alec. Alec rapes her and ruins her life.

Later at Talbothays Dairy, Tess finds love in Angel Clare. But even this ends in sadness. On their wedding night, she tells him the truth about her tragic past. But Angel cannot forgive her. He thinks Tess is not a pure woman anymore. He thinks Tess is not the same woman he married—

“You were one person; now you are another.”

Though Tess is only a victim of rape, Angel leaves her. This shows how even good things in Tess’s life turn into pain. Even at the end, Tess kills Alec and is hanged. This long line of tragedies makes many readers feel that Hardy is a pessimist. Hardy seems to believe that fate is always cruel and life ends in sadness. As he writes about