Symbolism in Hardy`S Novel

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Tikrit University Journal for Humanities Vol. (16) No. (1) January (2009) Symbolism in Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native Faisal Abdul Wahhab Hayder M.A. Tikrit University Abstract Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928) was contemporary with the critical events of two centuries; the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. In this period modernism has been initiated, developed and reached its peak. Though Hardy is considered a modernist poet and writer related to his style, technique, kind of narration, and literary approach, he seems to be subtly anti-modernist in his sixth novel The Return of The Native due to his alignment with his characters who resemble symbolically anti-modernist point of view. Hardy's bias against modernism is obvious through his consciousness of the shortcomings of modernism which is described by his statement "the ache of modernism". This novel is leaving a wide room for symbolic interpretation according to the writer's metaphorical language and his great intellectual background. His narration is crowded with symbols derived from the historical, mythological, and religious allusions. The most important symbols are: Egdon Heath, Rainbarrow, Bonfire, Wind and Storm, The moon, Eye sight, Gambling, and Paris. Hardy's characters tend to be symbolic rather than realistic especially for Clym Yeobright, Eustacia Vye, and Diggory Venn. This paper reveals the major symbols of the novel and studies them due to the basic theme of modernism and the other themes as well. The Return of the Native is a typical representative of Hardy's style "as critics have pointed out for sometime, Hardy's most instinctive mode as a writer is figurative, not analytic; 1 Symbolism in Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native Faisal Abdul Wahhab Hayder His most habitual method is symbolism, not argument."(1) The poetic language
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