It is partly true to say that this research was born out of personal admiration for Thomas Hardy as a novelist. Like many fans of Hardy, I have the belief that Hardy is a main component of the English cultural heritage. For me, Hardys novels have always touched a sensitive nerve. I have always been impressed by the diversity of his literary production and the way he handled his different subject matters. So many times, I thought about a unifying theme or number of themes that could well accommodate this prolific production. In other words, the diversity of Hardys literary production inspired...