Abstract: Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was a remarkable English novelist and poet in the 19th century. He understood the nature with organic point of view, so the natural world in his novel is magic, beautiful and full of spirits, which is a living existence of human equality. He cherished the tradition, loved nature and emphasized the relationship between man and nature. Facing the invasion of capitalist civilization, he showed the great concern and worry, and criticized its harmful influences on man and nature. His ecological humanistic ideas of pursuing for integrity, harmony and kindness would be discovered in Tess of The D’Urbervilles and The Return of The Native. In this essay I will first introduce Hardy's natural view in general, and then I will further illustrate how his natural view is integrated into and mixed with his novel through some case studies and the introduction of usage of symbol and the conflict between human beings and the nature in his masterpieces.
Key Words: Thomas Hardy; Natural view; Symbol; Imagism
Introduction 1
1. Hardy’s Natural View 1
1.1 Nature Is a Magical World with Full of Vitality 2
1.2 Nature Is Unconcerned about Human 2
1.3 Nature Is Hostile to Human 3
2. The Esthetic Character of Symbol 4
2.1 The Symbolic Significance of Color 4
2.2 The Symbolic Significance of Natural Scene 4
2.3 The Symbolic Significance of Animals and Plants 5
3. Hardy's Natural Eco-humanist View 7
3.1 The Description of Conflict in Hardy's Novels 7
3.2The Natural Eco-humanist View 9
4. Conclusion 9
Bibliography 12