Hardy approves of smuggling in The Distracted Preacher. Legally smugglers are to be penalized but every one ignores the law in The Distracted Preacher. Lizzy says, “it has been their practice for generations and they think it no harm.” “My husband used to know of their doings so did my father.” This goes to show that people were used to stealing so everyone did it. Also it has been their practice for generations. Their ancestors used to steal so they do not see any harm in stealing. Even though smuggling is punishable by law Hardy thought that it should be tolerated as he came from Dorset, where it was a kind of tradition in these parts of England.
Great writers like Hardy perceive things differently in the society from other people. Hardy’s views about the injustice of the law are evident in The Distracted Preacher. Hardy was of the opinion that smuggling should be tolerated and that the laws about smuggling should not really be enforced as he came from Dorset where this undesirable practice was in full bloom and people indulged in them to earn their livelihood. Lizzy says, “My father did it, and so did my grandfather, and almost everybody in Nether-Moynton lives by it, and live would be so dull if it wasn’t for that, that I should not care to live at all.” In The Distracted Preacher one night the custom men take hold of the liquor but they are ambushed on their way back to the city. They are tied to trees by the villagers and they get all the alcohol back from them. This is a clear instance of Hardy’s attitude towards smuggling at that time. Hardy writes about the working class and believes that they should not be punished by the law for smuggling goods through which the working class can earn their food.
Hardy deals with the phenomenon of hanging in The Withered Arm. Mrs Lodge has a withered arm and she is willing to go to any lengths to get her arm cured. She is advised by Conjuror Trendle to go to Holmstoke and “… touch with the limb the neck of a man who’s been hanged.” After this remedy suggested by the Conjuror Trendle, Mrs Lodge prays, “O Lord, hang some guilty or innocent person soon!” This shows that many people were executed even though they were innocent. Also the executioner tells Mrs Lodge that the boy being hanged “Was at the wrong place and at the wrong time.” Which proves the fact that people were put to death despite the fact that they were innocent. The boy hanged in The Withered Arm was innocent but was found guilty and then hanged without any evidence.
Furthermore the Victorian age did not bother to take into consideration the age of the culprit being hanged. In The Withered Arm the executioner says, “the boy was very young.” One can see that in most of Hardy’s stories the characters sufferer terribly in a cruel uncaring world. They are caught up in such situations, which they have no control of. Hardy describes in The Withered Arm how people went to the hangings like a fair, “the hang fair.” People covered long distances to watch the hanging scenes. Many people went to the hangings, “Spectators had gathered,” and “multitudes of babble of their voices”. Many people go as we go to the cinemas.
Hardy always shows his main characters to be in distress in his stories. The characters in his stories suffer for no fault of theirs. Hardy believes that there is a malignant power present in nature which is out to thwart and hinder what made has proposed to do. His main characters are the victims of fate.
Hardy was conscious of his poor class origins and modest education. The awareness to social rank and class difference in the society remained with him throughout his life and is present in his writings. Many of his stories are about the harmful effects of the idea of class system and social position.
In The Son’s Veto Sophie’s son treats her mother as if she is disrespectful, worthless and is irritated by her. She speaks in a strong dialect and her son corrects her “Has, dear mother - not have!’ exclaimed the public schoolboy, with an impatient fastidiousness that was almost harsh.” The child is annoyed to keep correcting his mother. Sophie was a parlourmaid who married the vicar for a social taboo. He knew that he had ‘committed social suicide’. So he decided to move to the city an anonymous place. So in the 19th Century young women married older men. Sophie is 19 and the vicar is 40. This age difference between the two sexes was totally acceptable in the 19th Century England. Sophie cannot get married without the permission of her son. “Sam Hobson has asked me to marry him, sir”. This shows how much dependent she is on her son who veto’s her request. The Son’s Veto bitterly discusses class distinction prejudice and snobbery in the society. The son is a real snob and only cares about “ a few thousand wealthy and fitted people.”
Hardy tale Absent Mindedness in a Parish Choir shows his ability for comedy. The squire and his band go to sleep during a church service and after waking up think that they are playing for a village dance. Hardy pokes fun on the squire and says, “ he was a wickedish man”. Such ridiculous behaviour on the part of the squire and his band is absolutely unpardonable.
A preacher is supposed to be a role model of what he preaches. He is required to practise what he preaches but that is not what we find in The Distracted Preacher. Mr Stockdale falls in love with Miss Newbury who is dealing in illegal transfer of goods. Mr Stockdale despite being a minister sacrifices his duty for his love and condones her illegal activities.
Farmer Lodges unfair behaviour to women is evident in The Withered Arm. He has a sexual relation with Rhoda Brooks but never marries her. On the other hand he marries Gertrude Lodge who is beautiful and young. This fact degrades Framer Lodge in the eyes of the reader.
Hardy has a much deeper insight into women’s characters than into men’s characters. He does not always portray the world as he finds it but sometimes he portrays it as he wants to see it. Women in Hardy’s stories suffer terrible injustices and are not given their rights in the society. They are important to men as for as their features are concerned. They are totally dependent on men. They cannot take their own decisions without the help of men. This is what we see in Tony Kytes the Arch Deceiver promises to Milly Richards that he is going to marry her but the moment he sees Unity Sallet he forgets Milly and begins to entertain Unity Sallet but after that Tony deserts even Unity Sallet for Hannah Jolliver. This ridiculous behaviour on the part of Tony shows what attitude the Victorian men had towards the Victorian women. We can also see the dependency of women on men regarding marriage in The Son’s Veto Sophie is Twycott’s mother. Sophie is a widow but she wants to marry Sam Hobson. “Sam Hobson has asked me to marry him, sir” this is what she tells her son. She calls him ‘sir’. She is absolutely dependent on her son’s decision regarding her second marriage with Sam Hobson. A son is supposed to obey his mother and listen to her directions and advices as for as some of the important decisions are concerned but we see in The Son’s Veto that Sophie cannot marry without her son’s permission.
Hardy’s characters are shown to pass through different phases of their lives in his stories. The circumstances in Hardy’s stories are more powerful then the characters. Rhoda Brooks is a classic example of the unfairness with which is subjected. She had an illegitimate child because of which she was made an outcast. This also led to rumours of her being a witch. Rhoda has been abandoned by Farmer Lodge even though he fathered her a child. This goes to show how women were ill-treated in the 19th Century England. “Now then, what the Turk do it matter to us about Farmer Lodge’s age, or Farmer Lodge’s new mis’ess?” A woman can get nothing more insulting from a man as having an illegitimate child and this is what Rhoda Brooks is forced to have in the 19th Century England. Gertrude fears that she will not be loved by her husband if he comes to know about her withered arm and her fears are right. The farmer stops loving her when he learns of her disfigured arm. She brings him no child and fails as a wife.
Hardy deals with different types of injustices in The Withered Arm and other Wessex Tales. The injustices suffered by the characters are of different nature and are well put together. Some people are hanged for no fault of theirs but nobody cares. When there is no fair distribution of wealth in the society so many evils arise. Some people are very rich others are very poor in as much as poor people are forced to adopt illegal methods of earning their livelihood. Smuggling is one of the vices that 19th Century England had to face. Some of the main characters are shown to be actively involved in smuggling. In Hardy’s stories women are usually more important than men. Happiness is an occasional episode for them in the long drama of pain of their lives. The women characters in The Wessex tales always are the ones who suffer the most. They are treated like toys by men and are valued for their beauty and not for their characters. They are totally dependent on men and have to listen to even their son’s when they are faced some important decisions of their lives. Hardy puts together all these ideas in skilful way for the readers and this makes The Wessex tales gripping and interesting.