In Tony Kytes, the Arch-Deceiver’, Thomas Hardy writes about the perils of love. Explore how the story deals with the attractions and dangers that women hold for men.

        The story is set in the Eighteen hundreds and the people would have behaved and would have had very different social attitudes in comparison to people today. Nowadays our view on social relationships is perfectly acceptable and is the every day norm. For example it is seen in everyday life that a married man can be associated with a married women and nothing more can be said.      

        It is due to the fickle and indecisive nature of Tony Kytes that potentially brings him face to face with many dangerous situations.

        Many examples of the potentially dangerous situations can be found at different points throughout the story. A particularly sound example of this is when Tony Kytes is in conversation with Unity Sallet and he sees Milly Richards coming towards them.    

        ‘Tisn’t true that it is all settled between her and me’

The quote shows Tony Kytes feelings about the women he loves that quickly changes. I think that it is a particularly good representation of the flighty nature of Tony Kytes, it is the physical attractions of the women that undoubtedly could be very dangerous because at the time he was engaged to another and he says to Unity that he and Milly are not    . That kind of behaviour in those days was judged as being unacceptable.