HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE H03049 6/4/03 "FFMC AND LITERARY CONVENTION--PART 2"
=======================================================================

From: DMSECK@aol.com
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2003 16:33:10 EDT
Subject: Re: FFTMC and Literary Conventions

Rosemarie:

Please forgive this delayed "thank you" for your response to my question on literary convention. Your information, as well as the considerable scholarly input from the forum, present and past, is quite helpful. I did, by the way, cite your observation of Oak's "vanity"in his concern over facial distortion due to flute playing.

I look forward to gaining insight on Hardy as I continue to write and research papers on his literary work. I have much to study and read!

Respectfully,
Donna Seckrater

==========

Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2003 02:44:58 -0400
From: Rosemarie Morgan <rosemarie.morgan@yale.edu>
Subject: Re: FFTMC and Literary Conventions


Thanks Donna-- I forgot to mention (did I?) that as Oak acquires money and
status in taking over Boldwood's estate (budding capitalist-- I claim) so he
becomes' Quite the dand" according to the local community. Dand being "Dandy"
of course. There is a small criticism of this in the accompanying remark (as
far as I can remember it)- that he still peels his own potatoes. This would
have been looked down upon in this rural Victorian (paradigmatic) society
where
anyone coming into money employs (or should) someone else to do work for them
-- just as a matter of course. Giles Winterborne in W employs a
"second-in-command" (can't recall name right now) -- this wd be considered the
moral duty of anyone earning a reasonable income. Oak fails though-- in this
respect and this may account for TH's move to have Oak emigrate to the
goldmines/goldrush of California. Money Bags. Initially Oak was going to
emigrate to British Coliumbia (ms version) where he would have become a fur
trapper probably. Not nearly so much money in that and also the "animal rights
" question might have bothered Hardy. Anyway-- he changed Oak's destination to
California --

Best
R

==========