Certain Existentialistic Views in Selected Works by Thomas Hardy.
... will find out about her adulterous relationship with Wildeve. Because of this Mrs. Yeobright walks away with a broken heart, thinking that her son does not want to have any dealings with her. On her way home she died of heat stroke and a bite from an adder. Eustacia was not aware of the consequences of her actions. Since she did not answer the door she indirectly contributed to Mrs. Yeobright’s death(293; Book 4 ch. 6). There is also an example of chance and circumstance from “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”. Tess wanted to help her family out at almost any cost. When her family was in need of money she decided to venture out and visit a distant relative who was wealthy. Alex Stokes was her supposed relative. However, when she went there he took more interest in helping himself to her, rather than helping her family. She was raped by Alex and eventually had his child. Her child, Sorrow, later died of sickness(120; ch.4). All this grief that afflicted her for the rest of her life was brought upon her by the one chance she took. Another example is when Tess tried to explain what had happened when she was younger in a letter to him. She slipped the letter on his door so he could see it when he awakened from his nights rest. However, the note was slipped under the rug and therefore when he woke up he did not see the letter (180; ch.6). In “Far from the Madding Crowd” Fanny Robin was going to marry Frank Troy. On the day that the ceremony was supposed to take place Fanny arrived at the wrong church and she waited for Frank to get there. When she finally figured out something was wrong she asked if that was the right church, however she was informed that it was not. She rushed to the other church, but as she got there Frank was coming out. They did not get married because he thought she did not love him enough to be there on time(110; ch 10). This is a great example of chance and circumstance. Fanny just happened to go to the wrong church, which in the end, ruined the rest of her life. The double standard is a great example of destructive societal values. There are many examples to illustrate this in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”. After Tess and Angel Clare get married they were in a fanciful house. They were both sitting close to the fire and Angel told Tess he had something to confess to her. Angel said that he had a lover while he was traveling at one point. They had sexual relations. She forgave him and told him that she still loved him. Tess then felt obligated to tell Angel about Alex and her departed child. When she told Angel he got enraged. Both of these characters had the same sin and both them wished it would have never happened. However, Angel holds Tess more accountable for her sin (250; ch. 8). The double standard also plays a role in “The Return of the Native”. When Clym finds out about the affair between Eustaci...