"nature",both inside and outside.The outside nature-the natural environment or Nature himselfis shown as some mysterious supernatural force,very powerful but impulsive and uncaring to the individual will,hope,passion and suffering.Man proves impotent before Fate.No matter how hard he tries,he seldom escapes his ordained destiny.This pessimistic view of life predominates most of his works and earns him a reputation as a naturalistic writer. Though naturalism plays an important part in some of his works,Hardy is never far away from the real and the existing society.Most of his works are devoted to a realistic presentation of life,and there is often bitter and sharp criticism and even open defiance of the wicked,hypocritical and corrupted Victorian institution. III.His position on the history of English Literature Thomas Hardy is one of the most important novelists in the 5 Victorian Era and the first important poet in the 20th century.In many respects,Hardy was trapped in the middle ground between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,between Victorian sensibilities and more modern ones,and between tradition and innovation. IV.Novel “nature”, both inside and outside. The outside nature—the natural environment or Nature himself—is shown as some mysterious supernatural force, very powerful but impulsive and uncaring to the individual will, hope, passion and suffering. Man proves impotent before Fate. No matter how hard he tries, he seldom escapes his ordained destiny. This pessimistic view of life predominates most of his works and earns him a reputation as a naturalistic writer. Though naturalism plays an important part in some of his works, Hardy is never far away from the real and the existing society. Most of his works are devoted to a realistic presentation of life, and there is often bitter and sharp criticism and even open defiance of the wicked, hypocritical and corrupted Victorian institution. III. His position on the history of English Literature Thomas Hardy is one of the most important novelists in the Victorian Era and the first important poet in the 20th century. In many respects, Hardy was trapped in the middle ground between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, between Victorian sensibilities and more modern ones, and between tradition and innovation. IV. Novel 5’