[Hardy-l] Father Time

[Jackie Wilkinson]

Thanks for that, Carolyn, Kevin, and all,

The more I read of Father Time, and I have devoted much time recently to
exploring him and reading work related to him, the more I see something
similar to what you are describing, but, and I know this may go against the
grain for some forum members, I believe Father Time represents so many
aspects of Hardy's own persona and experience. FT can be perceived as
Hardy's novelistic muse tired of fighting a prudish censorship, or his lack
of faith - or Christian faith, and even connected with Hardy's sense of loss
for the child he never had, which is perhaps why he has no name - certainly
Father Time is NOT his name, it is only the name by which people identify
him. I need to make it plain that I do not think that he is entirely
metaphorical, but, just as in a surrealist painting one sees the
subject/object 'but not as we know it' (to coin a phrase from a well-known
series), so one sees FT. I am reminded too of those critics who write of
novels which lack a proper mother figure, and here Hardy's novel/s lack/s a
'child figure', or at any rate the one we see is a 'presence' and in this
sense  metaphorical or symbolic. 

I feel I am drifting away somewhat here from my original view of FT which I
still adhere to, and that in trying to explain him he is becoming more
elusive than ever. It is interesting to note that it would appear that in
the main each of us sees him in the light of our own beliefs or lack of
them. The one thing I cannot go along with is that he is in some way similar
to Gabriel Oak, and I do appreciate the fact that Gabriel Oak may be
perceived as a representation of certain characteristics or even a religious
typological figure. No, Father Time is something completely different - at
least for me.

Jacky Wilkinson

PhD researcher

Lancaster

 

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