[Hardy-l] Kittens

[Jackie Wilkinson]

Regarding the question raised sometime previously as to whether Hardy's
other 'created' children are similar to little Jude. Last night I read
'Hardy's Subterranean Child', an article by U. C. Knoepflmacher in 'Thomas
Hardy Reappraised' in which he discusses the role of the boy in 'The
Withered Hand' short story and I was fascinated to detect a similar 'age
masquerading as youth' referred to as being one of the boy's qualities in
that story. Knoepflmacher writes: 'The boy's atomizing gaze resembles that
of a male adult, as mesmerized by the particulars of female beauty as the
narrator of Tess.'
It was interesting to note, quite accidentally by the way, the presence of
age masquerading as youth - or youth masquerading as age -  in sources other
than 'Jude the Obscure'.
Jacky Wilkinson