Exploration and Post-Darwinian Anxiety in Thomas Hardy's Two on a Tower

Abstract

Abstract I examine Hardy's use of astronomical imagery in his novel Two on a Tower (1882), and draw a parallel between exploration of the unknown universe and of unknown areas of the Earth during the height of Imperial expansion. The fear, both physical and psychical, associated with such exploration is illustrated by references to Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The relationship between Darwin's theories and late Victorian ideas of the primitive, is discussed with reference to Swithin St Cleeve's journey to the southern hemisphere to suggest that threats to traditional certainties may be countered by an increase in reason and knowledge, and moral certainty by an acceptance of the possibility of change. I suggest that Hardy challenges the view that science and human experience are irreconcilable, and that in Two on a Tower he shows that progress depends on the synthesis of 'heart' and 'mind.'