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Hanging, Punishment and Justice in the Works of Thomas Hardy
A Lecture by Mark Chutter
Thursday 2nd June at 7pm at Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum
The heavily pregnant Fanny Robin struggles to climb the steps to the Casterbridge Workhouse. Tess waits at Stonehenge for her arrest and punishment ,there is no going back for ‘The Ruined Maid‘ or the convict at the Railway Station, Upway. Eustacia Vye drowns because of a society that is unable to accept her sexuality both socially and psychologically and the water is simultaneously punishing and yet cleansing . Jude, Sue and the children are ‘obscured‘ because their needs are not visible to the eyes of the ruling class.
This is the world of Hardy – where characters are living on the margins of society in poverty – where they are punished and where there is little justice in a system that is both punitive and where the rich prevail -where capitalism oppresses and where there is no escape, no life and little future – as Tess exclaims to Angel with resigned acceptance of her fate ‘ have they come for me?’
Mark Damon Chutter is the Academic Director of the Thomas Hardy Society. He has published papers in the Thomas Hardy Society Journal and for the TES. He has been teaching for 25 years and has worked in middle leadership. Mark was shortlisted for both the ‘ TES’ ( Times Educational Supplement ) ‘ Most Innovative Teacher of the Year ‘ and ‘ Teacher of the Year’ respectively. He is president of the National Education Union for Dorset and is a committed socialist and a member of the Socialist Worker Party and Stand Up To Racism, Dorset. Mark is also a member of the Dorchester Civic Society and STAND.
Tickets are £6 and can be booked at: https://shirehalldorset.org/events/hanging-punishment-and-justice-in-the-works-of-thomas-hardy
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