trying to be a bit like Thomas Hardy -- Some Let Me Make You

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Date Posted: 17:25:52 03/20/01 Tue
Author: luke
Subject: trying to be a bit like Thomas Hardy

It was considered fortunate Victor had not inherited his father's most conspicuous vices, penchants for drinking and gambling. That is not to say that he was without character faults, it was just that they were less prone to categorisation and condemnation. Like his father, Victor had always taken pride in regarding his faults as virtues. Unlike with his father, society had, until then, generally let Victor alone with his mild delusions. When his father learnt from doctors that his liver would probably be the death of him, he patted his sweaty abdomen and nodded with satisfaction, almost as if he had been vindicated. He acted as if the results had confirmed what he and his liver had known all along and highlighted the brave sacrifice they both were prepared to make for the higher cause of whisky. When Victor lied brazenly as a child, he won chastisement tinged with wonder and admiration. "It can not be denied," people would say "that boy certainly has a boundless imagination." This only encouraged him further. "Oh!" people would laugh at the uninitiated "Don't believe a word of that. You'll learn to take Victor's words with a pinch of salt at all times." People did not bewail his dishonesty because, as a result of his youth and more by chance than by design, his lies had not seriously hurt anyone yet.

Victor had a clear picture of who he was, what that meant and how it justified each of his actions. He felt that people would never and could never understand him. Since others would always see him as something other than what he was, what was the point of trying in vain to portray himself accurately? Such was his reasoning. He endeavoured instead to paint false pictures and baffle his peers so that at least people's misconceptions of him would be under his control.

He was quick to apologise and quick to accept apologies. "I don't keep grudges," he would say. He did keep grudges. He took revenge meticulously but often so subtly that the victim was scarcely aware of it. Victor was able to play such silly, vain games because he had an easy life, had nothing to fight for and had always been more loved than lover.

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[> and succeeding in being a bit like thomas hardy - a useful exercise. i'm not sure about 'penchants' used as a plural, and you do overreach a couple of other times, but there is some effective characterisation in this - i like the father patting his sweaty abdomen - but i think you are at your most effective when you do not use overly complicated language... as i have said before! -- si, 14:21:56 03/24/01 Sat

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[> The characterisation in this is excellent. You make it so easy to picture them and your reasoning behind Victors actions makes him all the more interesting. He seems a little condemned as a person towards the end. I dont think that the language is too overly complicated, I think it adds to the tone of the characters. -- james, 16:40:44 03/27/01 Tue

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[> from what i remember reading of Thomas Hardy this is really quite like it. i dont like the final paragraph though but i dont think i have any real reasons behind it. i like the first couple of lines especially and i love the way the father is dealt with. -- zeina, 11:44:11 04/07/01 Sat

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