Thomas Hardy’s World
The English Department at Gettysburg College offers this comprehensive site devoted to Thomas Hardy's life, works, and influences. Click on Contexts and go to a subject that interests you to read about Hardy's connection to it. In what ways are your beliefs and interests different or similar to Hardy's? Record your thoughts in the Web Links Activity Log.

Photographic Tour of Hardy Country
Take a tour of the county of Dorset, England, Thomas Hardy's lifelong home and the landscape for much of his fictional world. Why do you think he used this small English county as the backdrop for so many of his works? Can you think of any modern poets, filmmakers, authors, or musicians who have immortalized their own towns in a similar fashion? Make a list of three, the geographical areas they bring to life, and how they do so.

Returning American Vet Meets Family of Man He Killed in WWII
Go to this site to read the story of Maury Williams, an American soldier in World War II who found himself in the same position as Hardy's narrator in "The Man He Killed"-save one huge detail. Williams actually tracked down and made peace with the family of the man he killed. Do Williams and Hardy's soldier resemble each other in their feeling about war? Prepare a short oral report introducing these men, comparing their experiences, and describing each one's feelings about "the man he killed." Conclude your presentation by putting yourself in the soldiers' shoes and imagining what you would do if faced with the same situation.