Thomas Hardy is often regarded as a transitional writer. Some critics believe that he is emotionally traditional and intellectually advanced. How do you understand this idea?

Thomas Hardy is often regarded as a transitional writer. Some critics believe that he is emotionally traditional and intellectually advanced. How do you understand this idea?

A.In Hardy's novel, there is an apparent nostalgic touch in his description of the simple and beautiful though primitive rural life, which was gradually declining and disappearing in England at the time. He is always sympathetic with those traditional characters and mourns over their failure and misfortune.
B.On the other hand, he was greatly influenced by Darwin's theory of"survival of the fittest",and other modem philosophical thoughts, which led to the pessimistic determinism or naturalism in fiction. The naturalistic tendency is apparent in all his later works.