Boyhood (1840-1856)
sion of the moment; he became both introspective and critical when he should have lost all consciousness of himself in play or jest. He was forced to paint in for himself a mental background of superiority; this naturally tended to induce a sense of detachment from the "inferiority" of his fellows—and tended to constitute, in itself, a kind of complex of inferiority; for the boy was thus alone, and lonely.
It is important to realize this aspect of Hardy’s childhood, for it both determined and symbolized the mood of analytical detachment coupled with sympathetic appreciation and pity which was later on to characterize his whole artistic attitude. It provides a key to at least a partial understanding of his enviable mental equipment as a transcriber of life.
At the age of eight, the boy was registered as a pupil in the Dorchester primary school. It has already been indicated that this school was originally founded by one of his Sixteenth Century Dorset ancestors, Thomas Hardy of Melcombe Eegis. Thither, at any rate, Hardy journeyed every day for a period of six years. The instruction he received was meagre enough, according to all accounts. At one time during his stay, there were no more than four pupils attending besides himself.
Of these mediocre opportunities, the youngster failed to reap any consequential advantages whatever. He turned out to be a "backward" boy, partially indolent, partially uninterested, impatient and intolerant of the extremely elementary information which the equally uninterested and harassed master attempted to impart. His mother, worried by his reluctance in progressing
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