Introduction
Chapter 1 Ecocriticism and Hardy's Ecological Thoughts
1.1 An Overview of Ecocriticism
1.2 Hardy's Ecological Thoughts
Chapter 2 Spirit of Place: Hardy's Depiction of the Natural Environment
2.1 The Quiet Pastoral Setting in Far from the Madding Crowd
2.2 Symbolic Sense of Nature in Tess of the D'Urbervilles
2.3 Nature as an Independent Entity in The Return of the Native
Chapter 3 Spirit of Place: The Relationship between Hardy's People and Nature
3.1 Characters Close to Nature
3.2 Characters Alienated from Nature
3.3 Characters Returning to Nature
Chapter 4 Spirit of Place: Hardy's Influence on Other British Ecological Novels Exemplified by Rebecca
4.1 The Natural World in Rebecca
4.2 The Human World in Rebecca
Conclusion
References
Appendices
Afterword
