Industrialization and Rural Decline

• The country was changing under the pressure of a developing technological and industrial society.
• The railways were seen as a symbol of 'Progress', changing forever ancient patterns of country life.
• The building of railways made great changes to the landscape.
• Hardy was dismayed by the impact of capitalism on rural communities.
• Hardy used the phenomenon of the railways as a symbol of time and progress, seeing it turning like time itself, inexorably onwards, crushing everything human in its path.