The Mayor Of Casterbridge is an example of Realism, as are most of Thomas Hardy’s other books. Victorian Realism is primarily concerned with depicting life realistically and faithfully in the time in which the novel is set. This is achieved with great attention to detail, examples of local color and idiom, and social interactions that look like the ones readers contemporaneous to the author might have had. Thomas Hardy is often referenced as being one of the key figures in this genre, as his many novels all address social and political issues important to the era in which he lived—and they do so in an accurate, truthful way. Although it incorporates elements of several other literary genres, including elements of both Romanticism and Modernism, this novel primarily depicts the trials of everyday life in rural England in a way intended to accurately illustrate them for the reader.
The novel also fits into the "psychological" genre of Victorian fiction, as it explores the interior thoughts and motivations of the people in the story. Rather than just narrating the plot and giving sensory descriptions, Hardy digs into the psyche of his characters to explain why they behave in the ways they do. Before the 1800s, writers didn’t spend nearly as much time developing the inner worlds of characters, but Thomas Hardy’s books are largely built around these character studies. These intense depictions of feelings and perceptions make the novels very sympathetic and provocative, as the reader gets to “know” the people in the book as their stories progress. This technique also allows the author to comment on the way everyday life affects people intellectually and emotionally.
