Thomas Hardy was born in a village near Dorchester, Dorset, in 1840. He trained as an Architect and pursued this to 1874 when he wrote his novel Far From The Madding Crowd which was successful and allowed hardy to devote himself to writing he continued writing novels till 1895 when he gave up fiction as he latest novel Jude The Obscure was condemned in reviews as an immoral attack on the institution of marriage. He then devoted the rest of this life to poetry and died in 1928.
On the western circuit is one of many short stories Hardy wrote, in fact this story was published in a collection of stories called Life's Little Ironies. The story centres on Salisbury which is given the fictional name of Melchester. The names and settings all based on Dorchester or the countryside where Hardy grew up. .
Hardy's interest in Architecture is reflected throughout the story with detailed accounts of buildings given. E.g. "most homogeneous pile of mediaeval architecture in England." .
The time of Hardy's writing is reflected in language used. He used language known as Archaic which is a style associated with pre-twentieth century fiction. E.g. edifice, hereunder and juxtaposed. The language used is emotive and figurative. The story is told by an omniscient author who tells the story from all points. The story is told using long integrate sentences some with lists and short sentences. E.g. steam-engine, horses, mirrors, trumpets, drums, cymbals.
The themes of the story are typical of most of Hardy's fiction which presents rather bleak view of human life, focusing on the ironies and suffering of life and love. The theme of disappoint meant in marriage is strongly stressed throughout the story with Mrs Harnham and Charles both unhappy in their marriages. The story follows the line of Fare and deception and this is typical when Charles was deceived by Anna in the letters. .
Further themes in the story are themes in the story are social significance and culture and this is stressed in the difference between Anna and Charles.