In Hardy's Return of the Native it would seem that the characters live in a world that is harsh and that God does not intervene on anyone's behalf...ever. He would seem to be pointing out, in fact, that if there is a God that he/she must be unjust, unwilling, morally blinded, and given to allowing suffering to persist in the world. Chance and change would seem to be the two major influences on all of the characters.
