OnThomasHardy英语论文文档格式.docx
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Ⅰ.BackgroundofThomasHardy
ThomasHardy(1840-1928)isoneofthegreatestEnglishpoetandnovelistbetweenthe18thCenturyandthe20thcentury(Victorianperiod).Hardyisfamousforhisdepictionsoftheimaginarycounty“Wessex”.Hardyisacross-centuryliterarygiant.SuccesshasmaskedtheWessexnovelsleftaprofoundimpression.Hardy’sworkreflectedhisstoicalpessimismandsenseoftragedyinhumanlife.(womenespecially),andofdeepchangesofsocialeconomy,politics,ethicandcustomaftertheinvasionofcapitalismintotheEnglishcountrysideandtowns.Theyexposedthehypocrisiesofthecapitalisticethics,lawandreligion,whichinheritedtheexcellenttraditionofrealisticcriticismaswellasexploitedaroadforEnglishliteratureinthe20thcentury.HardykeptcrackingtragediesofGreekandShakespearewithallhislife,andwasinfluencedbytheskepticismofneotericscientificideology,sothathisopiniontowardslifewaspessimisticandfated,andhethoughtthatonmatterwhatkindofdegreehumansocietyhaddeveloped,humanbeingwereunabletogetridofthetricks,coincidenceswereeverywhere,nature’stingesuffusedaround,environmentservedasafoiltotheroles,andtheroles’charactersweremixedupwiththeenvironment.Thesewereingenuitiesexertedbythewriter,inaddition,Hardyhadworkedasanarchitectinhisearlytime,sohisworkswerewrittenwithastylethatcouldberelishedagainandagain.Thescenarios,charactersandsceneriesofHardy’sworksweresofine,perfect,compactandharmonicthatfewwriterscouldcompetewithhim.
Ⅱ.ThomasHardy’sReligiousBeliefs
2.1Profile
LikesomanyothermajorVictorianauthors,onhisearlystage,ThomasHardyhadanimportantEvangelicalphasethatleftadeepimpressonhisthought.Examiningthetextofasermonclearlymarkedby“Evangelicalstyleandtheology”thattheeighteen-year-oldHardywrote,wecanconcludesthatitprovidesconvincingevidenceofHardy’salreadybeingsympathetictoEvangelicalismbyOctober1858,histakingsufficientlyseriouslyhisso-called“dream”ofordinationtopracticewritingasermon,and,mostsignificantly,hishavingapersonalfaiththatwasbothardentandorthodox”.Thisnewevidenceprovesimportantbecauseitrequiresrewritingthehistoryofthenovelist’sreligiousbelieforbeliefs.
ThomasHardyusedtobeanarchitect’sapprenticeinDorchester.Atthisstage,HardystudiedintensivelyontheBibleandfurtherinquiredintoAnglicandoctrineonpedobaptism.
2.2DetailedResearch
Althoughonehisoldestfriends,HenryBastow,anardentBaptistwhoemigratedtoAustralia,longagoclaimedthatinHardyhadbeenanEvangelical,scholarshavegenerallydismissedhisremarks,largelyonthebasisoftheautobiography.[Www.LunWenN]“theHardyofLifeandWork”presentshis“youthfulfaithasgentlemanlyandunimpassioned,moresocialthatreligious,andfundamentallydifferentfromtheEvangelical—indeedevangelistic—zealembodiedinthesermon.ThisHardypresumablyneverunderwentaclassicVictorianlossoffaithbecauseheneverhadasustained,personalfaithtolose”.Thenewevidencepaintsaverydifferentpicture.
CitingTimothyHand’s1989“notablebookonHardyandChristianity,”Dalzielliststhenovelist’slifelongconnectionstotheorthodoxChristianityhewassoontoabandon:
(1)Hisfamily’sassociationswiththeestablishedchurch;
(2)HislifelongloveofchurchmusicandthelanguageoftheBibleandtheBookofCommonPrayer;
(3)Hiscontinuedattendingreligiousservices;
(4)Hispoetry’soccasionalexpressionlongingforbelief(e.g.“TheOxen”);
(5)HisconvictionthattheChurchwas—andshouldremain—thesocial,ethical,andeducationalcenterofacommunity.
DespitetheselifelongconnectionswiththeChurchofEngland—connectionsmuchfirmerandmorenumerousthanmostVictorianauthorswholosttheirbelief—“HardyrepeatedlyarticulatedbothhisconvictionthattheCauseofThingsmustbeunconscious,‘neithermoralnorimmoral,butunmoral,’andhishopethatthisUnconscious,Willwasevolvingintoconsciousnesswouldultimatelybecomesympathetic”.Nonetheless,DalzielarguesthathoweverfarHardymovedfromhisEvangelicalsermonof1858,itsthreemainpointsremainthe“centralpreoccupations”ofhislife:
theemphasis”onthelawascurse,onsuffering,andonthesavingforceoflove”.ShethereforearguesthatHardytheatheistremained”profoundlyChristian”inmanyways.
However,therearesomequestionremains.Ifoneretainssomeofthecultural,emotional,andevenethicalattitudesofChristianity,assomanyVictoriannon-believersdid,butdoesnothaveanyfaithinapersonalgod,muchlessinthedivinityofChristandsalvationthroughhim,cantheseattitudesstillbeconsideredChristian?
Wouldn’titbelesstendentiousandalotmoreconvincing