TessoftheDUrbervilles.docx

TessoftheDUrbervilles.docx

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TessoftheDUrbervilles

Tess-of-the-D'Urbervilles

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Tessofthed'Urbervilles:

APureWomanFaithfullyPresented

Abouttheauthor

ThomasHardy,（2June1840–11January1928）wasanEnglishnovelistandpoet.AVictorianrealist,inthetraditionofGeorgeEliot,hewasalsoinfluencedbothinhisnovelsandpoetrybyRomanticism,especiallybyWilliamWordsworth.CharlesDickensisanotherimportantinfluenceonThomasHardy.LikeDickens,hewasalsohighlycriticalofmuchinVictoriansociety,thoughHardyfocusedmoreonadecliningruralsociety.

Writingfeatures

Hardy’swritingfeatureslieinhisdeterministstanceonthenatureoflifeandthecosmos,hissharpsenseofthehumorousandabsurdandhisloveandobservationofthenaturalworldwithstrongsymboliceffect.HedeviatesconsciouslyfromtraditionalVictorianrealismthatemphasizesplotmorethancharacterization.Itisdefinitelytohiscreditthathemanagestobringbacktofictionahighsenseoftragedy,theGreeksenseoffatality.What’smore,Hardyplacesemphasisonthedeeperpsychologyofhischaracters.Hardy’slanguagepossessesasilentpowerandcharm.

TessoftheD’Urbervilles

Tessofthed'Urbervilles:

APureWomanFaithfullyPresented,alsoknownasTessofthed'Urbervilles:

APureWoman,Tessofthed'UrbervillesorjustTess,isanovelbyThomasHardy,firstpublishedin1891.Itinitiallyappearedinacensoredandserializedversion,publishedbytheBritishillustratednewspaper,TheGraphic.ThoughnowconsideredanimportantworkofEnglishliterature,thebookreceivedmixedreviewswhenitfirstappeared,inpartbecauseitchallengedthesexualmoresofHardy'sday.TheoriginalmanuscriptisondisplayattheBritishLibrary,showingthatitwasoriginallytitled"Daughterofthed'Urbervilles."

ThestoryisaboutthetragicfateofTess.Tess,sentbyherparentstoclaimkindredwithamoreprosperousbranchoftheD’UrbervillesfamilyiscunninglyseducedbyAlec,whoseparentsbearthenameofD’Urbervilles,andhastoreturnhomeindisgrace.Tessgivesabirthtoachild,whichdiesafteranimprovisedmidnightbaptismbyitsmother.Later,whileworkingasadairymaidinTalbothaysinabeautifulsummer,shebecomesblissfullyengagedtoAngelClare,aclergyman’sson.OntheirweddingnightsheconfessestohimtheseductionbyAlec;andAngelalthoughhimselfnoinnocent,cruellyandhypocriticallyabandonsher.Misfortunescomeinbattalions.Tess’sfatherdiesandherfamilyisexpelledfromtheircottage.Tosupportherfamily,TessisdrivenbacktoAlec,whohasbecomeanitinerantpreacher,buthistemporaryreligiousconversiondoesnotpreventhimfrompersistentlypursuingher.Clare,returningfromBrazilandrepentingofhisharshness,findsherlivingwithAlec.MaddenedbyhissecondwrongthathasbeendoneherbyAlec,Tessstabsandkillshimtoliberateherself.AfterabriefhalcyonperiodofconcealmentwithClareintheNewForest,TessisarrestedatStonehenge,tired,andhanged.

Themes

Acheofmodernism

Hardy'swritingoftenillustratesthe"acheofmodernism",andthisthemeisnotableinTess,whichportrays"theenergyoftraditionalwaysandthestrengthoftheforcesthataredestroyingthem".Hardydescribesmodernfarmmachinerywithinfernalimagery;also,atthedairy,henotesthatthemilksenttothecitymustbewatereddownbecausethetownspeoplecannotstomachwholemilk.Angel'smiddle-classfastidiousnessmakeshimrejectTess,awomanwhomHardyoftenportraysasasortofWessexEve,inharmonywiththenaturalworld.WhenhepartsfromherandgoestoBrazil,thehandsomeyoungmangetssoillthatheisreducedtoa"mereyellowskeleton".Alltheseinstancesaretypicallyinterpretedasindicationsofthenegativeconsequencesofman'sseparationfromnature,bothinthecreationofdestructivemachineryandintheinabilitytorejoiceinpurenature.

Thesexualdoublestandard

AnotherimportantthemeofthenovelisthesexualdoublestandardtowhichTessfallsvictim;despitebeing,inHardy'sview,atrulygoodwoman,sheisdespisedbysocietyafterlosinghervirginitybeforemarriage.HardyplaystheroleofTess'sonlytruefriendandadvocate,pointedlysubtitlingthebook"apurewomanfaithfullypresented"andprefacingitwithShakespeare'swordsfromTheTwoGentlemenofVerona:

"Poorwoundedname!

Mybosomasabed/shalllodgethee."However,althoughHardyclearlymeanstocriticizeVictoriannotionsoffemalepurity,thedoublestandardalsomakestheheroine'stragedypossible,andthusservesasamechanismofTess'sbroaderfate.HardyvariouslyhintsthatTessmustsuffereithertoatoneforthemisdeedsofherancestors,ortoprovidetemporaryamusementforthegods,orbecauseshepossessessomesmallbutlethalcharacterflawinheritedfromtheancientclan.

Humansacrifice·Symbolism

Fromnumerouspaganandneo-Biblicalreferencesmadeabouther,TesshasbeenviewedvariouslyasanEarthgoddessorasasacrificialvictim.Earlyinthenovel,sheparticipatesinafestivalforCeres,thegoddessoftheharvest,andwhensheperformsabaptismshechoosesapassagefromGenesis,thebookofcreation,overmoretraditionalNewTestamentverses.Attheend,whenTe··ssandAngelcometoStonehenge,commonlybelievedinHardy'stimetobeapagantemple,shewillinglyliesdownonanaltar,thusfulfillingherdestinyasahumansacrifice.

ThissymbolismmayhelpexplainTessasapersonificationofnature–lovely,fecund,andexploitable–whileanimalimagerythroughoutthenovelstrengthenstheassociation.Examplesarenumerous:

Tess'smisfortunesbeginwhenshefallsasleepwhiledrivingPrincetomarket,thuscausingthehorse'sdeath;atTrantridge,shebecomesapoultry-keeper;sheandAngelfallsinloveamidcowsinthefertileFroomvalley;andontheroadtoFlintcombe-Ashe,shekillssomewoundedpheasantstoendtheirsuffering.Inanyevent,Tessemergesasacharacternotbecauseofthissymbolismbutbecause"Hardy'sfeelingsforTesswerestrong,perhapsstrongerthanforanyofhisotherinventedpersonages".

Myunderstanding

Thestoryrevealsthespiritofdeterministdefeatismandenforcesitsshibbolethofpredestination,andnoamountofhumaneffortcanalteritsdesignofdarkness.Tessisaparagonofinnocence.Whatsheasksforlifeissimpleenough:

tobelovedandhappy.Butshedoesnotgetitbecausesheisatthemerciesoftheoddsagainsther.Twomenmustappearinherlifetoconfuseanddistracther.Oneistotallyevil;theotherapparentlygood.ThetwobothserveastheinstrumentsofChance.SomanycoincidencesoccurinTess’lifethatthehandofChanceisinevidencewherevershegoes.

IthinkthefactorsresponsibleforTess’ssufferingarecomplex.Ontheonehand,thehypocriticalmoralityofthebourgeoissocietycausedTess’stragiclife.OntheotherhandTess’theweakcharacterisalsocausedhertragiclife.

Thenovelendswiththedeathoftheheroine.ThomasHardyemphasizestheinevitabilityofdeath.AlthoughHardytrytoexplainthemisfortuneofhischaractersfromtheviewpointoftheunseenbutpotentialfate,hischaracterizationandtruth2fulrepresentationofthelivesofhischaractersrevealthattheirmisfortuneisevidentlydeterminedbytheobjectivefactors.

Tess’lifeiscloselylinkedwiththeworldabouther.Tess’pain,Hardyshowsinmanydifferentwayshowherlifewasde2terminedonlypartlybyherownefforts,andhowmuchitdependsuponthepressureofthingsoverwhichshehadnocontrol.Toalargerextent,thebourgeoissocietyshouldassumemuchmoreresponsibilityforTess’miserabledeath.

Tess’tragedywasasaresultofactionofotherpeopleorasaresultofthesocialconventionandlaws.YetinthenovelTessherselfcouldhavechangedthecourseofevents.Herprideandsubmissionwasalsoaddedtohertragedy.Inthesightoftheworld,shewascondemned;shewasafallenwomanandfinallyamurderer.Andyet,allowingforthesocietyinwhichsheexitsonewasnevertemptedtolaughatherortocensureher.Asamatteroffact,thepoorgirlisruinedbytheexternalforces,whichshouldberesponsibleforhertragedy.Tesswasawomanwithgoodnatureassuggestedbythesubtitleofthenovel:

APurewoman.Hersweet-naturemind,innocence,simplicityanddiligencecouldnotpreventherfrombeingruinedinthecircumstancesofbourgeoissociety;shewasthevictimthehypocriticalmoralofthecapitalistsociety,thedoomedtragicfigure,andtheinnocentlambthatmustbleedforthesupposedgoodoftheuselesssacrifice.

Allinall,Tesswasthetotallyfemininevictimcaughtinawedoftragedy.Thepressureofvariouskindsuponherwasextremelypowerfulandhadjustbeencreatedbynatureandtorturedbytherealworld.Therealresponsibleforhertragedylife,isthewickednature,andhypocriticalmoralityofthebourgeoissociety.Tessreallyavictimofbourgeoismoralityandsocialinjusticewasdestroyedbyasociety,whichcannotbesufficienttoallowacourageousandevenheroicpersontoexisthappily.

Thisnovelisamirrorforthespiritofthetime.HardydescribeshiscriticalattitudetowardstheunjusttreatmentofwomenandhisdenunciationofthehypocrisyofthesocialstructuresandmoralcodesofVictorianEngland.

References

[1]ThomasHardy,TessofTheD’URBERVILIES[M]Xi’an;xinjiePress,2000

[2]ChenJia,SELECTEDREADINGINENGLISHLITERATURE（Volum2）[M]Beijing;TheCommercialPress,2000

[3]LiuBingshan,AHOORTHISTORYOFENGLISHLITERATURE[M]Zhengzhou;He’nanPeople’sPublishingHouse