OnThomasHardy英语论文.docx

OnThomasHardy英语论文.docx

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OnThomasHardy英语论文

On_Thomas_Hardy（英语论文）

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