精简英国文学教案Week14.docx

精简英国文学教案Week14.docx

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精简英国文学教案Week14

Week14.

目的：

理解哈代以及〈苔丝〉，再学习英国获诺贝尔奖的作家

1．Hisworks

Hardypublishedtwomorenovels,Tessofthed’Urbervilles（1891）andJudetheObscure（1895）,whichwerehislastlongfictionworks.ThelastnovelschallengedthesensibilitiesofVictorianreaderswithsituationsthatruffledmanyaVictorianfeather:

immoralsex,murder,illegitimatechildren,andtheunmarriedlivingtogether.HeateddebateandcriticismoverthesetwobookshelpedHardydecidethathewouldratherwritepoetry.Infact,sostungwashebythecriticismofhisworksthatHardydidnotwriteanothernovel.

Hardywroteshortstories,poems,andplaysfortherestofhislife.Twofurthervolumesofpoetryandshortstoriesappeared,TheDynasts:

ADramaoftheNapoleonicWars（1903–08）andWinterWords（1928）,avolumeofverse.Hardywasquiteprolificduringthisperiod,writingsome900poemsonavarietyofsubjects.In1912,Hardy’swife,Emma,died,ending20yearsof“domesticestrangement.”In1914,HardymarriedFlorenceEmilyDugdale,withwhomheliveduntilhisdeathonJanuary11,1928.

Hardy’sbodywasburiedatWestminsterAbbeyinPoet’sCorner,whilehisheartwasburiedinStinson,England,nearthegravesofhisancestorsandhisfirstwife,Emma.Hissecondwifewaslaterburiednearherhusband.

2.KeyFacts

fulltitle · Tessofthed’Urbervilles

author · ThomasHardy

typeofwork · Novel

genre · Victorian,tragic

language · English

timeandplacewritten · 1880s,England

dateoffirstpublication · 1891

publisher · RandomHouse,butalsopublishedseriallyindifferentperiodicals

narrator · Anonymous

pointofview · Thenarratorspeaksinthethirdperson,andlooksdeepintothecharacters’minds.Thenarratorisobjectivebuthasanomniscientunderstandingoffutureimplicationsofcharacters’actionsastheyhappen.

tone · Realistic,pessimistic

tense · Past

setting（time） · The1880sand1890s

setting（place） · Wessex,thesouthwestofEngland

protagonist · TessDurbeyfield

majorconflict · Tessisseduced,impregnated,andabandonedbythesonofherupper-classpatroness,makingherunacceptabletohertrueloveAngellaterinlife.motifs · Birds;theBookofGenesis;variantnames

symbols · Prince;thed’Urbervillefamilyvault;Brazil

3.TessDurbeyfield

Intelligent,strikinglyattractive,anddistinguishedbyherdeepmoralsensitivityandpassionateintensity,Tessisindisputablythecentralcharacterofthenovelthatbearshername.Butsheisalsomorethanadistinctiveindividual:

Hardymakesherintosomewhatofamythicheroine.Hername,formallyTheresa,recallsSt.TeresaofAvila,anothermartyrwhosevisionofahigherrealitycostherherlife.OthercharactersoftenrefertoTessinmythicalterms,aswhenAngelcallshera“DaughterofNature”inChapterXVIII,orreferstoherbytheGreekmythologicalnames“Artemis”and“Demeter”inChapterXX.ThenarratorhimselfsometimesdescribesTessasmorethananindividualwoman,butassomethingclosertoamythicalincarnationofwomanhood.InChapterXIV,hesaysthathereyesare“neitherblacknorbluenorgreynorviolet;ratheralltheseshadestogether,”like“analmoststandardwoman.”Tess’sstorymaythusbea“standard”story,representingadeeperandlargerexperiencethanthatofasingleindividual.

Inpart,TessrepresentsthechangingroleoftheagriculturalworkersinEnglandinthelatenineteenthcentury.Possessinganeducationthatherunschooledparentslack,sinceshehaspassedtheSixthStandardoftheNationalSchools,Tessdoesnotquitefitintothefolkcultureofherpredecessors,butfinancialconstraintskeepherfromrisingtoahigherstationinlife.Shebelongsinthathigherworld,however,aswediscoveronthefirstpageofthenovelwiththenewsthattheDurbeyfieldsarethesurvivingmembersofthenobleandancientfamilyofthed’Urbervilles.ThereisaristocracyinTess’sblood,visibleinhergracefulbeauty—yetsheisforcedtoworkasafarmhandandmilkmaid.Whenshetriestoexpressherjoybysinginglower-classfolkballadsatthebeginningofthethirdpartofthenovel,theydonotsatisfyher—sheseemsnotquitecomfortablewiththosepopularsongs.But,ontheotherhand,herdiction,whilemorepolishedthanhermother’s,isnotquiteuptothelevelofAlec’sorAngel’s.Sheisinbetween,bothsociallyandculturally.Thus,Tessisasymbolofunclearandunstablenotionsofclassinnineteenth-centuryBritain,whereoldfamilylinesretainedtheirearlierglamour,butwherecoldeconomicrealitiesmadesheerwealthmoreimportantthaninnernobility.

Beyondhersocialsymbolism,Tessrepresentsfallenhumanityinareligioussense,asthefrequentbiblicalallusionsinthenovelremindus.JustasTess’sclanwasoncegloriousandpowerfulbutisnowsadlydiminished,sotoodidtheearlygloryofthefirsthumans,AdamandEve,fadewiththeirexpulsionfromEden,makinghumanssadshadowsofwhattheyoncewere.TessthusrepresentswhatisknowninChristiantheologyasoriginalsin,thedegradedstateinwhichallhumanslive,evenwhen—likeTessherselfafterkillingPrinceorsuccumbingtoAlec—theyarenotwhollyordirectlyresponsibleforthesinsforwhichtheyarepunished.ThistormentrepresentsthemostuniversalsideofTess:

sheisthemythofthehumanwhosuffersforcrimesthatarenotherownandlivesalifemoredegradedthanshedeserves.

1.weddingnight

Tesswritestohermotherandreceivesaresponsebytheendoftheweek.JoanDurbeyfieldtellsTessnottotellofherpast.Joanalsomentionsthatabarrelofalcoholicciderwillbesentforaweddingpresent.TessdecidesnottotellAngelofherhistory.

Aftertheyleavetheweddingceremony,Tesstriestoconfessherpastsins,butAngelwillnothearofit.TheluggagearrivesviaJonathanKail,aTalbothaysdairyman,whotellsthenewcouplethatRettyhadtriedtocommitsuicide,Mariangets“deaddrunk,”andIzzismopingaroundthehousedepressed.Tessfeelsguiltythatshehadsomehandintheincidentsthathappenedtoherfriends.ThenTessandAngelconfesstheirsins,firstAngel,thenTess.

AngelcannotforgiveTessforherpast:

“OTess,forgivenessdoesnotapplytothecase!

Youwereoneperson;nowyouareanother.”TessisdumbfoundedbyAngel’sreactionandseekstohavehimunderstandherplight.Hecannotseeherpastassheseesit.Tesssuggeststhattheywillnolongerbeabletolivetogetherandthatshecouldendhissufferingthroughdivorceorherownsuicide.Angelrejectsbothpropositions.Headdsinjurytoinsultsaying,“Decrepitfamiliesimplydecrepitwills,decrepitconduct.”Tessisnearlyspeechless.Insteadofremainingwithhiswifeontheirhoneymoonnight,Angelsleepsonthecouchdownstairs.

AbouttheNovel

CharacterMap

2.themes

TheInjusticeofExistence

UnfairnessdominatesthelivesofTessandherfamilytosuchanextentthatitbeginstoseemlikeageneralaspectofhumanexistenceinTessofthed’Urbervilles.TessdoesnotmeantokillPrince,butsheispunishedanyway,justassheisunfairlypunishedforherownrapebyAlec.Noristherejusticewaitinginheaven.Christianityteachesthatthereiscompensationintheafterlifeforunhappinesssufferedinthislife,buttheonlydevoutChristianencounteredinthenovelmaybethereverend,Mr.Clare,whoseemsmoreorlesscontentinhislifeanyway.Forothersintheirmisery,Christianityofferslittlesolaceofheavenlyjustice.Mrs.Durbeyfieldnevermentionsotherworldlyrewards.TheconvertedAlecpreachesheavenlyjusticeforearthlysinners,buthisfaithseemsshallowandinsincere.Generally,themoralatmosphereofthenovelisnotChristianjusticeatall,butpaganinjustice.Theforcesthatrulehumanlifeareabsolutelyunpredictableandnotnecessarilywell-disposedtous.Thepre-Christianritualspracticedbythefarmworkersattheopeningofthenovel,andTess’sfinalrestatStonehengeattheend,remindusofaworldwherethegodsarenotjustandfair,butwhimsicalanduncaring.Whenthenarratorconcludesthenovelwiththestatementthat“‘Justice’wasdone,andthePresidentoftheImmortals（intheAeschyleanphrase）hadendedhissportwithTess,”weareremindedthatjusticemustbeputinironicquotationmarks,sinceitisnotreallyjustatall.Whatpassesfor“Justice”isinfactoneofthepagangodsenjoyingabitof“sport,”orafrivolousgame.

ChangingIdeasofSocialClassinVictorianEngland

Tessofthed’Urbervillespresentscomplexpicturesofboththeimportanceofsocialclassinnineteenth-centuryEnglandandthedifficultyofdefiningclassinanysimpleway.CertainlytheDurbeyfieldsareapowerfulemblemofthewayinwhichclassisnolongerevaluatedinVictoriantimesasitwouldhavebeenintheMiddleAges—thatis,bybloodalone,withnoattentionpaidtofortuneorworldlysuccess.IndubitablytheDurbeyfieldshavepurityofblood,yetfortheparsonandnearlyeveryoneelseinthenovel,thisfactamountstonothingmorethanapieceofgenealogicaltrivia.IntheVictoriancontext,cashmattersmorethanlineage,whichexplainshowSimonStokes,Alec’sfather,wassmoothlyabletousehislargefortunetopurchasealustrousfamilynameandtransformhisclanintotheStoke-d’Urbervilles.Thed’UrbervillespassforwhattheDurbeyfieldstrulyare—authenticnobility—simplybecausedefinitionsofclasshavechanged.TheissueofclassconfusionevenaffectstheClareclan,whosemostpromisingson,Angel,isintentonbecomingafarmerandmarryingamilkmaid,thusbypassingthetraditionalprivilegesofaCambridgeeducationandaparsonage.HiswillingnesstoworksidebysidewiththefarmlaborershelpsendearhimtoTess,andtheira