学士学位论文《苔丝》悲剧成因探析.docx

学士学位论文《苔丝》悲剧成因探析.docx

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学士学位论文《苔丝》悲剧成因探析

Introduction

TessoftheD’Urbervilles,publishedin1891,wasThomasHardy’slastandmostsignificantwork.Inthisnovel,Hardyreachedtheheightofhisachievementasanovelist.ThenovelcanberegardedasoneofthegreatesttragedyinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.ThisbookbecameoneofthegreatestworksinthelateofVictorianera,becauseitboldlyexposedhypocriticalmoralintheCapitalistsocietyandcondemnedtheCapitalisminthelate19thcenturythatcausedimpoverishmentanddecayofsmallfarmersinruralEngland.

Tesswasapoorpeasantgirlwhowantedtorelyonherhandstopursueindividualhappinessright,butthepowerfulsocialforcescan’tletoffaweakgirl,intheendcausedhertragedy.Inthisnovel,wecanseethatTessresistedherunjustfateagainandagain,sufferedsetbacksagainandagain,butshewasdestroyedatlast.

Thepurposeofthethesis:

ThecauseofTess’tragedyhasalwaysbeentheconcernofpeople,suchabeautiful,nobleandpurewomanasTessshouldsufferinevitableruin.Toresearchthisnovel,weknowtheviewofmoralityinthehypocriticalbourgeoisieintheBritain'sVictorianera;Tess’stragedyisduetothemoralrootofsocietyandtheunequallegalsystem.Inthispaper,Itrytomakeadetailedanalysisonthenovel,toshowthevariouscausesofheroine’stragedy.

Chapter1ThomasHardyandhismasterpiece

A.ThomasHardy

ThomasHardywasbornonJune2,1840,inthevillageofHigherBockhampton,nearDorchester,amarkettowninthecountyofDorset.Hardywouldspendmuchofhislifeinhisnativeregion,transformingitsrurallandscapesintohisfictionalWesses.Hardy'smother,Jemima,inspiredhimwithatasteforliterature;whilehisstonemasonfather,Thomas,sharedwithhimaloveofarchitectureandmusic（thetwowouldlaterplaythefiddleatlocaldances）.AsaboyHardyreadwidelyinthepopularfictionoftheday,includingthenovelsofScott,Dumas,Dickens,W.HarrisonAinsworth,andG.P.R.James,andinthepoetryofScott,Wordsworth,Byron,Shelley,Keats,andothers.StronglyinfluencedinhisyouthbytheBibleandtheliturgyoftheAnglicanChurch,Hardylatercontemplatedacareerintheministry;buthisassimilationofthenewtheoriesofDarwinianevolutionismeventuallymadehimanagnosticandaseverecriticofthelimitationsoftraditionalreligion.

Attheageofeight,HardybegantoattendJuliaMartin'sschoolinBockhampton.However,mostofhiseducationcamefromthebookshefoundinDorchester,thenearbytown.HelearnedFrench,German,andLatinbyteachinghimselfthroughthesebooks.Atsixteen,Hardy'sfatherapprenticedhissontoalocalarchitect,JohnHicks.UnderHicks'tutelage,Hardylearnedmuchaboutarchitecturaldrawingandrestoringoldhousesandchurches.Hardylovedtheapprenticeshipbecauseitallowedhimtolearnthehistoriesofthehousesandthefamiliesthatlivedthere.Despitehiswork,Hardydidnotforgethisacademics:

intheevenings,HardywouldstudywiththeGreekscholarHoraceMoule.

In1862,HardywassenttoLondontoworkwiththearchitectArthurBlomfield.DuringhisfiveyearsinLondon,Hardyimmersedhimselfintheculturalscenebyvisitingthemuseumsandtheatersandstudyingclassicliterature.Heevenbegantowritehisownpoetry.AlthoughhedidnotstayinLondon,choosingtoreturntoDorchesterasachurchrestorer,hetookhisnewfoundtalentforwritingtoDorchesteraswell.

From1867,Hardywrotepoetryandnovels,thoughthefirstpartofhiscareerwasdevotedtothenovel.Atfirsthepublishedanonymously,butwhenpeoplebecameinterestedinhisworks,hebegantousehisownname.LikeDickens,Hardy'snovelswerepublishedinserialformsinmagazinesthatwerepopularinbothEnglandandAmerica.HisfirstpopularnovelwasUndertheGreenwoodTree,publishedin1872.Thenextgreatnovel,FarfromtheMaddingCrowd（1874）wassopopularthatwiththeprofits,HardywasabletogiveuparchitectureandmarryEmmaGifford.Otherpopularnovelsfollowedinquicksuccession:

TheReturnoftheNative（1878）,TheMayorofCasterbridge（1886）,TheWoodlanders（1887）,TessoftheD'Urbervilles（1891）,andJudetheObscure（1895）.Inadditiontotheselargerworks,Hardypublishedthreecollectionsofshortstoriesandfivesmallernovels,allmoderatelysuccessful.However,despitethepraiseHardy'sfictionreceived,manycriticsalsofoundhisworkstobetooshocking,especiallyTessoftheD'UrbervillesandJudetheObscure.TheoutcryagainstJudewassogreatthatHardydecidedtostopwritingnovelsandreturntohisfirstgreatlove,poetry.

Overtheyears,Hardyhaddividedhistimebetweenhishome,MaxGate,inDorchesterandhislodgingsinLondon.Inhislateryears,heremainedinDorchestertofocuscompletelyonhispoetry.In1898,hesawhisdreamofbecomingapoetrealizedwiththepublicationofWessexPoems.Hethenturnedhisattentionstoanepicdramainblankverse,TheDynasts;itwasfinallycompletedin1908.Beforehisdeath,hehadwrittenover800poems,manyofthempublishedwhilehewasinhiseighties.

Hardyalsofoundhappinessinhispersonallife.Hisfirstwife,Emma,diedin1912.Althoughtheirmarriagehadnotbeenhappy,Hardygrievedathersuddendeath.In1914,hemarriedFlorenceDugale,andshewasextremelydevotedtohim.Afterhisdeath,FlorencepublishedHardy'sautobiographyintwopartsunderherownname.

BythelasttwodecadesofHardy'slife,hehadachievedfameasgreatasDickens'fame.In1910,hewasawardedtheOrderofMerit.Afteralongandhighlysuccessfullife,ThomasHardydiedonJanuary11,1928,attheageof87.HisasheswereburiedinPoets'CorneratWestminsterAbbey.

Hardyisoneofthefewwriters（D.H.Lawrencewasanother）whomadeasignificantcontributiontoEnglishliteratureintheformofthenovel,poetry,andtheshortstory.Hiswritingisfullofdelightfuleffects,beautifulimagesandstrikinglanguage.Hecreatesunforgettablecharactersandorchestratesstorieswhichpullatyourheartstrings.Ithastobesaidthathealsoreliesoncoincidencesandimprobabilitiesofplotwhich（thoughcommoninthenineteenthcentury）somepeopleseeasweaknesses.However,hissenseofdrama,hispowerfullanguage,andhiswonderfuldepictionoftheEnglishcountrysidemakehimanenduringfavourite.

B.ThenovelTessoftheD’Urbervilles

ThepoorpeddlerJohnDurbeyfieldisstunnedtolearnthatheisthedescendentofanancientnoblefamily,thed’Urberville.Meanwhile,Tess,hiseldestdaughter,joinstheothervillagegirlsintheMayDaydance,whereTessbrieflyexchangesglanceswithayoungman.Mr.DurbeyfieldandhiswifedecidetosendTesstotheD’Urbervillesmansion,wheretheyhopeMrs.d’UrbervillewillmakeTess’sfortune.Inreality,Mrs.d’UrbervilleisnorelationtoTessatall:

herhusband,themerchantSimonStokes,simplychangedhisnametod’Urbervilleafterheretired.ButTessdoesnotknowthisfact,andwhenthelasciviousAlecd’Urberville,Mrs.d’Urberville’sson,procuresTessajobtendingfowlsonthed’Urbervilleestate,Tesshasnochoicebuttoaccept,sincesheblamesherselfforanaccidentinvolvingthefamily’shorse,itsonlymeansofincome.

Tessspendsseveralmonthsatthisjob,resistingAlec’sattemptstoseduceher.Finally,Alecseducedherinthewoodsonenightafterafair.TessknowsshedoesnotloveAlec.ShereturnshometoherfamilytogivebirthtoAlec’schild,whomshechristensSorrow.Sorrowdiessoonafterheisborn,andTessspendsamiserableyearathomebeforedecidingtoseekworkelsewhere.ShefinallyacceptsajobasamilkmaidattheTalbothaysDairy.

AtTalbothays,Tessenjoysaperiodofcontentmentandhappiness.Shebefriendsthreeofherfellowmilkmaids—Izz,Retty,andMarian—andmeetsamannamedAngelClare,whoturnsouttobethemanfromtheMayDaydanceatthebeginningofthenovel.TessandAngelslowlyfallinlove.TheygrowcloserthroughoutTess’stimeatTalbothays,andsheeventuallyacceptshisproposalofmarriage.Still,sheistroubledbypangsofconscienceandfeelssheshouldtellAngelaboutherpast.Shewriteshimaconfessionalnoteandslipsitunderhisdoor,butitslidesunderthecarpetandAngelneverseesit.

Aftertheirwedding,AngelandTessbothconfessindiscretions:

AngeltellsTessaboutanaffairhehadwithanolderwomaninLondon,andTesstellsAngelaboutherhistorywithAlec.TessforgivesAngel,butAngelcannotforgiveTess.HegiveshersomemoneyandboardsashipboundforBrazil,wherehethinkshemightestablishafarm.HetellsTesshewilltrytoacceptherpastbutwarnshernottotrytojoinhimuntilhecomesforher.

Tessstruggles.Shehasadifficulttimefindingworkandisforcedtotakeajobatanunpleasantandunprosperousfarm.ShetriestovisitAngel’sfamilybutoverhearshisbrothersdiscussingAngel’spoormarriage,sosheleaves.ShehearsawanderingpreacherspeakandisstunnedtodiscoverthatheisAlecd’Urberville,whohasbeenconvertedtoChristianitybyAngel’sfather,theReverendClare.AlecandTessareeachshakenbytheirencounter,andAlecappallinglybegsTessnevertotempthimagain.Soonafter,however,heagainbegsTesstomarryhim,havingturnedhisbackonhis-religiousways.

TesslearnsfromhersisterLiza-Luthathermotherisneardeath,andTessisforcedtoreturnhometotakecareofher.Hermotherrecovers,butherfatherunexpectedlydiessoonafter.Whenthefamilyisevictedfromtheirhome,Alecoffershelp.ButTessrefusestoaccept,knowingheonlywantstoobligatehertohimagain.

Atlast,Angeldecidestoforgivehiswife.HeleavesBrazil,desperatetofindher.Instead,hefindshermother,whot