Abstract
Thomas Hardy was a famous critical realistic writer at the turn of the 19th century in England; Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the most influential one of all his works. This novel describes a tragic life about one beautiful and pure girl after disgrace. The article describes the society environment, then begins to analysis of characters’ personality and religion factors open out at that time. Tess’s tragic life is caused by that society and it’s the result of that time. Except this, it can’t be separated from her own weakness in character, because she obviously has the dual nature of the society character---resistance and compromise. As a common person, Tess fought with the society helplessly. In the end, she turned out to be the sacrificial victim of society like all other things which disobey the morality and ethic.
Key Words
Tess’s Tragedy; Social Environment; Family Environment; Moral ethic; Character
摘 要
托马斯．哈代是19世纪英国著名的批判现实主义作家，《德伯家的苔丝》是他最为有影响力的一部巨著。该小说主要讲述了一个美丽纯真的少女失身后悲惨的命运。文章通过对小说中社会环境的描写，再从人物性格和当时的宗教原因着手，由此揭露出苔丝悲惨的命运是那个社会所造成的，是一个时代思想，传统，秩序的局限所造成的结果。除此之外,这与她自身性格的弱点也是分不开的，因为她对命运有着反抗的一面也有妥协的一面。所以，作为普通人的苔丝与当时社会的抗争是无助的，最终会像所有一切与道德伦理相悖的事物一样，被沦为社会的牺牲品。
关键词
苔丝的悲剧; 社会环境; 家庭环境；伦理道德; 个体性格
Introduction
Tess of the d’Urbervilles can be regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in prose in the history of English literature. Though Hardy mainly writes about the common country people in Wessex, southwestern part of England, he shows grandeur and dignity in his tragedies similar to what we find in Greek tragedy and his grave and elaborate style contributes to the tragic sense of life. Hardy is remarkable for his tremendous power of producing tragedies comparable to classic tragedies.
Tess was a poor peasant girl who wanted to rely on her hands to pursuit inspanidual happiness right, but the power forces of society can’t letting off a weak girl, in the end caused her tragedy. In this novel, the great intense counter- religion, ant feudal moral, counter- bourgeoisie law tendency，although meet opposition in the English upper society, received loving of the common readers. Research this novel can let us know the view of morality and ethic in the hypocritical bourgeoisie in the Britain's Victorian era, Tess’s tragedy is due to the moral root of society and the stable view of women chastity in the society which male is center. In sharp opposition this view when Hardy guiding Tess’s behave of mind, the critique spear point refers society and Christian church which protect this view. We are feeling that imaging put writer’s discussion in the Britain's Victorian era more than one hundred years ago , we amazing the avant-garde mind of Hardy, he melted this kind of mind at times when he create Tess this character, from that only then entrusts with this image richer connotation and the more profound social critique. This book became the one of the most great works in the late of Victorian era, because it boldly expose hypocritical moral in the Capitalist society and condemned the Capitalism in the late 19th century caused impoverishment and decay of small farmers in rural England .
I. Introduction of Thomas Hardy
II. Background of the Novel
This story happened in the late of Britain's Victorian era，in this time, Capitalist class controlled all right, and the law were serviced for them. Farmers were at the bottle of the society, they had never equal right as the capitalist class. Tess as a woman in the Victorian era，she cannot avoided the “Hegemony” father right consciousness to “woman” nature understanding and severe social etiquette。And the patriarchal social system made women lost their independent status.。In the male consciousness, By the Capitalist invasion，those Self-reliant farmers who had a small amount of land and the means of production had followed the insolvency。Female beauty not only regarded as the "Troubles" but also become an excuse for men to shirk their crime；The male requests feminine to be loyal and the bodily pure and chaste, actually disregards own indulging. But in under male power suppression, feminine thought pattern also was controlled solidly by this kind of strong trend was even melting.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles was a very influential work of Hardy, which told the tragic life story of a beautiful country girl. Tess was a poor peasant girl. Sented by her mother to claim kindred with a more prosperous branch of the D’Urbervilles family, she was seduced by the young master of the house, Alec, and had to return home in disgrace. After giving birth to a child who died in infancy, she went to work as wage-laborer at a daisy farm at Talbothays. There she met Angel Clare, a son of clergyman, and he felled in love with her and married her. On the wedding night, Tess and Clare told each other about their pasts, and Clare, after hearing Tess’s confession left her abruptly for Brazil. Poverty forced Tess to seek for work and she worked for a long time at a capitalist farm at Flint comb-Ash where she was insulted and oppressed by the master. Then the news of her father’s death and the expulsion of her family from their cottage drived her to seek for assistance from Alec, and the latter, now a preacher, soon resumes his former illicit relations with her. Angel Clare returned repentant and ready to be reconciled to Tess, but the girl found that her living with Alec hinders her from returning to Clare. She killed Alec and then was speedily arrested, tried and hanged.
III. Two Deep Stratification of the Tess’ tragedy in the Novel
A. Family and Society Caused Tess’s Tragedy
1. Family Background of Tess
At the beginning of the novel, Tess was a daughter of poverty descent which had once magnificent .She was a dairymaid, who lived in the country, as a daisy on the village roadside, beautiful but humble, and being with her family was broken up and decimated sixty years ago before the story began. And as the writer express emotion, “Norman's descent, not for the support of Victoria 1800, the wealth, a very inconsequential!” Distinguished background doesn’t bring any benefits to Tess, but her tragic life was begun.
Tess’s father was a poor countryside hawker, who had the natural disposition is lazy and constantly excessive drinking also benighted, Tess’s mother was a dairymaid, who sloppy superstition and mind simply.They were pitiful creature who chart admires the vanity and listened to depend on the time wind and rain willfully to devastate. Just as such terrible patents became the setter of a bad example of Tess’s tragedy.
In order to showed off own so-called "aristocrat" status and satisfied mere vanity, Tess’s parents wanted to by "acknowledges as relatives", "marries" to improve own status. Although Tess obnoxious parents’ hypocrisy, despised noble origin, and persisted thought oneself is peasant family's daughter who living on own labor, but she was the oldest in the family, parents’ incompetent made the heavy burden on herself early. She loved her little sisters and brothers deeply that cannot cruel enough to looked they suffer hardships. Unfortunately, when the old horse died what her family living on it, Tess great reluctance obeyed the aunt to assign to go for shelter richly adulteration relative with same surname, in the result she suffered devastating, became the sacrificial victim and the Confucianism criminal which the beast wants. Afterwards, in order to her family Tess forced to leave native place, everywhere the wooden scoop anchors, experiences the vicissitudes. When end of hills and rivers, Tess came back to Alec again for family, received in exchange for family member's warm and sufficient condition by own human body.
The God gave Tess a woman of high station's soul, let she has the fine dust does not dye, unusual refined, but the reality actually gave her to fall the soul the family background that made she got rid of between this mortal world incapably all sorts of troubled. This kind of spirit extreme is not harmonious with the meat caused Tess’s tragic fate.
2. Hypocritical Capitalism Morals View and Unequal Legal System
Tess was lived in the Victorian era which capitalism invasion the rural England. She was a hardworking, kind-hearted, intelligent and beautiful girl；but regard as a laborer, a man of poor agricultural workers, she has low social status that naturally will received oppression and humiliation in the capitalist society。Research this novel we can know at that time in Victoria dynasty time England bourgeois society's moral ethics view, Tess’s tragedy was due to social morals root mainly is in the masculine central society that kind of firm woman chastity idea. In the capitalist society, legal regime and moral outlook all were take maintains the exploiting class the benefit and the acknowledgment exploiting class oppresses people's authority as the premise, were serviced for protect reactionary control. Alec wildly dominated in the township, did all kinds of evil things, but she was protected by the law. Tess actually is condemned the death penalty. This just was explaining bourgeoisie politics system reactionary, indicated the unimportant persons in the lower level social class were impossible to obtain the fair treatment in the society. We may see in the novel, such as Alec this thunder actually receives the bourgeoisie state apparatus and the religious morals protection.
3. Impoverishment and Decay of Small Farmers
This story has happened in the southern countries of England. Small farmer's impoverishment and the decay which the writer really describes these which to be hired the farmers and seeks the work. These laborers are mercilessly exploited by the rich landowners.
Let us see the economy condition in the 19th century. In the late 19th century, the economic crisis took place there in bourgeois world; it led to the social change. The change made many peasants lose their lands and became peasant workers. Large quantities of peasants were bankrupt. It is the same with the D’Urbervilles. Their narrow minds and stupidity make them puzzled. The society is so cruel that it does not give them a chance to live and makes them discard their children. Tess was born into the family of a poor rural tradesman. Her father drinks a lot and doesn’t work hard. Her mother herself is like a child and never thinks about the future. There are many children in their family. Her family is poor and when the old horse “Prince” is killed by accident, the economic condition of her family was worse, that means the bankrupt of the family. Her mother sends her to claim kin with a distant relative of noble D’Urbervilles family in the hope of changing the poor and miserable condition of the family. Her disjoint from the country leads to her later tragedy: the young master Alec seduces her and the following pregnancy compels Tess to return home in disgrace. Her tragic life was begun.
B. Characters Analysis in the Novel
In one novel, people’s character also takes a very important part，in this novel, the writer though the environment to describe Tess’s tragic fate, but the other reasons caused this result is people’s character，Alec and Clare are very closely to Tess’s fate. Let’s focus on Tess first.
1. Tess’s CharacterTess was a daughter of poor peasants had been reduced to a wage laborer. Her nature character concentrated reflection human nature industrious and brave, is refracting the quality of human nature’s brave benevolence. Tess’s beauty and temperament are harmony with the nature, she was “the nature’s daughter”, and her mind which is contaminated after the common custom has not been good and the rich sympathy, she never even a fly, worms are not cruel enough to injury and a little bird in a cage can make she cry. Tess this own character decided she has no ability to protect herself, and the efforts required to pay in excess of her endurance. The tragedy of her fate set the tone early, and the tragedy’s happen only the problem of time or might different in form.
Tess experienced major changes in human relationships. She obviously has the dual nature of the social character---- resistance and compromise. Tess was in a difficult position, but she never spiritless. Tess was her parents climb recognize the chip which D’Urbervilles family marries, this field confirmed blood relation's transaction has ruined her pure and chaste, and also made Tess doubt her own nature. From then on, “Almost at a leap Tess thus changed from simple girl to complex woman.”(Thomas Hardy, 145) Marries the tentative plan is disillusioned; Tess’s inner asked “Woman's chastity, really time has lost, forever has lost? All organisms have the ability to restore the source, why shouldn't the sole maiden's chastity have this kind of ability?” (Thomas Hardy, 164)“why the sun do shine on the just and the unjust alike？”（Thomas Hardy,184）Treat with the bad young man Alec. Tess revolts constantly. Although she became a disgrace woman, she always holds an inviolable attitude to Alec. She dropped originally may enjoy easy and comfortable life, fostered the child lonely. Periphery discriminates the judgment has not certainly frightened her; she silently endured the unfair in the life. In order to after because the child who gives birth to die can be peaceful, she does not attend to blaspheme the canon, own begins to the child to execute the baptism. Although life gave her only attack and disaster，she all can tenaciously endure and undertake and never set the excessive request to the life. The second time Tess meet Alec just her lives in the most difficult time. Faced every enticement of Alec, she basic remains unmoved, Tess was not willing to compromise.
The disaster arrived, Tess’s father died and her family was expelled the village. Tess entrusted the body once again in Alec in order to her mother and little brothers and sisters have a place to live，but anti-makes in light of this had not ended, submits is only temporary. In the end, she used a knife killed Alec; this is inevitable result of her innermost feelings revolt. Tess had the ending of violent resistance to evil just her character to a higher level.
The other side of Tess’s social character is resigned to bad conditions. Tess adopts completely another kind of manner to treat Clare. The relationship between lovers should be equal, but Tess constantly disparages herself and raises Clare. At the beginning of love “she loves he extremely, she looks he as the god.”(Thomas Hard, 261)
“To her sublime trustfulness he was all that goodness could be - knew all that a guide, philosopher,, and friend should know. She thought every line in the contour of his person the perfection of masculine beauty, his soul the soul of a saint, his intellect that of a seer……The compassion of his love for her, as she saw it, made her lift up her heart to him in devotion.”(Thomas Hard, 276)
This is a love which how strong is blazing actually acts sterilely. In front of love, Tess has lost herself, has lost the dignity. Just this kind of blind, unequal love make Tess dropped the happy right as a wife, deepened her tragedy.
Tess write a confession letter to Clare before married, and then tell her “crime”, but Clare is the traditional morals defender of traditional moral principles, his “new mind” demand Tess gives forgiveness and tolerant for his profligate behavior in the past, Tess has done, but the tragic past of Tess, actually cannot obtain Clare repays -like the intolerance. Tess has not done revolts slightly face Clare heartless abandonment. Oppositely, she said:” I certainly like a low pitiful slave of yours, absolute obeys you, if you ask me not to be able to fall to the ground, suicide killed, and I do not violate you.” (Tomas Hard, 352) Clare cruel-heartedly leaves; Tess never reduces her love to Clare. A passionate letter actually cannot call Clare's ice-cold heart. The disaster layer on layer causes her to be able not but makes the choice in the social role and the natural disposition, she started to Clare's revolt. Harbors to Clare's despairing, she went to Alec’s thunder bosom who called himself the Satan. However she submits the ratio to the Alec thunder to lose the pure and chaste humiliation.
In the end, when Clare finally came to tell her that he had forgiven her and he still loved her. Tess was bitterly unhappy. She now hated Alec because once again he had been the cause of her husband’s repudiation of her. Feeling that she played a most inglorious part and she would be happy if Alec was dead, in addition, Alec said many bad words to satirize her. She stabbed him as he slept. Then she ran out of the house and followed Angel. They had a few happy days together. Living with the husband she truly loved, she was ready for her punishment. Just because of her contradictory and tragic character, Tess had such miserable fate.
2. Alec and Clare’s Characters
In this novel to male leading character's description has reflected at that time the capitalist society darkness and false capitalism morals view. Alec is the emerging bourgeoisie's representatives; he is representing the bourgeois society's authority, the wealth and the evil, Tess’s tragic life reason to him.
His father is a rich merchant, but after crown by aristocrat D’Urbervilles surname。This young man lay on his father’s money and power dominates the native place. When he meets Tess, the dissolute lascivious countenance is completely unmasked; he supposes the snare that destroyed young girl's pure and chaste and the life happiness. Harms others to benefit him, resorts to all means to satisfy own absurd fleshly desires, and not only displayed the countryside landlord class's essential characteristic, but also manifested the property realistic characteristic. Although afterwards he changed in old pastor Clare help next evilly reforms, however, several dozens years abuse eradicates by no means. When he meets Tess again, has temptations regeneration. Alec in order to control Tess even uses the money and the power and influence strength to cause region which liver Tess’s family is in has no home. It can be said, Tess’s life is the might and the violence victim which the Alec thunder represents.
If someone say Alec representative's evil force is the direct reason to cause Tess’s tragedy, then the traditional ethics morality survives on Angel Clare devastates to Tess is one kind invisible, the more fearful spirit injures. Angel Clare is a complex artistic image. On his body, not only has the certain enlightened thought, but also is retaining the traditional moral prejudice. Although he born in a pastor family, not willing to be a pastor "serves for God", he is willing to work at farming, "serves for the humanity". He despises the class prejudice and the rank idea, tires of abandons the metropolis lively life, he wants to go the country to do the arduous physical labor as those farmers, tries hard to grasp each kind of class the agricultural technology. In nature bosom, he feels the village life is simple and fresh when he stays with the innocent peasant family young girls. In treats feminine and in the love question, he mild-mannered and cultivated, serious and earnest, pay more attention on emotion, all of these are different with Alec. This explanations he was the Bourgeois intellectuals who has the free thought at that time，but he departs from to this social class also is extremely limited, He will be engaged in the agricultural production the goal is for later to be a large landed estate. He contacts with Tess has not always abandoned the traditional ideas the fetter. He not only as soon as starts to recognize Tess could be a good steward in the future, the most important is he love Tess not like her to love his such selfless and sincere. In his eyes, Tess is “nature’s new born daughter”, however, once she confessed the insult to him which receives, then on his body preserves the inherent morals have strangled in his heart the real sentiment. Although he also have had the profligate behavior, and obtained Tess’s forgiving, but actually is not willing to forgive originally innocent Tess. This indicated his heart's core traditional morals ethics idea ingrained, he regards a woman from traditional chastity view to be chaste or not, this has given Tess by devastating attack. If we say because the Alec thunder ferocious adversary caused the chastity losing to bring the deep pain to Tess, but has not been able to disappear the desire and the future hope of her live.
Then, Clare to her abandonment, said in some kind of degree, then has destroyed her spiritual prop (because Tess really loves him). Thus, his return caused her to feel the humiliation which own received, thus caused its pain, the lamentation; to despair has achieved the apex. Her finally killed Alec, not only must prove own helpless, simultaneously also are must to the person which loves prove own innocence. From this, may say that, is precisely by Alec representative's evil force and Clare himself preserves the traditional ethics morality, together pushed Tess to the tragic abyss.
Conclusion
A lot of reflection was left by Hardy through his creation of Tess’s tragedy. Tess was a strong woman throughout the novel. She stood up for herself and refused to crumble under pressure. It is true Tess should deserve respect because of enduring a great deal of pain. Yet, for her tragedy, it is not proper to blame solely on the unequal society that Tess lived in. Reading over this book, maybe someone think if does not have such unexpected event; perhaps Tess has the happy life and safely completes her life, but there are some factors which could not think in her each important life stage, these factors cause her tragedy. In actually, this was the time which she lived and her natural weakness invested her in this poor situation. Cruel Alec and his peers are the direct reason for her death, but it is Angel who killed her indirectly but more cruelly. Face such a serious situation, her inspaniduality weakness suits the accomplice.
In a word, Tess has shown a powerful woman's image to common people with her unyielding spirit of revolt. She, to the moribund society, traditional old morals, hypocritical religion, capitalist marriage system, has carried on the strongest revealing and criticism. Her kindhearted enlightenment, noble emotion, strong personality, and her resistance in imbuing all rooted in the hearts of the people forever, worth savoring
.
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