English Undergraduate Thesis of School of Foreign Studies of Yangtze University

摘 要

托马斯.哈代是19世纪著名的批判现实主义作家。出版于1891年的《德伯家的苔丝》是哈代所有作品中最有影响力的杰作。在这部小说中,哈代表达了其对英国下层人民,特别是农村妇女深切的同情。小说中的女主人公苔丝一直被认为是英国文学史上最独特的女性人物。然而,这位美丽、单纯、纯洁的女性却过着悲惨的生活。

首先,她被奸污,接着又被抛弃,最后还因为谋杀了阿历克而被绞死。她的悲剧并非偶然。贫穷、传统的道德观念以及不公平的法律不可避免的导致了她的悲剧命运。苔丝的家庭背景和其在家庭中的地位也对她的的悲剧结局有不可推卸责任。此外,苔丝自身的性格也在一定程度上促成了她的悲剧。

将首先介绍该小说的作者以及故事情节,以便读者熟悉大致的背景。紧接着,

笔者将从社会、家庭和性格三个角度对苔丝的悲剧成因进行分析,如：不公平的法律制度、苔丝犹豫不决的性格等。此外,本文还将对苔丝悲剧的现实意义进行探讨,避免类似的悲剧在中国广大的青年女性身上重演。

[关键词] 苔丝的悲剧；社会；家庭；性格；现实意义

English Undergraduate Thesis of School of Foreign Studies of Yangtze University

Abstract

Thomas Hardy is a famous critical realistic writer at the turn of the 19th century. Published in 1891, Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the most influential masterpiece of all his works . In this novel , Hardy expresses his strong sense of sympathy for England‘s lower class , particularly for rural women. The heroine Tess has long been regarded as the most exceptional woman character in English literary history. However , the beautiful, innocent and pure woman has a miserable life .

First, she is seduced, then abandoned and finally hanged because she murders Alec. Tess' s tragedy is not accidental. Poverty, the traditional ethics and the unequal law inevitably lead to her tragical fate. And Tess' s family background and her status in the family are also responsible for her tragic ending. Moreover, Tess‘ s own character causes her tragedy to some degree.

In my thesis, I will first introduce the author and the story to make readers familiar with the general background . Then I will analyze the causes of Tess‘ s tragedy from society, family and character three aspects in details ,such as the unequal legal system and Tess' s irresolution. Furthermore, the practical significance of her tragedy will also be discussed in this thesis, which is meant to avoid the repetition of Tess' s tragedy upon numerous Chinese young women .

[Key words] Tess' s tragedy; society; family ; character; practical significance

English Undergraduate Thesis of School of Foreign Studies of Yangtze University

Contents

1 Introduction...............................................................................................................1 2 Literature Review......................................................................................................3 2.1 Domestic research situation................................................................................3 2.2 Overseas research situation................................................................................4 3 Causes of Tess ’s Tragedy..........................................................................................6 3.1Social perspective................................................................................................6 3.1.1 Economic constraint..................................................................................6 3.1.2 Social ethics...............................................................................................7 3.1.3 Unequal legal system................................................................................9 3.2 Family perspective.............................................................................................9 3.2.1 Family background....................................................................................9 3.2.2 Family status...........................................................................................10 3.3 Character perspective.......................................................................................11 3.3.1Tess' s purity.............................................................................................10 3.3.2 Tess' s hesitation......................................................................................12 3.3.3 Personality conflicts................................................................................14 4 The Practical Significance of Tess ’ s Tragedy .....................................................15 4.1 Completely financial independence.................................................................15 4.2 Sense of self-esteem.........................................................................................15 4.3 Spirit of resistance............................................................................................16 4.4 Equality of personality......................................................................................17 5 Conclusion................................................................................................................20 Bibliography...............................................................................................................22 Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................24

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Undergraduate Thesis of School of Foreign Studies of Yangtze University

1 Introduction

Thomas Hardy who was an outstanding critical realist at the end of the 19th century. Hardy lived almost the entire Victorian period，which was an age of tremendous power as well as an age of great changes and many difficulties．During the Victorian Age，novels began to rise and gradually became a crucial companion to the social and emotional expansion of the 19th century.

As a novelist，Hardy nevertheless always succeeds in presenting the men and women he observes around him so fully and truthfully in his novels，and this essential realism in his works carries sharp social criticism with it，which is surely a great contribution to literature and should earn for Hardy a prominent place in literary history.

In Hardy‘works，he described the influence of the pressure of the new，urban and industrial civilization on the old，rural and agricultural life of Wessex．In this age，religion no longer provided acceptable rules of conduct，and many young men of the age rejected the traditional standards，though still unable to create new ones for themselves．

His works are mainly set in his home—the rural areas of Wessex in the southwest of Great Britain，describing the great changes of the British countryside in politics，economy, customs as well as other aspects due to the impact of the capitalist economy at the tum of the old and new, and they are full of critical color,fatalistic sense and poetic flavor．

Hardy‘s masterpiece,Tess of the D’Urbervilles tells a story happened in the 19th century in England. In the story,Tess is seduced by the wealthy Alec D‘Urberville，to whom she resorts in the hope of helping her poverty-stricken family．She becomes pregnant but the child dies soon．Tess goes to Tabothays and is employed as a dairymaid．There she meets Angel Clare，an intellectual，freethinking son of a clergyman，who is learning the business of a farmer. They fall in love and get married．When Tess confesses to Angel about her past，he deserts her on their honeymoon because of her loss of virginity . After being abandoned by her husband，Tess leads a life of great hardship．For the benefits of her poor family and being

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