An Analysis of Causes for Tesss Tragedy.docx
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An Analysis of Causes for Tesss Tragedy.docx
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AnAnalysisofCausesforTesssTragedy
1.Introduction
1.1AbriefintroductiontoHardy
1.1.1Hardyandhislifeenvironment
Sonofamason,ThomasHardy(1840-1928)wasborninDrossier,southwestofEngland,theareathatlaterbecamethefamous“Wessex”inmanyofhisnovels.ItwasfromhisparentsthatHardygainedallintereststhatwouldappearinhisnovelsandhisownlife:
hisloveforarchitectureandmusic,hisinterestinlifestylesofcountryside,aswellashispassionforallsortsofliterature.Hewasagreatcriticalrealistinthelate19thcentury—theVictorianAge,duringwhichgreatchangeshadhappenedinthehistoryofwesterncivilization.Asiswellknown,agreatsocialreformationtookplaceinBritain.Thevarioussocialfactorsincludingreligion,politics,science,influencedpeopleandtriedtotransformtheirmentality.Capitalismwashighlydevelopedandstretchedtothevastcountryside,andtheBritishpeoplewerestrugglingforabrightfuturebravelyanddifficultly.ItwasduringthisspecialperiodthatThomasHardyinheritedanddevelopedtheVictorianliterature,producingalotofgreatnovels.
1.1.2.Hardy'sphilosophicalidea—fatalismandhisnovels
Inhislife,Hardyhaswrittenmanynovels.HismajorworksareTheReturnoftheNative(1878),TheMayorofCasterBridge(1886),TessoftheD'Urbervilles(1891),andJudetheObscure(1896),thelattertwoconsideredmasterpieces.Hardy'snovelsareallsetagainsttheglumandfrightfulDorsetlandscape(knownasWessexinthenovels),whosephysicalharshnessrevealpeople’sindifferent,thoughnotmaliciousmood.Thecharactersofhisnovels,forthemajorpartofthepoorerruralclasses,aresympatheticallyandoftenhumorouslyportrayed.TheirlivesarerulednotonlybynaturebutalsobyrigidVictoriansocialconventions.Hardy'sstyleisaccordinglyroughhewn,sometimesawkward,butalwayscommandingandintense.Histhoughthadbeenadequatelyexpressedinnovels.Hardy'svisionreflectsaworldinwhichVictoriancomplacenciesweredyingbutitsmoralswerenot,andinwhichsciencehadeliminatedthecomfortingcertaintiesofreligion.Everythinginhisstoryleadstooneinevitabletragicending.One’spersonalitydeterminesone’sfate,asisopined,thustheheroesandheroinesinHardy’snovelsaremostlyruralmenandwomenwhosecharacterwereprovincial,tintedwiththetraitsofruralpeople—passionatelikefire,naive,narrow-minded—whichononehandmakethemsolovelyandworthloving,butcontributetotheirtragedyontheotherhand.
1.2Asynopsisofthenovel
Asisknowntoall,TessoftheD'UrbervillesisthemostfamousnovelofThomasHardy.FocusingonthetragicexperienceofitsheroineTess,theplotofthestoryunfoldsitselfinanaturalmanner.Tesscamefromafarmer’sfamily,theD'Urbervilles.Shehadlivedapoorbutpeacefullife.However,God,“ThePresidentoftheImmoral”begantoplayacrueljokeonthisinnocentgirl.Onedayherfather,JohnD'UrbervilleslearnedthattheyaredescendedfromtheD’Urbervilles,anancientfamilyoncerenownedinEngland.Tess’sparentswereinanecstasyofdelightoverthenews.HermotherurgedTesstoclaimkinshipwiththeremainingD’Urbervilles,sothatTesscouldmarryagentleman.Unwillingly,thegirlcameincontactwiththeStoke,D’Urbervilles.ThereshemetAlecD’Urbervilles,whoshowedofftheestateandalwaystriedtoseduceher.Havingreceivedajoboftendingtochickens,TessstayedintheD’Urbervilles.Hertragiclifehadjustbegun.
Tessreturnedhomeandtoldhermotherofherterribleexperiences,butwhathermotheronlyworriedaboutwaswhetherAlecwouldmarryTessornot.Thebravegirlrefusedandwenttoworkinthefield,butworsestill,Alectfollowedherfromplacetoplaceinordertopossessheragain.Atlast,TessmanagedtogetridofAlectogivebirthtoherbaby.Thebabydidnotlivelong,however,andafteritsdeath,Tesswenttoadairyfarmasadairymaid.ItwasherethatTessmetAngelandfellinlovewithhim.Hethoughtofherasabeautifulandinnocentyounggirl.Butherinnocencecausedhertofeelthatshewaswicked,sosherejectedAngelClare'slove.Sheurgedhimtoturntooneoftheothergirlseventhoughshesufferedmuchfromagreatgrief.ButAngel,actingagainstthewishesofhisparents,insistedonmarryingwithher.Finally,theygotmarried.ItseemsTesswouldbehappyfromnowon.OntheirweddingnightTessforgaveAngel'sdebaucheryinthepast,andthenshetoldabouthernightmarewithAlec,thinkingthathewouldforgiveherasshehad.ButincontrastAngeldesertedherandleftforBrazil.Inordertokeepherselfandherfamilyalive,Tesshadtodohardlaborinthefield.Unfortunately,shemetAlecagain,shehatedhimsodeeplythatsherefusedhishelp;butforherhelplessfamilyandwithnohopetoobtainAngel'sreturn,thepoorgirlwenttoAlecagain,livingwithhimashismistress.Unexpectedly,AngelreturnedfromBrazil,whichplungedTessintorage,andcausedhertokillAlec,forshebelievedallhertragedywascausedbyAlec.EvenwhenTesswasgoingtobecaught,shestooduptotherealitybravelyandfacedhercaptors.Inthispaper,atentativeanalysisismadetoexplorethecausesforTess’stragedyinthreeaspects:
(1)thesocialfactorsconcerned;
(2)theinfluenceoffatalism;and(3)Tess’sparadoxicalpersonality
2.Socialfactors
Throughoutthestory,Tess'experiencehasbeenrathermiserableandrough,whichmakesreadersdeeplysympatheicwithher.FromthevividdescriptioninthenovelwecangetapanoramaofeverysocialstratumintheVictorianAge.Tess,abeautiful,innocentandpuregirl,isthevictimofsociety.Inthispaper,itisopinedthatthebourgeoissocietyshouldassumeagreatresponsibilityforTess’smiserabledeath.HenceaprobeintothecausesforTess'tragedyintermsofsocialfactorsinthreeaspects.
2.1Economiccauses
2.1.1Thehardshipofpeasant'slifeintheVictorianAge
ThisstoryhappenedinthelateVictorianAgeinBritain,whenthebourgeoisiecontrolledallrights,andthelawservedthem.Peasantswereatthebottomofsociety;theyneverhadequalrights.Worsestill,withthedevelopmentoftheindustrialrevolution,tremendouschangeshadtakenplaceinalmosteveryaspect.(LongQiyu,2010:
1)Thereisnodoubtthatagriculturecouldnotbeanexception,forthetraditionallife-styleoftheruralareahadcollapsed.Mostfarmerslosttheirlandandwerebankrupt.Moreandmorepeasants,handspinnersandweaversfloodedtothefactoriesofsmokycities.Undertheexploitationofthebourgeoisie,theworkers,especiallyruralworkers,becameimpoverishedandlivedamiserablelife.Theyhadtostruggleforexistenceonthebrinkofdeath.
Tess,adaughterofapoorvillager,andawagelaborlater,seemedunlikelytoliveabetterlifewithherfamily.Allthefamily'sincomecamefromanoldhorse,andthefamilycouldhardlyliveafteritsdeath.Tosupportthefamily,Tesshadnochoicebuttofollowherparents'advicetocometoamoreprosperousbranchoftheD’Urbervillesfamilyforhelp.Itwastherethatshewasseducedbyherso-calledcousin,thesonofthehouse,Alec,whichledhertohermisfortunefate.
2.1.2ThedeclineofTess'sfamily
MuchofTess'tragedywascloselylinkedwithherfamily'sdeclinefromwealthtopoverty.Whatmadethesituationworsewasthatherfathermadefeweffortstochangethiscase.WhatisquiteimpressiveisthescenethatherfatherwentintoecstasieswhenhegottheknowledgeoftheirkindredwiththenobleD’Urbervilles.Hebegantospendhistimethinkingofwaystorestorehisfamilynametoitsformergrandeur.Butthisdreamcouldnotsupportthefamilyatall.HewasonlyconcernedabouthisreputationanddidnotwanttogetajobwhichhethoughtwouldsullyhisdignityasanoffspringofD’Urbervilles.Astheoldestdaughterofthefamily,TesscametoAlec'sfamilyforhelp,whichledtoherlossofvirginity.Evenatthispoint,whatherfatherconsideredutmostwasotherpeople'sthoughtaboutthecollapseofhisreputationratherthanhisdaughter'smisfortune.Tess'smotherhopedthatTesswouldmarrywithAlecwithoutconsideringTess'feeling.AfterTesswasseducedbyAlecandwenthome,hermotherthoughtTesswasstupidforherunwillingnesstomarrywithhim.
Tesslovedheryoungerbrothersandsisters,forhersenseofresponsibilitycompelledhertoprotectthem.Alecwasawareofthisaspectandutilizedhisassistancetoherfamilytopossessheragain.Tess’hatredofAlec’sconductmadeherrefuseandfightwithhimatfirst.Butafterthedeathofherfather,oppressedbyherresponsibilityforherfamily,shebecameAlec'smistressagain,whichmadeTessmuchmoregrievedandledtoherkillingofhiminthatshethoughtthatitwasAlecwhohaddeprivedherofherrighttopursuehappiness.
2.2Socialandmoralelements
2.2.1Unequalmoralityforfemales
ForwomenintheVictorianera,thekeyvirtueissexualpurity,whileadulteryistheworstofallpossiblesins.Atthattime,evenexposinganankleorashoulderisconsidered"improper"(Kramer,1970:
136).Publicconceptionsonsexualmoralsarethatwomenmustremainvirginsbeforemarriage.Otherwise,theywouldbeconsideredviciousandcondemnedbythepeoplearoundthem.Numerousexamplescanbefoundinmanygreatnovels,suchasTessandtheheroineinTheScarletLetter.Thesexualmoralityisdeeplyrootedinpeople'smind.Butthesenotionsarealwaysunequalforfemales.Inthesamecase,menengagedinsexuallapseswouldbeforgiven,whereaswomenwouldbecondemned,evenifitisknownthatthewomansometimesisactuallythevictim.Intheopinionofmostcommonpeople,“allwome
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