摘 要

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Research background 1

1.2 Literature review 2

1.3 Need of the study 3

2. Characterization of Tess Shown in Fake Love 4

2.1 Sexual assaulted by Alec 4

2.2 Spiritual violation by Angel 5

3. Characterization of Tess Shown in Broken Economy 7

3.1 The influence of the Industrial Revolution 7

3.2 The situation of Tess’s family economy 8

4. Characterization of Tess shown in Fate 10

4.1 Weakness in her character 10

4.2 Pessimism in Hardy’s thought 11

5. Conclusion 14

References 15

Acknowledgments 16

Abstract

Thomas Hardy is a distinguished critical realistic writer in the early 19th century. Tess of the D’Urbervilles, published in 1891, is one of the most eminent masterpiece of all his works. In Victorian novels, Hardy enriches the tragic art with his unique novels of “character and environment”, and expresses his strong sense of sympathy for England’s lower class, especially for rural women. Tess, the heroine, has always been considered as a female figure with extensive influence in the history of English literary. However, she falls into the injustice and predicament caused by society, environment and fate. In this novel, the readers can see that Tess struggles with fate, but she fails again and again, suffers tremendous pain and finally loses her life because of her own cowardice. While reflecting Tess’s tragedy, it is a tragedy of contradiction between personality and social reality. This paper will analyze Tess's personality characteristics and changes from two perspectives: social background and her personal experience. Tess’s simplicity, purity and kindness, her resistance to unreasonable society and her traditional conservatism in morality constitute her character, which makes her image deeply rooted in the hearts of the readers. It is hoped that this research will shed some light on the relevant study of Hardy’s other works. Meanwhile, it may contribute to the study on other tragic works created in Victorian period.

Key words: Tess of the D’Urbervilles; Tess; Characterization; Tragedy

中文摘要

托马斯·哈代是19世纪著名的批判现实主义作家，《德伯家的苔丝》出版于1891年，是他所有作品中最有影响力的杰作。维多利亚时期的小说中，哈代以其独特的“环境与性格”丰富了悲剧艺术，并且在这部小说中,哈代表达了对英国下层人民，特别是农村妇女的深切同情。小说中，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。她陷入社会、环境和命运导致的不公和困境，一次次地反抗命运，一次又一次地遭受挫折，深受多重苦难；同时又由于自身的懦弱而丧失生命。作品在反映苔丝悲剧的同时, 也是性格与社会现实矛盾的悲剧。本论文将从社会背景和苔丝的个人经历两个角度分析其性格特征及转变。其朴实、纯洁、善良, 对不合理社会的反抗, 在道德上囿于传统的保守性, 共同构成她的人物性格, 从而使其形象深入人心。因此，本论文希望能够激励更多学者对托马斯·哈代的其他作品进行相关研究,同时也能够有助于研究维多利亚时期其它的悲剧小说。

关键词：《德伯家的苔丝》；苔丝；性格特征；悲剧

Introduction

1.1 Research background

In the 19th century, Britain and some other Western countries experienced the Industrial Revolution. The development of industry greatly influence British society, therefore the whole social system has to be changed. Thomas Hardy, the great novelist and poet of the naturalist movement of the Victorian period, and one of the representatives of English critical realism at the turn of the 19th century, was born and brought up in Dorsetshire. He had already published several outstanding novels, among which the most famous are The Return of the Native, Jude the Obscure, and The Mayor of Casterbridge, together with thousands poems and enormous short stories. In his novel, Tess of D’Urbervilles, he shows a beautiful, kindness but tragic artistic image Tess to his readers.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891) wasn’t the early writing of Thomas Hardy, but was the most popular one, which was generally regarded as Hardy’s finest novel. It was one of the novels to explore the isolation effect between spirit and morality in modern society. Tess of the D'Urbervilles was an impressive story about temptation, love, betrayal and murder. It succumbed to the narrative tradition by punishing Tess for her crimes and sin, but bravely exposed the end of this unforgivable moral standard, which can be regarded as cruel injustice. The focus of Tess of the D’Urbervilles was a young female struggling to prove her existence in society. Hardy draw up a complex tale, apparently with horrible ideas about the morals and religions views of his era; the hypocritical gestures, which means that men cannot control their sexual behaviour, so men in upper class can have sex with as many peasant girls at will, which is no reason to feel guilty. Alec was portrayed as a devil. Hardy also depicts religion in sorrowful color, where subordinate religious doctrine is more important than forgiveness and mercy.

A Pure Woman is the subtitle of the book. Woman like Tess is considered to be pure in Hardy’s eyes, considered disgraceful. Many readers and critics oppose it on the ground that such a seduced girl does not conform to purity. Besides, according to traditional moral standards, Tess is an abandoned woman who is a mistress and committed homicide. However, no matter how strong the objection is, the author still persists in adopting it. In Hardy’s writing, Tess is kind-hearted, sincere and simple. The meaning of this study is to help the readers have a better understanding about Tess, about how do the social factors, the background of family and personality lead to the multiplicity of Tess’s character.

1.2 Literature review

Tess of the D’Urbervilles, written by Thomas Hardy in 1891, is considered as one of the most magnetic and profitable novels. The analysis of Tess of the D’Urbervilles covers various aspects and layers and this study would never stop.

Firstly, a number of critical comparative studies compare Tess with other women characters in literature, like Jane Eyre. Besides, many scholars focus on Tess and her tragic life. Mao Ying (2005) clearly demonstrates that the poverty of her family, history and the unfair legal system and treatment, all this factors contribute the tragic ending of Tess. Guo Liying (2016) analyses the resistance of Tess. From passive to active, from unconscious to rational, Tess’s rebellion formed a rich image of personality. Besides the above views, Yao Zhenping (2007) holds the view that Tess’s tragedy is the consequence of male depression and social prejudice against women in Victorian period. It is just the ruthless force by the male violence in such a society that leads to her tragic fate.

In addition, feminism, naturalism, as well as other theories and method are used to research and study this novel. Yang Hua (2010) makes a deep analysis in Hardy’s views of nature and women. The author reminds us of that the novel reveals a close relationship between her fate with the patriarchal and capitalist oppression of industrial civilization as well as Tess and nature, which helps the readers re-understand the novel from a new perspective. Niu Min(2007) analyzes the symbolic implications of the environmental description in Tess and points out that the environment has played a very important role in determining Tess’s destiny.

In short, the interpretation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles covers nearly all aspects in literary appreciation. But generally, it includes the following main trends: First is directly psychology and focuses on Tess’s personal character analysis. Second is the sociological approach which treats the novel as the representative of English critical realism at the turn of the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. At last, the third method investigates the religious and moral implications of Tess of the D’Urbervilles. All in all, at the depth of study on Hardy by critics, discussions on Hardy’s tragic novels have been developing. Based on the former critical works, this thesis will focus on the tragic figure of Tess, and probe into the inevitable factors of her tragedy as a victim.

1.3 Need of the study

Tess of the D’Urbervilles is one of Hardy’s tragedies, a masterpiece which has brought him into a number of literary critics’ notice. It has reflected the writer’s real society and its social system and morals; therefore to study this novel can help the readers know about the history of his age. But many papers have shown that most critics used to research the writing background from the tragedy of Tess for a long time. Besides, the predecessors’ achievement were authentic, however, the readers should pay attention to the thought of Thomas Hardy, for it is him who has created the heroine’s tragedy and it is the influence of social environment on him, his conception and arrangement of the work, leading to the multiplicity of Tess’s characters. Last but not least, the analysis of Tess has shown an alarm bell for all the human beings and reminded the readers of the importance of respecting women.

Characterization of Tess Shown in Fake Love

Tess, the heroine of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, who is young and honest, sincere and kind, is desiring true love and pursuing satisfied marriage. But ironically, she cannot prevent herself from being rejected by the lover. In spite of her struggle, it was hard for her to reverse the tragic destiny.

Under Hardy’s pen, Tess’s tragic fate is closely related with the love between the two men, Alec and Angle, who drive Tess to death. The former represents the violence which has destroyed Tess’s body; the latter is on behalf of the ethics and morality which has ruined her soul. When Alex first met her, he believes that the capital power is an advantage that he can make use to appeal Tess and he even can do everything with Tess at his will. While Angle, as a result of pursuing purity, does not dare to face the reality, and cannot accept any stain. Although he loves Tess and gets married with her, he abandons her easily.

2.1 Sexual assaulted by Alec

From what has happened between Alec and Tess, the readers can learn that at the end of the 19^th century, women are under the oppression of the bourgeois without any rights. The rich, relying on their infinite power and enormous wealth, could do almost everything without fear of being punished and restriction.

Alec, as the representative of bourgeois upstart, has status and wealth. He is also a typical bourgeois villain who dresses himself as a nobleman. When Alec first saw Tess, he was already covetous of her. During Tess's first period of work at his home, Alec’s obviously showed his aim of possessing Tess, although he provided some limited help for Tess. “Well---I’m damned! Ha-ha-ha! And what a crumb girl.” (Hardy, 2006:58) He despicably make full use of her innocence, and seduces her finally without hesitation. This fact leads to her inevitable tragedy in the society which regards women’s chastity as the standard to evaluate them. From the very beginning, the image of Tess changes from pure into impure. This is the first heavy blow to her by human beings and the whole society. It is also the attack of evil posed on the pure and innocent people. As a result of violation, she finally understands that evil force and unfair treatment always exist in the hopeless and destroyed world. Caught in the trap of evil social forces when she met Alec, Tess could not escape inevitably. Unfortune and unhappiness befell her and never ceased.