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
Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………Ⅰ
Key words……………………………………………………………………………Ⅰ
摘要…………………………………………………………………………..……...….Ⅱ
关键词……………………………………………………………………………..….Ⅱ
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1
I. Introduction to Thomas Hardy….…………………….………….…………….....2
II. Background of the Novel ……………………………………………………….....3
III. Two Deep Stratifications of Tess’s Tragedy ……………………………………..4
A. Family and Society Caused Tess’s Tragedy …. ………………………………...…4
1. Family Background of Tess ……………………………………...….…………..4
2. Hypocritical Capitalism Morals View and Unequal Legal System……..………5
3. Impoverishment and Decay of Small Farmers …………………...…..…………6
B. Characters’ Analysis in the Novel.....…………………………….……...…………6
1. Tess’s Character …………………………………………………………...…...6
2. Alec and Clare’s Characters…………………………………………………...9
Conclusion……………………………………………………………….…….…….12
Acknowledgements…………………………..……………….…………………......13
Bibliography………………………………………….…...…………….………..….14
