浅析哈代《德伯家的苔丝》的悲剧性及其原因 英文

第一篇：浅析哈代《德伯家的苔丝》的悲剧性及其原因 英文

On the Tragedy of Tess and Its Causes 浅析哈代《德伯家的苔丝》的悲剧性及其原因

Abstract

This paper states the writing background and main contents of the novel Tess of the D’urerviles, introduces the author----Thomas Hardy, the most outstanding realistic writer of the 19th century, describes the struggling spirits of the beautiful and innocent girl Tess when she was facing sufferings;and at the same time, reveals Tess’s failure in marriage, and the miserable destiny of being hanged.This paper also analyses the family background and social phenomena, and her personality, summaries all kinds of reasons leading to Tess’s miserable fate, and deeply exposes the darkness of the capitalist society and the more miserable destiny of the women.Key words: Tess, Tess’s tragedy, Social causes, Character, Inevitability

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摘 要

本文简要陈述了小说《德伯家的苔丝》的写作背景及主要情节，介绍了该小说的作----19世纪杰出的现实主义作家托马斯·哈代，描写了美丽纯真的主人公苔丝姑娘面对苦难生活而表现出的那种不屈不挠的抗争精神，同时也揭示了苔丝失败的婚姻，以及苔丝最后被处以绞刑的悲惨命运。本文还分析了苔丝的家庭情况，当时的社会背景，以及她的个人性格特点，总结了导致苔丝悲惨命运的种种原因，深刻地揭露了资本主义社会的黑暗及妇女更加苦难的命运。

关键词: 苔丝, 悲剧, 人物性格, 必然性错误！未找到引用源。

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Table of Contents ChapterⅠ.Introduction..............................................................................................1 ChapterⅡ.The background of the novel: Tess of the D’Urbervilles......................2 2.1.About the author: Thomas Hardy........................................................................2 2.2.The main content of the novel.............................................................................3 ChapterⅢ.Inevitable causes of Tess’s tragedy.........................................................5 3.1.Objective factors..................................................................................................5 3.1.1.Social phenomenon and Social background.................................................5 3.1.2.“Impetus” from her family...........................................................................6 3.1.3.Hypocrisy of bourgeois morality and religion..............................................8 3.1.4.Unequal legal system....................................................................................9 3.2.Subjective factors..............................................................................................10 3.2.1.Tess’s figure and character..........................................................................10 3.2.1.1.Purity, diligence, self-esteem.............................................................10 3.2.1.2.Obedience, kindness, bravery............................................................11 3.2.2.Weakness of Tess’s personality and fate.....................................................11 3.2.2.1.Compromise, ignorance.....................................................................11 3.2.2.2.Traditional mind and weak personality..............................................12 3.2.2.3.Pessimistic fate theory.......................................................................12 Chapter Ⅳ.The influence of Tess.............................................................................14 ChapterⅤ.Conclusion..............................................................................................16 Bibliography...............................................................................................................17 Acknowledgements....................................................................................................18 毕业设计小结.............................................................................错误！未定义书签。

ChapterⅠ.Introduction

Tess of D’Ubevilles, published in 1891, is one of Hardy’s last and most important novels, undoubtedly, one of his most significant masterpieces.The story tells us the tragic life of an intelligent and sensitive country girl, she turns from a simple and native girl to a woman who commits a supposedly criminal or immoral action, and she endures a great deal of tragedy during her brief life.Hardy demonstrates his deep sense of moral sympathy for England’s lower class during his era, particularly for rural woman.Tess, the heroine of this novel, was full of ups and downs in her whole life, and her tragic fate has always been a hot topic in the literary research.However, when considered it deeply, Tess’s pathetic life is not merely a story or an accidental event.What are the reasons for this unfortunate, poor peasant girl to have such sufferings? what lead to her tragedy? What killed her? So the aim of this paper is to look back the novel together, step by step, and make a detailed analysis on the novel to demonstrate the various causes of the heroine’s tragedy from the following prospective of social background, a main and objective factor.Family background, a promoting factor, and unequal legal and religion system as well as Tess’s imperfect personalities are being discussed to show the era of Hardy and Tess and Tess’s unavoidable tragedy.ChapterⅡ.The background of the novel: Tess of the

D’Urbervilles

2.1.About the author: Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in a small town near the Dorchester where later became the famous “Wessex” in many of his novels.When he was young, he showed a strong interest in religion and music.At the age of 16, he left school and was apprenticed to a local architecture.He left the rural South West at the age of 22 and traveled to London where he worked as an architect for Arthur Bloomfield.During his years in London, he continued his studies in his leisure time.He read works of Charles Darwin, Herbert Spenser, and John Stuart Mill.Their philosophy had a quite strong influence on him.At the same time, he began to write poetry.But the poetries were all refused by the magazines, thus he embarked to write fiction.The first novel of Hardy was Desperate Remedies.Later he became one of the most important realism writers in the 19th century in England.The age Hardy wrote was called Victoria Period.There were many famous works of Hardy’s whole life, including Under the Greetwood, A Pair of Blue Eyes, Far fromthe Madding Growd, The Return of the Native, Major of the Casterbridge, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Jude the obscure.By the vivid description of the health, the fields, the seasons, the weather, Wessxs attained a physical presence in the novels and acted as a mirror of the psychological conditions of the characters.Hardy's poetry, first published in his 50s, has come to be as well-regarded as his novels and has had a gigantic influence over modern English poetry, especially after the movement poets of the 1950s and 1960s cited Hardy as a major figure.Thomas Hardy devoted most of his life to literary career and created a large amount of significant literary works which bring the society spiritual values and profound influence.2.2.The main content of the novel

Tess of the D’Urbervilles was published at the beginning of the last decade of the 19th century which was a time of considerable intellectual and social ferment.According to the novel, Tess is a beautiful, innocent, strong and diligent girl, but she is born in a poor and peasant family.One day, Tess’s father of the Durbeyfield household is wandering home when he is told that he is of the ancient line of the D’Urbervilles, a once powerful family.Knowing this, he returns home happily and relays the news to his family.Although being from a once great family, his current family is in need and decides to seek help from relatives by the name of D’Urberville.So, Tess is arranged and persuaded by her mother to claim kindred with this more prosperous branch of the D’Urbervillies family.Tess reluctantly agrees and begins working for them.However, she finds out that they are not truly of the D’Urberville line but simply changed their names to D’Urberville.Also, she finds out that the son of the house, Alec, is not of good character.There she is seduced and raped by Alec and gets pregnant;Then, Tess has to return home in disgrace.After she goes home, she gives birth to a baby, while unfortunately;the baby dies in a couple of days.Tess is hurt deeply again, she decides to look for a new life elsewhere where no one knows of her and the incident.Afterwards, she ends up at a farmland working as a milk maid.There, she meets three girls and a man, Angel Clare, the intellectual and free-thinking son of a clergyman.And soon, they two fall in love with each other and want to get married.There, Tess does live a most joyful life in her whole life.All the hurts in her heart are diluted and forgotten immediately.She starts to begin her new life full of love, passion, and hope.But, the virtual and kind Tess would not like to continue her life with the shadow by Alec and the guilty in her heart.Thus she decides to tell Clare all the truth about her history.She writes a letter to Clare, however, Clare doesn’t see it.With a restless heart, she comes to the church to marry Clare.On their wedding night, Tess and Angle tell each other about their past, Tess forgives him about Angle’s embarrassed past because she loves and cherishes him so much.But after hearing

Tess’s confession, Clare cannot accept the truth.He becomes so angry that he leaves her abruptly for Brazil.Poverty forces Tess to work at a farm Flincomb Ash.At the same time, Alec appears again, and tempts Tess by many methods, although Tess doesn’t change her mind.But her dad’s death makes the family lose their home.Then Tess is in contradiction and confusion in the periods.She writes several letters to Clare to ask for help, but gets nothing reply, meanwhile, Alec keeps in persuading her and cheating her, hopeless and helpless Tess, only can choose to be with Alec again, though her heart still goes with her lover Clare, who, on the other hand, is ill in Brazil.He knows none of the troubles of Tess.Eventually, noticed by a friend in Brazil, Clare realizes his fault and decides to come back to forgive Tess and begins their new life in Brazil together.When he finally finds his dear wife and tells he is still loves her so much.Tess is so excited and broken-hearted but only to tell him it’s too late.Angle gets to know everything and leaves the boarding house lonely.At the time of his getting into the train, somebody runs to him, it’s his wife, Tess.They get in to the train together;Tess tells Clare that she killed Alec, Clare makes up his mind to share anything with his wife.After several days of escaping for no destination, they are found by the police.Tess is arrested for murder and sentenced to death.Finally, Angel Clare marries Tess’ younger sister as Tess’ last wish.Soon after Tess of the D’Urbervilles was published some critics had already recognized that Mr.Hardy’s latest novel is his greatest.ChapterⅢ.Inevitable causes of Tess’s tragedy

3.1.Objective factors

Compared with the other heroines in the Hardy novel, Tess is more beautiful, passionate and dynamic.But so kind-hearted a girl has suffered a lot in his short life unfortunately and eventually forced to destruction.Thomas Hardy emphasizes the unavoidability of death.Actually, even though Hardy try to explain the misfortune of his characters from the viewpoint of the unseen but potential fate, his characterization and truthful representation of the lives of his characters reveal that their unfortunate fate is evidently determined by the objective factors.Tess’s life is closely connected with the world and background she lives in.Tess’s miserable life, Hardy shows in many different ways how her life was determined only partly by her own efforts, and how much it depends upon the pressure of things over which she had no control.To a large extent, the bourgeois society should assume much more responsibility for Tess’s pathetic death.Following, the paper is going to analyze the external factors from 4 angles which are classified to the Objective Causes that lead to Tess’s tragedy.3.1.1.Social phenomenon and Social background

As a heroine in the novel, Tess’s tragedy，to some degree, is arranged and determined by the Author’s tragic consciousness.Tess lived in the time of Victorian, when the rural areas were invaded by the British capitalist industrial civilization.At that time, as something new, capitalistic economy developed rapidly, meanwhile, the Enclosure Movement prevailed, which also reflected and coincided with Hardy's awareness of social tragedy.Tess of the D’Urbervilles is one of Hardy’s Wessex novels, which gives the background of his home town Wessex.In the mid 19th century, the English capitalist industrial civilization penetrated the countryside;Hardy’s home also suffered the impact strongly.The rapid disintegration of patriarchal society and unemployment of

individual farmers lead to the poverty and plight.Confronting with the consequences brought by industrial civilization, Thomas Hardy, as a humanist, his heart was hit strongly.He was attached to the ancient patriarchal civilization deeply in emotion and hated the industrial civilization which was a radical destruction to people’s harmonious life.So the awareness of social tragedy in Hardy’s novel existed for the social background at that time.It starts from the clash between individual civilization and patriarchal civilization, and from the panorama to the local, from the surface to the point, it gives an objective description and comprehensively expresses people’s living troubles.In the book, Hardy creates a panoramic picture of the impact from industrial civilization on the rural, deeply shows the throes in their physical plight.The social tragedy, however, mostly is caused by the conflicts between human and the environment they live in.Tess lives in the Victorian age which British capitalism assaults the countryside even poisons the social atmosphere.Under this circumstance, people’s social status is classified by their economic status.People who rank top class always are those rich in material.Just like the slave owners in slave society, the landlord in feudal society and the capitalist in capital society.Hardy witnessed the emerging of the local bourgeoisie and ruination that farmers suffered;sensitive he intuitively realized that this is the kind of conflict between human and social environment, which is totally objective as well as irreversible.Tess is smart, beautiful and diligent, but she was born in a family as poor as washed, as a labor and a farm worker with no right and money, which compels her to fall into Alec’s trap gradually.This kind of economic status only can belong to the bottom society of that time and dooms to suffer from sorts of social oppression and abuse.From this angle, Tess’s tragedy comes from society;also as a micro social side consciousness exists in the Hardy’s exploration of life and fate.3.1.2.“Impetus” from her family

Family, as a small unit, has a substantial influence to each family member.People’s character and attitude link with their living background, and a great extent

inherited from their parents.Tess’s family belongs to a particular rural community—the small traders, and lives together with traditional agricultural laborers, but Tess’s family’s status is slightly higher than the traditional one’s.They are more knowledgeable, and not only the backbone force of the ancient village life, but also a storeroom for rural customs and tradition.They are better educated, have received many advanced ideas and live a purposeful life with a quite stable career.Relatively speaking, they are supposed to be more independent.However, they are not engaged in agricultural work even though they live in rural areas.So, there’s no wonder that they don’t be liked by others.Tess’s family is big with lots of children;generally speaking, the parents should be diligent and work very hard to take up the important task of raising children and sustaining a family.But the fact is totally on the contrary, what is the attitude of this poor couple? They refuse through efforts and to use their own hands to improve their social status a little bit, but merely rely on the tiny and trivial achievements.When noticed that their family possibly be one branch of a noble descent, meantime, there is a wealthy relative lived not afar, the immediate idea came out of their mind is to persuade Tess to claim kindred and daydreaming she could be able to marry a gentleman in order to gain many benefits without any efforts.They immediately undertake the idea into reality.Upon such a heavy burden, Tess, with a special responsibility, an innocent country girl has been sent to the road of destruction without any other choices.Thus, confront of Alec’s material temptation and an opportunity to get a perfect job, together with the special task from her family as well as nature greed, even if she has already aware of Alec is a dangerous role on their way to Alec’s home, she still cannot get rid of him.Eventually, Tess has been raped by Alec, lost her chastity and falls into Alec’s trap step by step.Nevertheless, when Tess’s parents find that Tess cannot satisfies with what they want, they keep blaming Tess instead of comforting and helping the injured daughter.Later, when Tess is abandoned by Angel and hurts deeply again, both of her father and mother seem indifferent to explore the truth, what’s more, out of vanity and

narrow mind, they boast to the villagers about their daughter has obtained a satisfactory marriage.This is undoubtedly a heavy pressure on Tess, to protect her poor self-esteem, Tess have to spare half of her little money to satisfy the greedy parents, and pretend to be very happy and rich.However, Tess’s method only promotes her parents’ laziness, vanity and greed.They think they have a noble birth and now the daughter marries a rich man, so it is almost unnecessary to work any more.But Tess, she couldn’t be much poorer and become penniless soon.Meanwhile unfortunately, her father’s sudden death, withdrawal of rental lease and family house, which almost destroys this family, make Tess feel hopeless and into desperation.In order to maintain family, helpless Tess has to abandon her dignity, but commit herself to Alec once again.As mentioned above, it is the poor family impact that forces Tess head to the destruction.Under the circumstance of that time, because of the limitation and narrow mind of peasantry, Tess’s tragedy is unavoidable.3.1.3.Hypocrisy of bourgeois morality and religion

Hypocrisy of feudal ethical morality is another important factor that leads to Tess’s tragedy.In Victorian era, women are still men’s appendages.Their natural attributes are the objectives of slavery.Treated as an incomplete beings, women are under the oppression of that society, where dominated by men’s core power.It’s impossible for a man and a woman that could be equal in marriage and love.Triangle love relations, divorce and outside marriage relationship and so forth, are also considered as unethical behavior.Tess, exactly, is the victim of this unfair ethics and morals.Her whole life is under the force and violence, nevertheless, the society and the law regards those insults and persecution as justified.Tess couldn’t self-defense.In this traditional patriarchal society, women will be considered as not pure if they lost virtue and will suffer from endless abuse despite they are willing or not.Men can do everything they want, women, however, because of restriction from traditional morality, they had no right, no freedom.Alec is a representative who put his particular male right into practice perfectly, constantly torture, makes Tess under a huge

pressure both physical and emotional.As to Angel Clare, the love between him and Tess is pregnant with tragedy from the beginning.Apparently, he loves Tess, but he couldn’t as selfless and frank as Tess.To some degree, most of his love is a sense of satisfaction came from completely possess.In his eyes, Tess is “the daughter of nature”, the symbol of purity and the perfect masterpiece, no one can compare with her.Even so, when his sweet lover Tess confesses her embarrassed and terrible past to him, her perfect image collapsed momentarily.Clare can’t accept the fact;he abandons Tess and goes away resolutely.What Clare has done is a deadly hit to Tess again.Thus, externally, Clare is open and broad minded, but actually, the traditional moral concept firmly rooted in his heart.His prejudice of chastity and indifferent attitude to Tess reflect the hypocrisy of bourgeois morality, which traps Tess into an abyss of tragedy.Religion, serviced as a spiritual tool used by governing class also has to be responsible for Tess’s tragedy.There is an extreme irony plot said that, Alec, who directly lead to Tess’s tragic fate, he is rude, misbehaving and “sensual”.He depends on the business and soon become a rich bourgeois.He sets a trap to lure Tess, but use the allusion from bible to shirk the responsibility to Tess.Later, he even becomes a cleric to deliver Christian sermon.Obviously, in capitalist society, religion is only a tool for ruling class to cheat and fool the people.Through the Author’s depiction about Alec, Hardy spares no efforts to expose the darkness and hypocrisy of British society and religion.Live in this environment, no matter how hard Tess’s struggling and resisting, she can not survive and escape from the tragedy.3.1.4.Unequal legal system

Tess’s tragedy is the product of contradiction between human beings and that society.Also, unjust legal system is one of the important reasons leading to Tess’s tragic fate.During the Victorian era of late 19th century and early 20th century when Capitalism invade the rural region, the society in which Tess’s living, similar as religion, the bourgeoisie and the legacy of feudal nobility are the ruling class.All of

the national systems are worked for the government class.Of course, the legal system has no exception.Farmers are at the bottom of the society who never hold equal right as the capitalist class.Alec, however, is the typical representative of capitalist power and violence.He dares to do what he want, on one hand, is because he has lots of money and ranks as a top class of that society, on the other hand, is also because his evil behavior is always protected by the capitalist law and rules.As a young upstart, in the eyes of Victorian people, Alec is noble, nevertheless, Tess is considered as a bad girl who lures Alec in order to get his money.Tess has to endure all the injustice alone and silently all the way.And, she is hanged for paying, when she encouraged defending herself for the first time.Just as what Hardy says at the end of this novel: “Justice was done, and the President of the immortals, in Aeschylean phrase, had ended his sport with Tess”.(Tess, 467)Thus, obviously, hypocritical law should assume responsibility for Tess’s tragedy.3.2.Subjective factors

The basic principle of dialectic said that, the cause of all things, the inner reason is always the dominant factor.In this book, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, undoubtedly, the author has deep mercy on Tess, whom, to a large extent, is a innocent victim of social environment.Well, however, when throughout the whole text, it is not hard to find that, in addition to condemning the social background, Hardy holds a criticism attitude toward the heroine’s tragedy between the lines.He believes Tess’s weak character is a deadly factor that should be responsible for her inevitable tragic fate.Here, this paper is going to analyze the heroine’s figure and character weakness to clarify the internal cause that lead to Tess’s tragedy.3.2.1.Tess’s figure and character 3.2.1.1.Purity, diligence, self-esteem Tess is a significant figure in Hardy’s masterpiece, under Hardy’s writing, Tess is a pure country woman although she has been seduced and lost virginity.From the beginning, the author gives a special depiction to Tess, and prominent her pure, beauty, outstanding.She dares to sacrifice herself, set at defiance for good wishes.She is kind，love and believe others, gentle as well as strong enough.She is loyal and honesty as all the other people in Wesex.That is why she has courage to confess to her husband about her embarrassing past.As the oldest daughter in her family, Tess keeps a diligent habit all the time.When she first goes to claim kindred with another branch of D’Urbervilles, she doesn’t mean to please the host by her beauty, but would like to work for pay.After she is cheated and seduced by Alec, she doesn’t marry him or live with him, but leaves the manor without hesitation.From the above, we can feel that Tess is self-respect that when even she gives birth to her baby, she never asks for Alec’s help either asks for help from Angle’s parents when she is abandoned by Clare.3.2.1.2.Obedience, kindness, bravery On the other hand, Tess is obedient, she always obey what her parents say.What’s more, Tess’s sense of responsibility plays a central role in tragedy.When the horse Prince dead, she becomes self-blaming and think that is her fault, what exists in her mind all the time is that as the oldest child, she has the responsibility to her family.In order to save her mother, brothers and sisters out of the difficult life and heavy burden after her father’s death, Tess compromised and turns to Alec for help again and again and neglects her own feelings.Tess’ kindness provides Alec with a perfect opportunity to cheat her.Even suffers a lot, Tess always keep an optimistic mind and a hot heart full of hope to future.She is brave enough and finally not flinch when encounter with love.She loves Clare so much, that when Clare’s back from Brazil, she breaks out courage and determines to get rid of Alec forever.Thus, she is forced to choose a wrong way to kill Alec and eventually fails to escape from the legal sanctions.3.2.2.Weakness of Tess’s personality and fate 3.2.2.1.Compromise, ignorance The biggest feature of Tess’s character is pure and innocent, however, in the society at that time, her selflessness and self-sacrifice offers an opportunity to the evil force to ruin her.Her own pursuit of purity and candor makes her miss the chance with happiness.After the death of horse Prince, to look after her family, she comes to a chicken farm which gives Alec chances to lure her.In case of been ridiculed, she

even jumps onto Alec’s horse, we can easily find, her pure mind and lack of the sense of self-protection traps her into dangerous.When it is already dark and only Alec and herself in the forest, she shouldn’t have realized that Alec is attempting to infringe on her.During the wedding night, her pure nature makes her to confess her past to Clare regardless of her mother’s objection.She innocently thinks, Clare is kindhearted, selfless and generous as her.But the fact is she is abandoned by her husband.Finally, she picks up weapon to resist and kills Alec and also destroy herself.3.2.2.2.Traditional mind and weak personality

Arthur Schopenhauer, a very famous philosopher said, personality plays an important role in our lives and works every moment.It can affect our mind to make different choices when face to different problems and determine our fate to a large extent.So Tess is a good example.Even though, lots of external causes lead to her tragic fate, but her weakness in character is the radical and decisive inner reason contributed to her tragedy.Tess is born in a farmer family, when resisting the old tradition and morality;she presents her weakness because of the remnants of traditional morality and fatalistic view.She is obedient, and never disobey her parents words regardless what they said is correct or not.According to her father and mother’s order, she goes to claim kindred with Alec, when she knows that Alec is not a good person, she cannot rebel and protect herself.While, after losing her virginity, she feels guilty, unconfident, complex, flinched and concessive.It is this mentality that makes her refuse Clare’s proposal repeatedly.Her heart is struggling in a great contradiction.When confesses her past to Clare, her husband’s unforgiveness and abandon deepen her inferiority.To get his heart back and live with Clare forever, she explains and begs his forgiveness continuously, willing to be his slave and even sacrifice for him.Tess used to be a brave and strong country girl, but after raped by Alec, the painful memory tortures her so much.Clare’s love is a heavy burden to her and increases her fear, anxiety, shame and regret.It seems that she is born with guilty and pain.All of these characters illustrate the weakness of Tess.3.2.2.3.Pessimistic fate theory

Thomas Hardy, however, to some degree is a pessimistic person, He believes in fatalism.There is a definition of fatalism in Cliff's Notes, it says fatalism being view of life which says that all action is controlled by the nature of things or by fate which is a great, impersonal, primitive force existing through all eternity, absolutely independent of human wills and superior to any god created by man.As the author, heroine's tragic fate is arranged by Hardy, so Tess's character, to some extent is influenced and similar with Hardy.There is also a weakness of fatalism in Tess's character.Many coincidences are linked with her fate.Through the novel, we can get many clues that present her mind of fatalism.When first time Tess go to claim kindred with Alec, she is injured by rose, which she thinks is an unlucky sign and shadowed her life.Tess believes a folk idiom said “The wedding dress will never fit a bride who lost her chastity”, when she is trying her new wedding dress.She worries about that and become heavy in mind.Besides, she feels anxious and fear if it is not a good sign when seeing the picture of ancestor in her wedding room.This kind of fatalism always exists in Tess mind and tortures her all the time, impairs her courage.All these tiny plots display Tess's mentality of fatalism, from this aspect, Tess's tragedy seems a more reasonable and inevitable result.Chapter Ⅳ.The influence of Tess

Tess of D’Urbervilles, when published first time, becomes a bestseller and hot topic and attracts attention of literary research.Tess, a pure kind country girl, her whole fate is full of ups and downs.However, it seems that her tragic fate is more determined by the social background than her own reasons.Hardy’s depiction gives us a intuitive idea about the author and Tess’s society, reflects a backward feudal society.Bourgeois society is not a mature society, for it is not harmony and equal in human rights.Tess is innocent, her pure mind, simplicity and diligence could not prevent her from being ruined in the circumstance of bourgeois society, only because she is a poor and weak female who is never respected by others and eventually becomes a victim of hypocritical morality of the capitalist society.Literature is a mirror of real life which can reflect many aspects of people’s lives and also can be meaningful and inspiring to our contemporary life.Generally speaking, the only way for a society to survive and be sustainable is that equal in human rights and harmony in people’s relations.Tess of D’Urbervilles, through this novel, we can easily see the impact of ideology on society, nation, families and individuals is crucial.As a ruling class, to some degree, their mentality determines the whole society, they have to aware of that, equality of status of human rights, and establishment of a sound legal and religious system is directly related to a long term

survival of an era.The promotion and penetration of culture ideas affect the people’s way of thinking and behaving.Besides, as the folk, we have to be better educated and open-minded, improve our quality and keep a positive mind.As far as I am concerned, under this circumstance, Tess’s tragedy is not her own tragedy, but a whole feudal society.The bourgeois society is full of injustices and destruction.Thus, connecting with the above many aspects, the society Tess lived in, fool ruling class, narrow minded people, hypocritical in morality and religion and unjust in legal system as well as unequal status between men and women, dooms to be an end society.Besides, I want to highlight that, Tess’s rough and rugged life is not only the fate tragedy, but the tragedy of our female.So, for the female, we should keep our pure, self-esteem nature, and, at the same time, we only to break the bound of tradition morality find our right position, self-worth and equal social status, we can get our happiness and realize our life value.ChapterⅤ.Conclusion

Comprehensive speaking, Tess's tragedy is linked with social elements, while her character has an inescapable responsibility to her tragic fate as well.Further more, all these causes are directly related to the bourgeois society and Tess's tragedy is a vivid reflection of it.Under that environment, the purer and poorer a woman is, the easier she will get hurt.Thomas Hardy is a giant;his depiction of this novel gives us a much clearer knowledge of the society he lives in.After a thorough appreciation to this touching novel, we can't help having mercy on Tess, and her figure is unforgettable.But, when we think about this story rationally, the society of Victorian era together with Tess's kind and weak character lead to Tess's unavoidable destruction.Just as Soviet literary critic Alnwick Manchester says the real reasons for Tess's destruction are the reality, the heroine's nature, the dispossession, and the social prevailing conventions.All these determine the poor lady's miserable fate.From the above narrative, we can easily see Tess’s tragedy is inevitable;besides, we can have a general knowledge about Thomas Hardy’s society of 19th century and deeply educated that we’d better to take the essence and discard the dregs of different eras and histories.Thomas Hardy is a great author, his affection and contribution to the literature

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[11] 祁寿华．[美]WilliamWMorgan．回应悲剧缪斯的呼唤．上海：上海外语教育出版社.2001．

Acknowledgements

Firstly I would like to show my gratitude to my supervisor Sun zhonglun for his guidance during my studies.Although he was very busy then, he was willing to spare time to give me generous guidance and support, especially to provide me with a good environment, which benefits me a lot.With his serious and responsible attitude, rigorous scientific research methods, keen academic insight, diligent style of work, innovative and pioneering spirit, Mr.Sun has set a good example for me.Here I extend my deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Mr.Sun

I’m also grateful to my parents for their hard working.Then I thank those who help me in course of the writing and whose names I can’t list here one by one.

第二篇：从托马斯.哈代的《德伯家的苔丝》看小说人物的社会悲剧性

《英国文学》课程论文

行政班级：A1021

学号：11006190129

姓名：范瑀

Theory：Causes of Tragedy of Tess of the D’Urbervilles Abstract: Tess of the D’Urbervilles, the greatest novel of British famous writer Thomas Hardy, describes the unfortunate, short life of a poor peasant girl, Tess.It is also a realistic novel which reflects the miserable fate of the individual farmer of England in the late of 19th century.Tess’s tragedy is a true portrayal of the poor of her time.The cause of her tragedy is always a concern of people.This passage illustrates three different opinions about the cause of Tess’ tragic fate, which include destiny tragedy, accidental tragedy, and psychological determinism.Within the three theories, the social reasons play an important role.Being a beautiful, innocents honest, sweet-natured, and hard-working country girl, she is easily taken in and abused by the bourgeoisie, constantly suppressed by the social conventions and moral values of the day, abandoned by her husband and eventually executed by the unfair legal system of the society though Clare（her husband）came back to her.Key words: Tess, destiny tragedy, accidental tragedy, psychological determinism.前言

十九世纪是英国资本主义迅速发展的黄金时期，英国著名小说家托马斯.哈代的创作时期包括从自由资本主义过渡到帝国主义的阶段。他看到资本主义社会给劳动人民，尤其是给农民带来的不幸和灾难，对他们表示同情。他的小说一直以故乡道塞特郡和该郡附近的地区作背景。这是一个几乎没有工业可言的农业区，但它同样受到资本主义的渗透。特别是七十年代以后，资本主义的侵入破坏了整个农村，使农村的宗法社会的基础彻底崩溃。他观察了农业危机在道塞特郡所造成的悲惨后果，描写这一地区农民所受的灾难。但是他用唯心主义解释社会变化的原因，认为支配人的命运的是一种“弥漫宇宙的意志”。这是宿命论的观点。

作者简介

托马斯·哈代，英国诗人、小说家。他是横跨两个世纪的作家，早期和中期的创作以小说为主，继承和发扬了维多利亚时期的文学传统；晚年以其出色的诗歌开拓了英国20世纪的文学。《德伯家的苔丝》(Tess of the D'Urbervilles)（1891）是他最优秀的小说，故事情节

《德伯家的苔丝》(1891)描写贫穷的农家女子苔丝一生的遭遇。她渴望凭自己的劳动过日子，但是在当时的社会中却接二连三地受到沉重珠打击。苔丝还非常年轻的时候，就因为家庭贫困，不得不上德伯家去当女工，遭到资产阶级纨绔子弟亚雷·德伯的污辱，怀了身孕，成为一个“失了身的女子。她忍受周围人们歧视和道德偏见的压力，孩子病死后，她在一家牛奶场工作，认识了一个牧师的儿子，青年大学生安玑·克莱，不久便和他相爱。苔丝向克莱讲述了自己过去的不幸经历之后，充满资产阶级的虚伪的伦理偏见的克莱，突然一反往常的态度，遗弃了苔丝，使她走上更加悲惨的道路。苔丝转到另一个农场劳动，受到资本家更为残酷的剥削。后来父亲死去，一家人沦落街头，纨绔子弟亚雷又来纠缠她，她不得已而又迁就了他。克莱的突然归来使苔丝受刺激太深终于酿成了她杀死亚雷的悲剧。她成了一个杀人犯，被法庭判处死刑。

《苔丝》问世后，哈代开始与维多利亚时代道德观念发生冲突。有的情节在连载时已被删去，其他一些也被改动；而该书的副标题：“一个纯洁女子的真实写照”引起某些人的强烈不满。他们说，书中的女主人公不仅生了私生子，最后还由于谋杀同居的男人而被判绞刑，但作者在处理上却给这样一个女人以同情和谅解，这是对公认的道德标准的公然侮辱。

正文

苔丝的命运看似是巧合，其实有其深刻的社会根源。如果不是他父亲希望从德伯家捞点好处，如果她父亲没有遇到那个教士，也许他就不会遇上亚雷。有人说害死她的是克莱，因为克莱的抛弃使她失去了希望。但真正扼杀她的是无情的资产阶级的伦理道德，当克莱得知苔丝并非处女，甚至还有过一个小孩时，他马上对苔丝产生了厌恶，并毅然决然选择了抛弃她，这无疑是给已经伤痕累累的苔丝雪上加霜，当她再次回到农场时，家庭已经破败不堪，父亲酗酒而死，他们一家也被赶出农厂(其实折射了英国圈地运动给穷苦劳动人民带来的不幸)，她们一家落到了流落街头的结局。所以，如果我们仔细分析小说，不禁发现真正左右她命运并把她扼杀致死的是那个无情的资本主义社会。

在哈代的《无名的裘德》一书中，裘德好学深思、刻苦自修，却始终被拒之于大学门外。女主人公淑聪颖美貌，更重要的是具有独立的人格和思想，蔑视世俗和僵化的宗教，但她与裘德的爱情却为教会所不容、世俗所不齿。裘德壮志难酬、谋职无路、告贷无门，绝望中，他的长子与弟妹一同吊死。

苔丝与裘德，这两个毫不相干的人物，但是他们都成为了资本主义宗教伦理的牺牲品，生活在19世纪资本主义社会下的广大穷苦大众的生活可见一斑。用鲁迅先生的话讲，他们都被那个无情的社会吞噬了，宛如他笔下的祥林嫂，孔乙己，阿Q…..无独有偶，说起人物的社会悲剧性，老舍先生的《骆驼祥子》与哈代的威塞克斯小说有“异曲同工”只妙。

老舍先生以二十年代末期的北京市民生活为背景，以人力车夫祥子的坎坷、悲惨的生活遭遇为主要情节，深刻揭露了旧中国的黑暗，控诉了统治阶级对劳动者的剥削、压迫，表达了作者对劳动人民的深切同情，向人们展示军阀混战、黑暗统治下的北京底层贫苦市民生活于痛苦深渊中的图景。

祥子的悲剧是也一个社会悲剧，他的“做一个独立的劳动者”善良愿望的最终破灭，带有历史的必然性。军阀的乱兵、反动政府的侦探、车行老板的强取豪夺，是中国社会半殖民地化过程中的产物，而生存权利的最终被剥夺，则是下层劳动者无法规避的历史命运。

我们不禁发现无论是苔丝，裘德，还是中国的祥子，祥林嫂，孔乙己诸如此类的，他们身上都不免带有深深地时代烙印。人是社会中的人，社会是由人组成的社会，社会给人的发展提供机会，当然也会淹没，甚至是吞噬。

关于批判资本主义伦理宗教道德观念的西方文学作品并不少，挪威作家易卜生的《玩偶之家》对资本主义更是进行了强烈谴责。

海尔茂律师刚谋到银行经理一职，正欲大展鸿图。他的妻子娜拉请他帮助老同学林丹太太找份工作，于是海尔茂解雇了手下的小职员柯洛克斯泰，准备让林丹太太接替空出的位置。娜拉前些年为给丈夫治病而借债，无意中犯了伪造字据罪，柯洛克斯泰拿着字据要挟娜拉。海尔茂看了柯洛克斯泰的揭发信后勃然大怒，骂娜拉是“坏东西”、“罪犯”、“下贱女人”，说自己的前程全被毁了。待柯洛克斯泰被林丹太太说动，退回字据时，海尔茂快活地叫道：“娜拉，我没事了，我饶恕你了。”但娜拉却不饶恕他，因为她已看清，丈夫关心的只是他的地位和名誉，所谓“爱”、“关心”，只是拿她当玩偶。于是她断然出走了。

易卜生在《玩偶之家》中揭露和批判了社会上的丑恶现实，把改造丑恶现实的希望寄托在具有反叛精神的少数人身上。娜拉出走就是反叛。他在作品中提出了问题，但是他与哈代一样没有指出正确的斗争道路。从他所处的阶级地位和生活的社会环境来看，他找不到也不可能找到答案，这是与他们的所处时代是分不开。

再说哈代这个人，他是十九世纪英国杰出的现实主义作家，同时也是一位造诣非凡的诗人。哈代一生对希腊悲剧、莎士比亚悲剧研读不已，并受叔本华悲剧意识影响，认同近代科学思想上的怀疑派论调，致使他对人生的见解悲观宿命。他认为人类文明无论发展到何种地步，人类终是无法摆脱宿命的捉弄。这一思想成为囿哈代创作的一大框窗。哈代作品，巧合频频可见，自然气息弥漫侵入；融性格与环境于一体。

他将这些小说大体分为3类：性格与环境的小说、罗曼史与幻想的小说和精于结构的小说。其中以第一类最为重要。属于此类的长篇小说有《绿林荫下》、《远离尘嚣》、《还乡》、《卡斯特桥市长》、《林居人》、《德伯家的苔丝》、《无名的裘德》。一般认为它们是哈代思想、艺术上最成熟的作品，其中又以悲剧故事《德伯家的苔丝》和《无名的裘德》最为杰出。前者写贫苦美丽的挤奶女工苔丝因年轻无知而失身于富家恶少亚雷·德伯，受尽精神上和物质上的煎熬，最后失去自己真心爱恋的安玑·克莱，悲愤绝望之中，杀死亚雷，坦然走上绞架。后一部小说写贫苦善良的孤儿裘德·范立奋发自学欲赴高等学府深造，但无入门之道。他与志趣相投的表妹淑·布莱德赫双双摆脱法定配偶而自由结合，但为社会所排斥，流浪街头，最后家破人亡。

一百多年过去了，女主人公苔丝也早已树立在世界文学画廊之中，这不仅仅因为人们对传统美德有所超越，更因为作品主人公所拥有的人性与灵魂深处的巨大魄力使之成为最动人的女性形象之一。哈代以小说女主人公苔丝的悲惨命运替西方悲剧作了一个形象的阐释：苔丝本是一位纯洁美丽又非常勤劳的农村姑娘，她向往人生的真和善，但又时时遭到伪和恶的打击。苔丝的悲剧始于为了全家人生计去远亲家打工，却因年幼无知而被亚雷骗去了处女的贞操，成了一个“堕落”的女人，受到社会舆论的非议，把她看成不贞洁的罪人；苔丝后来与青年克莱相爱，又因为新婚之夜坦诚有污点的过去而被丈夫遗弃，而与近在眼前的幸福失之交臂；出于高度的家庭责任感和自我牺牲精神，苔丝为换取家人的生存而再次违愿沦为亚雷的情妇；最后因为丈夫的回心转意使得绝望的苔丝愤而举起了复仇的利刃，终于成了一个杀人犯，最后不得不付出了生命的代价，导致“像游丝一样敏感，像雪一样洁白”的苔丝最后终被完全毁灭。这一切悲性遭遇全由于无情命运所精心谋划和设计，安排世事的宇宙主宰通过命运的巨网毫无怜悯地将人伦道德意义上的好人、善良人笼罩于进退维谷的苦难陷阱。

那么，苔丝的悲剧是社会悲剧？是命运悲剧？还是性格悲剧？抑或是三种之外的什么？我就我个人见解下面作以简要剖析与阐释。

毫无疑问，苔丝的悲剧首先是社会悲剧。哈代的“威塞克斯”小说是以其故乡威塞克斯为背景的。19世纪中期英国资本主义工业文明侵入农村，哈代的故乡也遭到强大的冲击，其宗法社迅速解体，个体农民在经济上陷入失业、贫困的悲惨境地。面对工业文明带来的后果，哈代作为一个人道主义着者，心灵受到强烈冲击，在感情上深深地依恋古老的宗法文明，痛恨工业文明对人们和谐生存状态的摧毁。哈代乡土小说的社会悲剧意识立足于当时的社会背景，以工业文明与宗法文明的冲突为切入点，采用由全景到局部、由面到点的客观描述笔法，深入地表现人们的生存困境。《苔丝》中，哈代对当时工业文明对乡村的冲击进行了全景式描绘，然后以苔丝家作为个体农民的缩影，深入展现人们在物质困境中的痛苦挣扎。社会悲剧是人同社会环境的冲突造成的。苔丝生活在英国资本主义侵袭到农村并毒化社会气氛的维多利亚时代。这位弱女子，尽管聪明美丽，勤劳善良，但家贫如洗、经济拮据，负担沉重，她处于低下的社会地位，作为一个劳动者、一个无权无钱的农业工人，自然会受到资本主义社会的种种压迫和凌辱，这些压迫和凌辱有经济的、权势的、肉体的、更有精神的、宗教的、道德的、传统观念的。她的悲剧是时代造成的，同时，亚雷和克雷代表了把苔丝推向深渊的两种不同的客观社会势力，他们直接地共同造成了苔丝的社会悲剧。

苔丝悲剧的第二个原因，也是其悲剧的直接原因，即她是暴力、恶势力及维护它们的法律、国家机器的受害者。这种暴力、恶势力的集中代表就是亚雷·德伯。

亚雷的父亲是个有钱的商人，而后冠以贵族德伯的姓氏。这个阔少凭借父亲的金钱、权势在乡野称霸，为非作歹。他第一次见到苔丝，荒淫好色的嘴脸就暴露无遗。由于苔丝年幼无知，缺乏经验，而周围的环境又是那样黑暗，没有一个人帮助，没有一个人保护，因此，他趁人之危，设下圈套，蹂躏、玷污了苔丝，毁坏了苔丝少女的贞洁和一生的幸福。尽管后来他在老克莱牧师的帮助下一度改邪归正，自己也作了牧师并打算变卖家产到非洲去传教，然而几十年的恶习并未根除。当他再度碰见苔丝以后，邪念再生，几年的教诲前功尽弃，倒是苔丝看透了这个身着道袍的牧师的灵魂：“象你这种人本来都是拿我这样人开心作乐的，只顾自己乐个够，至于我怎么受罪你就管不着啦；你作完了乐，开够了心，就又说你悟了道了，预备死后再到天堂上去享乐；天下的便宜都叫你占了去了。”苔丝一针见血地揭穿了亚雷皈依宗教的虚伪，亚雷行为的本身也表明作者对宗教力量的怀疑。此后，亚雷又百般来纠缠、胁逼苔丝，他骂她是傻老婆，欺骗苔丝说她丈夫再也不会回来了，并威胁说：“你记住了，我的夫人，你从前没逃出我的手心去，你这回还是逃不出我的手心去。你只要作太太，你就得作我的太太。”但是，苔丝宁可继续留在农场里忍受残酷的剥削和压榨，承受超负荷的重体力劳动，也不愿意屈服于亚雷，并接受他的帮助。然而父亲病死，母亲身体不好，弟妹失学，房子租赁到期，一家人被撵出村子无处安身，为了一家人的活命，苔丝不得不忍辱含垢，接受了亚雷的帮助，作了他的情妇。从此，彻底断送了她终生的幸福。苔丝一生都是强权和暴力的受害者。亚雷之所以敢称霸四野，为非作歹，为所欲为，不仅因为他有钱、有势，而且更主要的是有资产阶级机器、法律的保护。社会和法律都认为侮辱和迫害苔丝的人是正当的，而受迫害的苔丝则是有罪的。苔丝一生都必得逆来顺受，忍受含垢，不能自卫，而当她有生以来第一次起来自卫的时候，“‘典型’明证了，埃斯库罗斯所说的那个众神主宰对于苔丝的戏弄也完结了。”苔丝成了资产阶级国家祭坛上的祭品。苔丝的悲惨遭遇，社会对苔丝的不公正，表明了资产阶级法律的不仁道和虚伪。

传统伦理道德对苔丝精神上的摧残，是苔丝悲剧的又一主要原因。如果说以亚雷为代表的恶势力及其强大的后盾——国家机器、法律对苔丝的迫害是一种无形的更可怕的精神残害。

苔丝受到亚雷的玷污、凌辱后，内心的自尊使她不愿屈居亚雷身边，作他的情妇，成为他享乐的工具。毅然决然离开亚雷，回到父母身边。然而世俗的舆论、传统的道德，像一支支利箭一样向她射来。为了躲避舆论，也为了躲避人类，她不出家门，只有等天黑以后，她才跑到树林里面，只有在最孤独的时候，“她才好像最不孤独”，才能体验到一种心灵上的自由。苔丝是一个勇敢的女性，她勇敢地接受了一个不贞洁女人的地位，为了她的忍气吞声地活着。孩子死后，为了躲避舆论和忘掉不幸的往事，同时，她体内“没有消耗的青春”，“寻找快乐的本能”，对未来的憧憬，都促使她第二次离开故乡，受雇于克里克老板的牛奶厂，当了挤奶工。就是在这里，她认识了克莱，度过了她一生短暂而美好的时光。

克莱是与亚雷完全不同的人。他是个有开明思想的知识分子，他不象他的两个哥哥那么庸俗。他虽然出身牧师家庭，却不愿意当牧师“为上帝服务”，更愿意从事实业——务农，克莱鄙视阶级偏见和等级观念，厌弃都市繁华生活，自愿到乡间务农。他不怕吃苦，和农工一样从事繁重的体力劳动，力图掌握各种门类的农业技术，以便实现自己的理想，成为一个大农场主。在大自然的怀抱中，和天真无邪的农家少女朝夕相处，使他更感到乡村生活的纯朴，也更向往着自然，纯朴、清新的生活，为此，他不愿意娶有钱人家的小姐，而要娶农家姑娘为妻。这些都表明克莱思想上进步、开明的一面。在对待女性和恋爱问题上，他和亚雷也大相径庭。他对女性温文尔雅，对恋爱问题严肃认真，认为如果要爱，就要认真，就要负责任。这也显示他精神上高尚的一面。正是由于克莱身上这些闪光之处和他对苔丝锲而不舍的追求，使苔丝在经历了一个时期情与理的内心冲突后，改变初衷，答应了他的求婚，狂热地爱上了他。然而，他们的爱情一开始就孕育着悲剧因素。克莱爱苔丝，不象苔丝爱他那样无私和真诚，无论他“变成什么样子”，“栽了多少跟头”，“都要一样地爱”。“他爱的是真火少，虚火多”，更趋于理性和“轻灵”。因此，在他眼里，苔丝是“大自然的新生女儿”，纯洁的象征，完美无暇的杰作，“天地间没有什么象苔丝那样纯正，那样甜美，那样贞洁了。”然而，一旦苔丝诚实地向他坦白了自己过去所受凌辱，那么克莱心目中的偶像就崩塌了。首先他感到的是受到了愚弄，“非常残酷”的愚弄，这一下子“把他的生命、他的宇宙，全都给改变了。”他不能接受现实，不止一次地对苔丝说：“我原来爱的那个女人不是你！是另一个模样儿跟你一样的女人”。这种从理性、从观念出发的爱，不仅扼杀了他心中真实的感情，也断送了苔丝一生的幸福。当然，这只是造成克莱和苔丝爱情悲剧的一方面因素，他们的爱情悲剧另一重要原因是克莱心理深层那种根深蒂固的传统伦理道德观念作祟的结果。他自己也有过放荡行为，并得到苔丝的原谅，但是却不肯原谅、饶恕原本无辜的苔丝；他也反抗过传统观念、阶级偏见，但是却不彻底，灵魂深处仍旧深深地烙有本阶级的印记；他卑视出身，瞧不起大户人家，但从传统出发，仍旧认为“身份不一样，道德观念也不一样。”他说：“我不愿娶有身份、有财产、通达世务的女人，我把那一切野心一概放弃了，那我就不但可以得到一个天然美丽的女人，也可以得到一个朴素纯洁的女人了„„”正道出了她的心曲，他正是从传统贞操观来看待一个女人的“纯洁”与否。克莱对苔丝不仅没有丝毫同情，甚至“不能优容苔丝”，他视而不见苔丝对他的一片深情厚意，冷酷无情地抛弃了她，置苔丝于痛苦绝望之中，而且永远扑灭了爱情在她心中重新唤起的希望。如果说是亚雷·德伯毁坏了苔丝的肉体，那么安玑·克莱带给她的则是精神上的毁灭打击。贞洁的丧失带给苔丝深深的痛苦，但还未能泯灭她求生的欲望和对未来的希望，而被情人的遗弃，爱情的挫折，则摧毁了她生活的精神支柱，令她万念俱灭，丧失了生活的勇气。如果说苔丝第一次受到亚雷的欺骗和凌辱是由于她年幼无知，贫穷无依，那么第二次又被迫回到亚雷身边，则是克莱的冷酷无情使然，从而也就更加深了苔丝的不幸。

克莱抛弃苔丝后，远涉异国来到巴西，饱受生活磨难之后，才真正了解人生，才认识到自己所固守的传统道德是何等的迂腐，既坑害了苔丝，也坑害了自己。内心的悔恨，对苔丝的思念，使他又重新去找苔丝，然而，苔丝的幸福早已被他断送了，他的到来，只能更加深苔丝的不幸，使她更感受到自身的屈辱，此时苔丝心中痛苦、悔恨、绝望之情达到顶点。丈夫的归来，两人的重逢，使苔丝看到自己再一次受骗，一怒之下，杀死亚雷，复了仇，对自己长期所受的痛苦，所遭受的折磨和屈辱，以及命运对自己的不公正，进行了大胆的、强烈的抗议。她用自己的行为，不仅向自己所爱的人——克莱证明，而且也是对自己证明无罪。在这里，尽管恶人遭到报应，但主人公的悲剧并未能转化为喜剧。苔丝复仇，只是杀了一个亚雷，造成社会悲剧的因素依然猖獗。何况，等待着苔丝的是绞架。苔丝的死是社会悲剧的集中和浓缩。

综上所述，苔丝的悲剧既有社会的因素，也与她的性格和作者的悲观主义宿命论有关，但这些因素都与当时的资本主义社会有着直接的联系，是资本主义社会的种种反映。她的毁灭是必然的，是资本主义社会中无法逃避的。正如苏联文学批评家阿尼克斯特所说：“苔丝招致毁灭的真正原因是属于现实的性质，女主人公的贫苦和无依无靠，社会上盛行的社会风习——这些情况都决定了这个女子的悲惨命运。”这句话也正指出了苔丝悲剧的根源是当时资本主义社会。

第三篇：德伯家的苔丝英文读后感

This is a book of grievous mood.A beautiful young girl’s life was destroyed gradually and really---not by her energy, but by the people who said love to her.What kind of this love is? What make the love destroy its lover?Tess could be a happy girl though her family was very poor.But “noble, status, and money” were strongly in her father’s mind, just because of the discovery that a parson said to him.Without their horse’s carrying load, life became rather difficult.Tess blamed herself completely, and she wondered what she could help her parents.Then Tess obeyed her mother’s idea, to work at the d’Urberville’s home, and met her cousin, Alec d’Urbervilles.This then was the beginning.Tess had to meet the wrong man, and one who was so strongly attracted to her.Yet to the right man, she was only a half-forgotten impression from an evening’s dancing party in a country field.This mistake was to have tragic results.Alec used his clever brain to help Tess’s parents, and this made Tess feel grateful to him.Because of her slackening vigilance, Alec’s intention came true---Tess would be maiden no more.As the people of her village said, “It was to be.” And from now on, Tess’s life was to be completely different.Tess left Alec’s home, returned her village.But all had changed, Tess wouldn’t be happy, people in village wouldn’t see her as before.After her baby’s death, she had to leave her home, went to a far place.Perhaps at that time we should thank Alec, thank baby’s death, or Tess wouldn’t leave her home and met Angel Clare, her right man in the dairy.Tess was a so lovely girl that Angel was soon crazy for her.At last, they conquered many difficulties and got married.But Tess’s experience was still her mortal wound, Angel couldn’t accept the truth and left her.The story came to its turning point again.When Angel realized his mistake and went back to look for Tess, all was too late, the poor girl again dropped into Alec’s trap.With the intertwine of love and hatred, Tess had to end herself with a tragic results.God played with Tess so much.When her right man appeared, God yet didn’t give her happiness.Tess’s parents loved her, but it was just an instinctive love;Alec said love to her, but it was a evil love;Angel said love to her as well, but it was a immature and selfish love.He wanted Tess to forgive him, but he couldn’t forgive Tess.Tess didn’t make any mistakes, but at last, she born all punishments and sufferings.At first, God had let the two persons miss each other.A tragedy was

doomed.But perhaps no love, no hatred, no dignity, death was the best way for Tess to extricate herself.We have nothing to do but watching world changing, destroying Tess, then continuing changing.The tragedy recurs every day in fact.I can’t help asking, have we missed our happiness?

第四篇：德伯家的苔丝 英文读后感

Character Analysis of Tess Tess of D' Ubervilles is the most famous novel of Thomas Hardy, the tragic end of Tess is painful and affecting.The paper supposes the tragic experience of Tess result from her character.Her character of responsibility is the flashpoint of her tragic fortune.Her responsibility convinced herself that she is to blame for killing the horse, and her responsibility urges her ask her fake relatives for help after the horse died, as a result she is acquainted with Alec D' Uberville and seduced by him eventually.Her responsibility impels her confessing her mistake to her husband Clare before their wedding, because she believes it's unfair to Clare if she doesn't, as a result her husband leaves her into suffering.She refuses Alec's proposal when they meet again, but after her father died, her family live a hard life, her responsibility to her family forces her live together with Alec.Her character of infatuated makes her a miserable fate, and blinds her good sense.The chapter 31 narrates “to her sublime trustfulness he was all that goodness could be-knew all that a guide, philosopher, and a friend should know.”Owing to the infatuated, she is lost her own judgment.It's wrong that her infatuated makes her lack of equal consciousness and totally controlled by Clare, and ready to be a slave of Clare and it also put herself in an unequal position like a servant..The character of obedience of Tess also makes her sad fate.When her mother asks her seeks help to their fake relatives, although she is reluctant to do that, she yields at last.When they sit on the high-speed dogcart, Alec speaks “Let me put one little kiss on those lips, Tess, or even on that warmed cheek, and I will stop-on my honor, I will.” “But I don't want anybody to kiss me, sir!” She implored a big tear beginning to roll down her face, and the corners of her mouth trembling in her attempts not to cry.He was inexorable, and she sat still, and D'Urberville gives her the kiss of mastery.It is shown that her character of obedience gives Alec has a chance to molest her.When they miss their way in an old wood, she believes Alec easily, accept his terms and waits for him in the wood, therefore, she was seduced by Alec.She should have left Alec as soon as possible, but her obedience leads her to a sad end.Tess is a girl as pure as the driven snow.When her mother tells her if she asks for help from their relatives, she would have the opportunity to marry a gentleman.Tess doesn't want to do that, because her pure heart despises worldly marriage.Although she was seduced by Alec and lives together with him, she is a pure girl, because she has no choices expect yield to her tragic fate.Even though she experiences a serious of hardships, she never gives up herself and works hard, and always believes her cruel-hearted husband who leaves her and preserves his reputation.It is her simplicity that causes her a bad end, but it also touches the readers, and the pure character of Tess is the beauty of the regretful end.As Jung said: “your character is your destiny.” The connection between Tess's fate and character is not occasional, her tragic end result from her

第五篇：德伯家的苔丝英文鉴赏

Reaction to Tess of the D’Urbervilles

It’s the second time I have read the novel “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”.I have a great impression on this novel, and its author, Thomas Hardy.Thomas Hardy, born in 1840 in Dorsetshire and died in 1928, was an English novelist and poet.Thomas's father was a stonemason and his mother was interested in literature.Under his mother's influences, Hardy began to write at 22.In 1856, Hardy left school and then he apprenticed under a local architect.After that, he became an assistant to a British architect.In this time, he learned literature and philosophy by his own.In 1867, he returned to his hometown and started to write novels.“Tess of the D'Urbervilles” was one of the two most famous novels which were written in 1890s.“Tess of the D'Urbervilles” narrates a story about a country girl, who is innocent, beautiful, bright and plain killing a man after being driven desperate.At the beginning of the novel, Tess helps her father to deliver goods into the town by driving a cart.However, she bumps into a mail cart in the dark night.As a result, the old horse is hurt to death in this accident.So Tess gets into a big trouble.In order to atone for her crime and also to support her family, she goes to work in D'Urbervilles'.During these days, one day Alec rapes her in woods.After losing her virginity, Tess leaves Alec and goes home.She gives birth to a child at home, but unfortunately, the child dies soon.Then, she works in a dairy factory and falls in love with Angel Clare.On their wedding night, Clare knows that Tess has lost her virginity.So, he leaves Tess to Brazil.Poor Tess goes to work in anther factory.After her father's death, the landlord takes back the house.Tess has to go back to Alec, so that her families could have a place to live.One day, Clare returns to look for Tess suddenly when he realizes his false.In great pain, Tess kills Alec with a knife.At the end, Tess is hung to death as a murder.In the novel, Tess is a modern woman idealized by Hardy.In an ideal world of Hardy, Tess is the symbol of beauty and the embodiment of love, representing the Wessex people of all good merits: beautiful, kind, pure, plain, love and tolerance.She dares to sacrifice herself with the hope to have a good life.She has a characteristic feeling of the love and trust.The women’s gentle and brave are melted well in her.Tess is a beautiful woman with temperament, strong will and warm feelings.She’s also upright and honesty.Instead of pursuing vanities by marriage, she chooses to pursue freedom basing on self-esteem.However, the end of Tess’s life is pathetic.I felt great sympathy for her.I wonder why this beautiful and pure girl has such a pathetic ending.But, this is Tess’s fate.I never believe fate, but I have to doubt my opinions after reading the novel.Every man who has read the novel knows that her life has always been passive.She has tried to revolt her fate only once, but has lost her life.Compared with fate, she is too small, and the tragedy of Tess maybe caused by the age.Dark ages brought the opportunists a lot of money meanwhile it makes the kind people suffer the misfortunes.Although Tess fails in revolting her fate, she is so brave that I want to give her my best respect.To me, she is a brave woman who wants to get rid of the bondage of fate.Tess’s death is superior to her fate, instead of yielding to it, and we need this kind of unyielding soul.But, there are also some weaknesses in Tess’s characters.Tess is bold and she dares to fight against traditional morals to pursue her happiness, but she can’t completely set herself free from traditional morals.It shows the weak side of her characters.She has been criticized by people and persecuted by the traditional morals.And it’s so pathetic that she has always been tortured by the same traditional standard.Thus, the tragic appears deeper.Considering her tragedy, I can’t help asking who is to blame for that.Besides I’ve mentioned above, I think, at least two men have to be responsible for Tess’s tragedy, Aleck and Angel.Maybe, you’ll ask why Angel doesn’t accept the cruel truth that Tess has been raped by Alec and has given birth to a child.Why Angel leaves her? Doesn’t he love Tess? Well, I’d like to say that he loves Tess so much that he can’t stand her impurity.In his eyes, Tess is beautiful and kind, and she is the symbol of purity.He can’t accept the cruel fact and makes his best to control his love to Tess.He thinks that the girl before him is not Tess, but a girl looks like her.In his mind, the real Tess has died.His heartlessness and abortion of Tess show his hates to the fate.As for Aleck, I don’t want to say more.The tragedy he has brought to Tess is obvious.All he has done to Tess is not out of love, because love is noble, but all he wants to get from Tess is lust.Alec is wealthy and evil.He seduces Tess, and that’s the direct cause of Tess’s tragedy.We all know that another name of this novel is “A Pure Woman”.In Hardy’s eyes, Tess is pure and brave.He shows great sympathy to Tess.At that age, men dominated the society, while women didn’t realize their rights.They are limited by the traditional morals and religion rules.In the novel, Tess is a poor victim, but because of the culture of the society, the other women don’t show their sympathies to her.They criticize her and fabricate rumors to defame her.It’s such a tragedy that women don’t help women.As a boy, after reading the novel, I feel more sympathy for Tess.I don’t understand the thoughts of those people living in that age, but today, well, men and women are equal.