------- a Pure Woman Faithfully Portrayed
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), novelist and poet, is one of English critical realism at the turn of the 19th century. His principal works are the Wessex Novels, include Tess of the d’Urbervillles, which is Hardy’s penultimate novel published in 1981 followed by his another masterpiece Jude of Obscue《无名的裘德》(16)，these two books can be regarded as the summit of his realism. Except these, Under the Greenwood Tree《绿林荫下》(1872), The Return of the Native《还乡记》(1878) ，The Mayor of Casterbridge 《卡斯特桥》（1886），are also his famous novels, describing the characters and environment of Hardy’s native countryside. In his works，he describe the poverty and decay of small farmers who became hired field hands. These farmers are treated badly and mercilessly by the rich landowners. This made the author crossly and painful, so there was a growing pessimistic vein runs in his novels.
Tess of the d’Urbervillles, a Pure Woman Faithfully Portrayed, Hardy’s most famous book, describes a tragically life story of a country girl---Tess. Tess is the daughter of a poor villager. When she was young, she was seduced by Alec d’Urbervilles, the son of a rich merchant. She gives birth to an illegitimate child, but under the great pressure of the rumors, she leaves home and works as a dairymaid. There she meets Angel Clare. They fall in love and are engaged to each other. On their wedding night, when they confessed to each other, Tess’s past memory couldn’t be accepted by Angel. They must have lived a happy and quiet life, but what happened in the past changed all this. Both Tess and Angel were miserable, they separated for a long time. Tess’s family live in starvation since her father died. At this time, Alec got the chance and lied to Tess thatAngel would not back, he asked Tess to be his lover. Tess agreed desperately, but at last she found Alec lied to her for Angel came back and found her. This annoyed Tess, she murdered him in a fit of despair. Then, Angel and Tess lived in a a short happy hiding time. Finally ,Tess was arrested and hanged. Such a poor girl, how innocent she is. But the dark society gives her an unfair fate. It is not fair and justice for the pure girl. As the author said “the gods had finished playing with Tess. Society had been ‘justice’ done”.
Tess, who is a kind、obedient、 staunch and well-developed country girl, she has a pure heart and simple mind, always wants to do her best to give her family a better life, so she went to a rich noble d’Urbervilles whom his father said has relationship with his family, there she was tempted by young Alec d’Urbervilles. Thus, she began her tragically fate. Alec is an irresponsible man, who is selfish and reckless，his impulse behavior destroyed Tess’s whole life. But he only said” I’m sorry to hurt you, but do not keep accusing me. I ‘m ready to pay for it.” He said this so easy, but how to pay, even though he gives Tess all his money, he can’t, because Tess doesn’t love him, and the virginity of a pure girl is priceless，the miser he gives her cannot be paid even use Alec’s life. After these sufferings, Angel appeared, this man made Tess think she met her true love, so her pure and simple mind let her tell Angel what happen to her, but this made the newly married separated. Angel is also selfish but conscientious, he thought he love Tess, but he can’t accept Tess was not a virgin even though he has engaged in premarital sex. He thought he was a free thinker, but his notions of morality turn out to be fairly conventional. But Angel finally realized his cruel and he came back to Tess, and gave him the last happy time. As the author said “it was not the two halves of a perfect whole who met. A missing half wandered somewhere else, arriving much later. This delay was to have tragic results.” Both of the two men said they love Tess, but it is not true love.
What make Tess suffer such a terrible life, in my opinion, there are three reasons for Tess’s tragic fate which from her family, the society and her own character.
We all know she was born in a poor downfallen noble family, her irresponsible parents is the symbol of her tragic fate. For her family’s unique prosperity “princess” died on the way to market when Tess want to go instead her drunken father. For there is no source of income, her parents wanted her to go rich d’Urbervilles and told them they have relationships and hoped Tess can marry the gentleman ---Alec. So they would have a better life. Tess was unwilling to go, but she felt guilty, her kind heart made her promised to go, there she began her tragic fate.
At that time, its very unfair to the female, Tess’s tragedy was due to social morals root. This just was explaining bourgeoisie politics system reactionary, indicated the unimportant persons in the lower level social class were impossible to obtain the fair treatment in the society. She is a pure girl, but people think what she has suffered was deserved for she can’t defend herself. Her behavior was treated as disloyal, unchaste and obscene. In Victoria times, man and woman can’t be equal in marriage. From the novel we can know Angel has engaged in premarital sex, but when he knew Tess was not virgin, he was nearly crazy and cannot bear it. He said he love Tess, he believed in free thought, but at that time his selfish、narrow-eyed and irresponsible exposed to us. For the unfair moral law in capitalist society, man has no influence when they are not faithful to their wife, but if woman does they think woman is guilty. In the novel, when Tess murdered Alec, the first time she wanted to defend herself, she was treated as a criminal and was hanged. The joke which fate wants to play with her ended at last.
Tess’s character also leads to the tragic end. Because her pure and kind, she didn’t realize Alec’s trick, this gave Alec chance to approach her and lost her pure, though Alec hurt her, for Alec’s help, she felt appreciate rather than hate. But when she met Angel, she loves him too much that she cannot bear to cheat him. She told him about her past without thinking the results. Her frank character made her fall into miser another time. If she said nothing to Angel, she may live a happy life. She regrets that she didn’t keep her pure to Angel, so before she died, she asked Angel to marry her sister, she said “She has all the best of me without my bad side.” She lingered along the morality, her insisting struggle, compromise，and the last defense of herself can make us think that the most beautiful thing is relentless destroyed by the dark strength. What a poor girl Tess is!
Hardy describes a feeling of dismal foreboding and doom. Fateful circumstances and tragic coincidences was vivid appearing in this novel. “These do not, however, eclipse the chief message of truthful portrayal of the tragic lot of a poor country girl ruined by the bourgeois society.” From Tess can also reflect the poor fate the farmers had suffered at that time. Tess is the typical symbol of the poor farmer. Tess was a strong woman throughout the novel. She stood up for herself and refused to crumble under pressure. It is true Tess should deserve respect because of enduring a great deal of pain but she can also insist her own purity. Her unyielding spirit of revolt is deserved to learn and respect.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles
------- a Pure Woman Faithfully Portrayed
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姓 名：孙美玲
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