Famous Works Translation (Illustrated Edition) -- Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Author: Hardy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1984-07-01
Features: Tess's tragedy, along with its social and moral roots, primarily stems from the deeply ingrained concept of female chastity in a male-dominated society. In portraying Tess's thoughts and actions, Hardy consistently opposes this notion, directing his critique straight at the society and the Christian church that uphold it. According to conventions and, after Tess loses her innocence, the wisest course would be to either· or devise ways to legitimize their relationship, but Tess insists on being a "notorious woman" rather than entering a loveless union. On her second escape from·, returning from Pure Ridge to her hometown, she sees religious commandments written in blood-red ink on the roadside, such as "Do not commit (adultery)," and exclaims, "Pah, I don't believe God ever said such a thing." From this moment until she privately baptizes her illegitimate child, Tess begins to doubt conventions and and the church in her thoughts, though she still believes in God and hell and has not completely shaken off religious notions. Subsequently, the "mired and tangled" Tess lives in isolation, silently enduring physical and emotional pain, and her rebellious thoughts against these conventions become increasingly profound. This is the result of her long struggle against these and their impact on her. By the time Tess leaves home for the second time, falls in love with ·, decides to marry him, and ultimately kills · with her own hands before fleeing with ·, the entire process clearly shows that Tess's attitude toward conventions and evolves from doubt to denial, then to resistance, and finally pays a high price with her young life. Hardy not only fights against conventions and through Tess's thoughts and actions but also occasionally speaks out directly himself, throwing his spears. In the eyes of, Tess has almost lost her standing after losing her innocence, but in Hardy's portrayal, "her appearance is beautiful and striking; her soul is that of a woman who, after the tumultuous experiences of the past one or two years, has not become corrupted or." If such discussions in the book are placed back a century into the Victorian era, we can only marvel at the "pioneering" nature of Hardy's thoughts. It is precisely because he continually infuses such ideas into the portrayal of Tess's character that this character gains greater depth and more profound social critique. In his later novel, "The Mayor of Casterbridge," such ideas and insights are further developed.