Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Author: (British) Hardy Zhang Guren
Publisher:
Publication Date: July 1, 1984
Features: Tess is one of the two last important long novels written by the renowned British novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), published in 1891. Before this, Hardy had already published more than ten long novels and a large number of short stories, gaining fame. Tess has long been favored by readers both in its home country and around the world, attracting attention from academic researchers and respect from artists in film and theater. The tragedy of Tess, as well as its social and moral roots, primarily stems from the rigid concept of female chastity in a male-centered society. When Hardy portrays Tess's thoughts and actions, he consistently opposes this idea, directing his critique directly at the society and the Christian Church that uphold it. According to conventions, after Tess's loss of innocence, the best course of action would be either to·'s mistress or to find ways to legitimize their relationship. However, Tess insists on being a "fallen woman" rather than entering an unloving marriage. On her second escape from·, returning from Pure Ridge to her hometown, she sees the religious commandments written in blood-red letters, "Do not commit (adultery)," and exclaims, "Pah, I don't believe God ever said such a thing." From this moment until she privately baptizes the illegitimate child, Tess begins to doubt conventions and the Church in her thoughts, though she still believes in God and hell and has not completely freed herself from religious superstitions. Subsequently, the "stuck in the mud" Tess lives in seclusion, silently enduring physical and emotional pain, and her rebellious thoughts grow deeper. This is the result of her long struggle against these conventions and their impact on her. By the time Tess leaves home for the second time, falls in love with·, and decides to marry him, and finally kills· with her own hands and flees with·, the entire process clearly shows that Tess's attitude toward conventions has evolved from doubt to negation, then to resistance, and ultimately paid a high price with her young life. Hardy not only battles conventions through Tess's thoughts and actions but also directly throws his own sharp critiques at them at times. In the eyes of society, Tess loses 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 such turbulent experiences in the past couple of years, remains uncorrupted. Without the influence of conventions, this education would almost qualify as a higher education." If we place such discussions in the context of the Victorian era a hundred years ago, we cannot help but admire the "pioneering" nature of Hardy's thoughts. Precisely because he infused such ideas into the portrayal of Tess, the character gains richer depth and sharper social critique. In his later novel Jude the Obscure , Hardy further develops these ideas.