Abstract

In Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy portrayed a tragic character, Tess Durbeyfield. The novel tells the tragic life of Tess after disgrace. This thesis analyzes the external and internal causes of Tess’s tragic life, including the Victoria era when women were dominated by men and were tied to moral shackles and unequal legal system. At the same time, as the direct murder and the assistant respectively, Alec and Angel cannot be free from blame. What’s more, Tess’s responsibility and weakness also contribute to her tragedy. By depicting “a pure woman” persecuted by the patriarchal society, Thomas Hardy denounced the sexual double standards in the Victorian England.    

Key words: tragedy, Tess, morality, responsibility, personality 

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

I. Introduction-1

1.1 Introduction to Thomas Hardy-1

1.2 The Victorian era: the social background-1

1.3 Introduction to Tess of the d’Urbervilles-2

II.Causes of the Tragedy of Tess-3

2.1 Social causes-3

2.1.1 Tess’s family-3

2.1.2 Hard life for peasants-3

2.1.3 Moral shackles-4

2.1.4 Unequal legal system-4

2.2 Analysis of the major characters-5

2.2.1 The direct murderer----Alec d’Urbervilles-5

2.2.2 The accessory----Angel Clare-6

2.2.3 Tess’s responsibility-6

2.2.4 Tess’s weakness of character-7

III. Hardy’s Fatalism and Its Presentation in the Work-9

IV. Conclusion-10

References-12