Abstract

This thesis is a study on Tess’s tragedy in Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Tess of the d’Urbervilles is one of Thomas Hardy’s most famous novels. In this novel, Hardy describes a pure and innocent girl who is the victim of Victoria patriarchal morality and male-dominated society. Such a pure girl ends her life with tragedy, which is thought-provoking. In Victorian era, the society was fraught with hypocritical ethics and unfair social moralities. Tess’s tragedy is inevitable in such a society manipulated by capitalist law. The paper mainly analyzes the external reasons and internal reasons that lead Tess to a fallen road of tragedy. At last, there is some enlightenment from Tess’s tragedy. Women play an important role in society and should be treated fairly and respectfully. It’s urgent to strengthen the awareness of raising the status of women.

Key words: tragedy; causes; enlightenment

CONTENTS

中文摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction-1

2. An Illustration of Tess’s Tragedy-1

2.1 Family aspect-1

2.2 Love Experience-2

3. Causes for Tess’s Tragedy-3

3.1 External reasons-3

3.1.1 Social environments-3

3.1.2 The social conventions and moral standards-4

3.1.3 Religious influence-5

3.2 Internal reasons-5

3.2.1 Kindness and strong responsibility-5

3.2.2 Braveness and pureness-6

3.2.3 Self-sacrifice and rebellion-7

4. Enlightenment from Tess’s Tragedy-8

4.1 The importance of the independence of women-8

4.2 The necessity of promoting the status of women-8

5. Conclusion-9

Works cited-10