Tragic Effect in Tess of the DUrbervilles.docx
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Tragic Effect in Tess of the DUrbervilles.docx
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TragicEffectinTessoftheDUrbervilles
TragicEffectinTessoftheD’Urbervilles
I.Introduction
ThomasHardywasthelastimportantnovelistandpoetoftheVictorianAge.Hestartedhiswritingcareerwithpoetryandterminateditwithpoetry.However,hissuccessmainlyliesintragicnovels.Inhisseriesofmajornovels,Hardygraduallyshowedtheinnerqualityofaseriouswriter.Heshowedthetendencytoattributehischaracter’stragicdestiniestosocialinstitutionsandconventions.Sohehasbeencalledapessimist,agloomyanddepressingwriter.Indeedhispictureofhumanlifearenotsoencouraging,incontrary,Hardyconcerningtheideasofman’sfateisthepessimisticvisionofhumanlife.Inhisnovels,menandwomenneverhaveachancetotastethesweetnessoftriumph.Alltheyexperiencewhilepursuingtheirdreamsandaspirationisthebitternessofcatastrophicfailures.BecausetheprotagonistsinHardy’sworksareoftenfromthelowsocialstatus,andwhentheywanttorealizethepersonalwill,theirbehaviorsinduecourseconflictwiththeexistingenvironmentandtheinhumanforces,suchassocialethics,religions,laws,politicsandeconomicsystems,whichdestroythelifeoftheman.Sotheendoftragicartandthetragiceffectwereembodiedfullyinhistragicnovels.
Theendoftragicartistoproducethekindofemotionaleffectproperandpeculiartotragedyasaparticularartform.ThisisclearlystatedinAristotle’sdefinitionoftragedyasanimitationofanaction,which,beingseriousandcomplete,willarousetheemotionsofpityandfearandindoingsoaccomplishtheproperpurgationoftheseemotions.DespiteallthedifferenceinunderstandingandexplainingtheAristoteliandefinitionoftragedy,pityandfearhavebeengenerallyheldtobetheidealeffecttragedyproducesonanidealaudience.
Tragicpityandfearareboththeresultofasuddenvisualizationofpunishesandirresistibilityofthepowerthatcontrolsourfate.Pityisnothingbutsympathyinpainfeltbythereaderforthosewhoarecaughtinahelplesssituation.Fearresultsnaturallyfromasenseofdanger.Incontemplatingagreattragedyweareconfrontedwithitthrustsuponusasenseofourownfeebleness.Wefeelathrilloffearbecauseourdestinyseemstobemanipulatedbysomethingwecouldneitherresistnorcomprehend.
Yet,tragedyalsoinspiresinusafeelingofwonderandgrandeurbycallingforthanextraordinaryamountofvitalenergytocopewithanextraordinarysituation.Andtragedyalsoawakensinusasenseofhumanworthinessandwefeelgreatlyencouraged.Weadmiretheforce,courageandtenacitywithwhichtheherostrivestowardsthegoalofhislife.Hefallsavictimofhisenemybuthehasnevershownhimselfasgreatasinthefinalcalamityinhistragichistory.Inhispersistent,heroicreactionagainstfateweseearayofhopeforthefutureofman.Therefore,incontemplatingtragedy,weexperiencenotonlypityandfear,butalsoanintensefeelingofvitality,ofhumannobility.
Buthowtoaccountforthetragiceffectofthesetragicnovelshaveproducedontheiraudience?
ThecentraltaskofthisessayistodefinethetragiceffectofHardy’snovelsasatypicalspecimenofmoderntragedythroughaninquiryintotheirformsandcontent.IshallhereconfinemydiscussiontooneofHardy’smajornovels,itisTessoftheD’Urbervilles.Thisnovelisoneofhisgreatestnovels,andtheprofundityoftragicvisionandintensityoftragicfeelingwereembodiesfullyinthisnovel.Byfocusingonthisnovel,IhopetogainanewviewofHardy’stragicartandtragiceffect,especiallyhisfrequentuseofsuspense,recognitionandreversal,accidentandcoincidences.AndthroughthisstudyIalsohopeIcouldgetabetterunderstandingofothermoderntragedywritingsintheformsofnovelandmoderntragediesintheformsofnarration.
Ⅱ.TheLifeandWorksofThomasHardy
ThomasHardywasbornon12June1840,inasmallthatchedcottageinthelittlehamletofHigherBockHampton,threemilesfromDorchester.Hisfather,,wasinasmallwayofbusinessasamasonandbuilder,anemployerofothermenandthusraisedsociallyalittleabovethelaborerswhoworkedforwages.Hardygrewupwiththesenseofhierarchywhichwasstrongintheruralcommunity.AndalthoughHardy’sfamilybelongedtotheupperclassofthevillage,hewastodiscoverlatteronthatintheworldoutsidetheywereregardedaspeasants.ThisisonereasonwhyhisnovelsaresofullofoldfamiliesinTheWoodlandersandTessoftheD’Urbervilles,andwhyhecreatedafamilywhichwasmarkeddownbyfate,andunfitformarriage,inJudetheObscure.
Whenhewaseight,HardywassenttotheNationalSchoolwhichhadbeenbuiltatBockHampton.Inthisschool,youngHardyhadknownachildlessstudent,sheisMrs.Martin.Therelationshiphadalastingeffectonhimandheretainedasomewhatromanticfeelingforherovermanyyears.Lovewhichischeckedbydifferenceofbirthandwealth,usuallytheloveofamanforawomansociallyabovehim,isathemeinseveralofhisnovels.
ForthenexteightyearsHardytookthedailywalkintoDorchester.Whilehisformaleducationwasbeingdeveloped,hismindwasbeingformedinmanyotherways.Hewasanoutstandingpupil,wonaprizeforLatin,andalsolearnedadvancedmathematicsandFrench.Butheshunnedtheotherschoolboys.Helovedbeingaloneandhewasalreadyshowingsignsoftheextremesensitivenesswhichwastobeatormenttohiminlaterlife.
Onleavingschoolin1856,HardywasarticledtoJohnHicks,aDorchesterarchitect.Thestudyandpracticeofarchitecturewastooccupyhimformanyyears,sohisnovelsandpoetrywouldhavemuchtosayofchurchdesignandrestoration.Andarchitectsandstonemasonsappearamonghischaracters.HisworkwithHicksbroughthimintocontactwithyoungmenofhisownage,Horacewasoneofthem.Hehelpedhiminhisstudy,advisedhimonreadingandraisedhisaspirationsabovethelimitsofasmallcountrytown.Hardybegantodreamofuniversityeducation.Ataboutthistimehewrotesomeofhisfirstpoems.Sadly,becauseofsomereasons,Horacebegantodrinkheavily,andin1873hetookhisownlife.ThenewswasadeepshocktoHardy,withasadnesswhichremainedformanyyears.
In1867HardyreturnedtoworkwithHicksinDorchester.Nowhewasoftensentouttodealwiththerestorationofcountrychurches,alaborwhichheregrettedlaterwhen“restoration”cametoseemaninterferencewithnaturaldevelopmentandoftenbeadestructionoflivingtradition.Heisscathingaboutsuchworkinseveralnovels,particularlyinJudetheObscure,andinpoemlikeTheLeveledChurchyard.Yet,asawriter,hegainedmuchfromthoseyears.
In1868,HardysubmittedtothepublishingfirmofMacmillan,butthenovelcalledThePoorManandtheLadywasagainstpublication.Atthesametime,Meredith,alreadyfamousasanovelist,metHardyandadvisedhimtotryagain“withastrongplotandartisticratherthanasocialpurpose”.ThenHardyofferedthemanuscripttoTinsley,whoofferedtopublishitattheauthor’sexpense.ButHardy’sfavoritethemeisnotgreatlysuccessfulineithercharacterorsettinginhisworks.AndHardywastohavemanymoredisagreementswithcritics,butheneverceasedtowriting.ThenhewasworkingforHicks,andhetooksparetimeforwriting.
In1870,Hardymetthesister-in-lawoftheRector,EmmaLavoniaGifford,ameetingwhichhedescribedintheecstaticpoemWhenISetOutforLionesses.Heconvincedthathehadmethisideal.ThenHardywasacceptedbyEmmaandbeganoneofthoselongengagementintheVictorianAge,meanwhilehecontinuedhisattemptstobecomeanovelist.In1871,DesperateRemedieswaspublishedbyTinsley.ItshowstheeffectofMeredith’sadvicethatheshouldcreatea“strongplot”.ThenHardybegantocreatesomemelodramaticstories.Ayearlater,UndertheGreenwoodTreewaspublished,thecopyrightbeingsoldtoTinsleyforthirtypounds.ItwasHardy’sfirsttruepresentationofhisregionofWessex,basedlargelyonhisnativeDorsetbutextendingasfarnorthasBerkshire,andasfarwestasCornwall.In1873,APairofBlueEyeswaspublished.ItisnotoneofHardy’sgreatnovels.Itistoopersonaltomakeadeephumanstatementbuttooconcealedandinconclusivetobeasuccessfulautobiographicalnovel.
In1874,HardymarriedEmma,andatthattime,Hardywasconfidentenoughofhissuccessasawriter,thenhehavegivenuparchitectureanddevotedhimselftowriting.Inthefollowingyear,hepublishedTheHandofEthelbert.HardyandEmmadidnotstayverylonginLondon.TheyreturnedtoalittletownofStairmasterNewton.HereHardyworkedatthefirstofhisreallygreatnovelsTheReturnoftheNative.AfterTheReturnoftheNative,noonecoulddoubtthathewasamajorwriteroffiction.
Thenextfewyears,Hardyproducednothingsofine,buthecontinuedtoestablishhispositionasanovelistandin1883heandEmmamovedtoDorchester.TheyearsofresidenceinDorchesterhelpedhimtoportrayitsfictionalcounterpartswithTheMayorofCasterBridgein1886.Inthisnovel,HardyelevatesthestorytoaheightoftragedyandcreatesMichaelHenChard,oneofthegreatestcharactersinfiction,andthisnoveljustifiedHardy’sreputation.Duringtheseyears,Hardywasalsowritingshortstories,buthisgreatestworkinfictionwasyettocome.
In1891,hepublishedTessoftheD’Urbervilles,probablythebestknownofhisnovels.GenerationsofreadershavebeenmovedbythestoryofhowTessisseducedbyarichyoungman,leftwithanillegitimatechildwhodies,andeventuallydesertedbyherhigh-principledhusband,AngelClare,whenhelearn
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