Unavoidable Tragedy
Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles begins with the chance meeting between Parson Tringham and John Durbeyfield. The parson addresses the impoverished Durbeyfield as "Sir John," and remarks that he has just learned that the Durbeyfields are descended from the d'Urbervilles, a family once renowned in England. The original family, not a Christian family, depends on Tess's tragic marriage and lower status in that period. Durbeyfield arrives at home during the May Day dance, in which his daughter Tess dances. During this celebration, Tess happens to meet three brothers, Angel Clare being one of them. Angel does not dance with Tess, but takes note of her as the most striking of the girls. However, there isn't love and affection at first sight like in the fairy tales.
What strikes me most in the first time of leaving home is the first meeting between Tess and Alec. There is a description that depicts this tragic meeting, even can be seen as a rumination and reflection of mature Tess looking back on her naive period. Hardy used the power of words to show how pitiful and vulnerable Tess is in her love and marriage. "Thus the thing began. Had she perceived this meeting's importance she might have asked why she was doomed to be seen and coveted that day by the wrong man, and not by some other man, the right and desired one in all respects—as nearly as humanity can supply the right and desired; yet to him who amongst her acquaintance might have approximated to this kind, she was but a transient impression, half forgotten." When naive and innocent Tess didn't understand and learn the danger of man, she is doomed to be a failure and victim in the face of such an selfish and cunning man-Alec.
In patriarchal society, women were attached to their fathers and husbands. They had neither inheritance nor independence, only regarded as playing creatures and men's attachments. However, I can see that Tess's awareness of her status in the pursuit of love and marriage is developing from being obedient to men to fighting against the doomed tragedy for her own freedom and rights. She used her sacrifice to defend her own absolute freedom at length. From my perspective, this is the growth of the heroine, never weeping, fearing, and tackling all the conventional obstacles with no trepidation.
京公网安备 11010802032529号