Hardy's creative period is a period full of changes and turbulence. At that time, British society was undergoing profound changes, resulting in various sharp contradictions and crises. Tess reflects the author's concern and sympathy for some of the most serious problems at that time. In his book, Hardy describes the impact of emerging industrialization and urban civilization on the old and rural Wessex region, and exposes the hypocritical morality that imprisons people's thoughts, emphasizes chastity and suppresses women's social status. Tess's tragic fate reflected the background of that time: first, economic poverty; Second, an unjust legal system; Third, hypocritical religion; Fourth, the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie. Tess's tragedy is the product of the society at that time, so Tess's tragedy is also a social tragedy.
2. Introduction to the original work
Tess of the D 'Urbervilles is Hardy's masterpiece and one of the novels in Wessex series. It describes the tragic fate of a rural girl. Hardy called the heroine "a pure woman" in the subtitle of the novel, which openly challenged the hypocritical social morality of Victorian era.
Tess, the heroine, was born in a poor vendor family. Her parents asked her to visit relatives at the home of a rich old woman. As a result, she was seduced by young master Alec. Later, she fell in love with the priest's son Claire and got engaged. On her wedding night, she confessed her past misfortune to her husband, but she could not be forgiven. They separated and her husband went to Brazil. A few years later, Tess met Alec again, and Alec pestered her. At this time, because of her poor family, she had to live with her enemy. Claire came back from abroad soon and regretted her wife's past ruthlessness. In this case, Tess felt painfully that Alec d 'Urberville made her lose Angel for the second time and killed him angrily. At last she was arrested and hanged.
Step 3 evaluate
"It is a pearl in English literature in the19th century, which established Hardy's position in English and even world literature. The novel describes the story of how society drove a pure, kind, simple and beautiful rural girl to the wall, and finally took up arms to take revenge on the enemy. What we see in the beautiful Tess from beginning to end is the struggle between her pure nature and the evil forces that persecute her. " (Nobel Prize in Literature winner claude simon)
4. Introduction to the author
Thomas Hardy (1840— 1928). English poet and novelist. He is a writer who spans two centuries. His early and mid-term creations were mainly novels, which inherited and carried forward the literary tradition of Victorian era. In his later years, he developed English literature in the 20th century with his excellent poems.