Social Causes
From the tragic story of Tess’ short life, we can see in a
deeper sense that it is the capitalist society of the time
that has ruined her. Living in a society overwhelmed by
capitalist Law, religion and state apparatus, Tess, a poor
peasant, inevitably leads a tragic life and finally goes to
her collapse. This paper is trying to make comments on the social causes of Tess’ tragedy.
The society is so cruel that it does not give them a chance to live and makes them discard their children. Tess was born into the family of a poor rural tradesman. Her father drinks a lot and doesn’t work hard. Her mother herself is like a child and never thinks about the future. There are many children in their family. Her family is poor and when the old horse “Prince” is killed by accident, the economic condition of her family was worse, that means the bankrupt of the family. Her mother sends her to claim kin with a distant relative of noble D’Urbervilles family in the hope of changing the poor and miserable condition of the family. Her disjoint from the country leads to her later tragedy: the young master Alec seduces her and the following pregnancy compels Tess to return home in disgrace. Her tragic life was begun.
Impoverishment and Decay of Small Farmers
This story has happened in the southern countries of England. Small farmer's impoverishment and the decay which the writer really describes these which to be hired the farmers and seeks the work. These laborers are mercilessly exploited by the rich landowners.Let us see the economy condition in the 19th century. In the late 19th century, the economic crisis took place there in bourgeois world; it led to the social change. The change made many peasants lose their lands and became peasant workers. Large quantities of peasants were bankrupt. It is the same with the D’Urbervilles. Their narrow minds and stupidity make them puzzled. 2013-10-23
Family Background of Tess
First of all, due to Tess’s sense of responsibility for her parents, she has no choice but unwillingly go to Alec’s family for means of supporting life. Superficially, Tess just carries out her duty of being a daughter. However, Tess’s stepping into Alec’s family is a tool for her parents’ vanity(自负，自大，虚荣)--they are distaቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱt relatives of the noble family. Besides, the sense of duty for parents leads Tess to run back to Alec after Angel’s departure at the same time. Because her family is on the verge of (濒临)homeless, Tess gives up on Alec’s hypocrisy(伪善,虚伪). She agrees with Alec, who accuses her of tempting him and guilt trips Tess into living with him. The potential tragedy crawls on（爬满, 布满）.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
小组成员：
杨 潇 周莲莲 朱梦洁 汤舒雅
General Introduction
Tess, one of Hardy’ s outstanding work, portrays that the energy of traditional ways and the strength of the forces finally lead to the tragedy of Tess. However, the destruction of pure Tess does not take place by accident. Alec, a playboy born in a noble family, rapes Tess and sets the miserable ending from then on. He is killed by Tess eventually. Angel Clare is another tragic character. He can not bear Tess’ s misdeed in the past and depart for Brazil. As he realizes his behavior is unfair for Tess, his gloomy future has already begun. Meanwhile, the bourgeois (资产阶级的)society is one of the elements resulting in the tragedy. It’s the hypocritical morality and the sexual double standard that set the suffering.
However, it is just Tess’s intense passivity and her belief of dignity that make her unable to bear losing virginity. In the end of the novel, Tess’s very characteristic forces her to stab Alec to death, which means the end of Tess’s life at the same time.
Hypocritical Capitalism Morals View and Unequal Legal System
Tess was lived in the Victorian era which capitalism invasion the rural England. She was a hardworking, kind-hearted, intelligent and beautiful girl；but regard as a laborer, a man of poor agricultural workers, she has low social status that naturally will receive oppression and humiliation in the capitalist society。Research this novel we can know at that time in Victoria dynasty time England bourgeois society's moral ethics view, Tess’s tragedy was due to social morals root mainly is in the masculine central society that kind of firm woman chastity idea.