Abstract

The novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles centers on the heroine Tess Durbeyfield, who comes from a poor peasant family. By means of claiming kinship, she meets Alec D’Urberville, the idle rich, who seduces and rapes Tess and destroys her life and happiness. Later Tess kills Alec to manifest her love to her husband Angel Clare and thus pays her own life as the price. Tess is presented as a beautiful, kind-hearted, pure and self-respected woman in the novel, she would sacrifice everything for love and her family. Compared with other women in Victorian era who obeyed social conventions, Tess particularly behaves as an unconventional woman, who has a strong sense of individuality. She earns her living as a working woman all her life, and she differs from other women around her in her understanding of love and religion. This paper interprets Tess as a new woman and explores Hardy’s conception about female image.

Key Words:  unconventional; working woman; Tess; love; religion

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1Introduction1

2 Tess’ s Individuality3

  2.1Tess’s Virtue3

  2.2Tess’s Self-Independence5

  2.3Tess’s Self-Awareness of Rebellion5

3 Tess As A Working Woman6

  3.1Tess and Her Family6

  3.2 Tess’s Work Place6

  3.3 Tess’s Attitude towards Work8

4 Tess’s Understanding of Love and Marriage8

  4.1Tess’s Love to Angel.8

  4.2Tess’s Conception of Marriage .9

5 Tess’s Understanding of Religion.10

  5.1Tess’s Attitude towards Religion.10

  5.2Hardy’s Attitude towards Religion10

6 Conclusion.11

References .13