Analysis of the work and thought of Thomas Hardy in Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Questo appunto di Letteratura Inglese riguarda lo scrittore inglese Thomas Hardy. L'appunto analizza alcuni aspetti fondamentali dell'opera e del pensiero dell'autore e prende in esame uno dei suoi romanzi più noti, "Tess of the d'Urbervilles".

Hardy’s deterministic view

Hardy’s works contain considerations about life, death, man and the universe, in which he expresses a deterministic view. At first, Hardy was influenced by the Oxford movement, a spiritual movement which proposed a renewal of catholic thought and practice within the Anglican Church. However, he eventually abandoned his faith in God; he was probably influenced by his reading of classic and contemporary authors. In particular, he drawn from Greek tragedy the concepts of cruel gods, indifferent nature and hostile fate. After reading “On the Origin of Species” by Darwin, he recognized the intellectual consequences of that scientific theory and denied the existence of God. He thought that the universe had no intelligent direction and that chance controlled everything. He saw human life as a tragic process over which man had no power; anyway, he believed in the need for altruism (he was influenced by Comte and Mill), cooperation and kindness, and the application of scientific knowledge.

Wessex

Environment is an important element in Hardy’s novels. We can note the progressive mapping of a semi-fictional region, the South-West corner of England, which Hardy calls “Wessex” in the preface to “Far from the Madding Crowd”. In Hardy’s works, the rustic group plays the role of a chorus, which consists in commenting on the actions of the main characters.

Main themes in Hardy’s works

Hardy’s works deal with the following main themes:

• The difficulty of being alive: being alive means being “an existence, an experience, a structure of sensations”, but also being in a place, in an environment, where external circumstances modify and partly determine the individual existence.
• Nature: nature is co-protagonist with the characters. Nature is indifferent to man’s destiny. It also implies regeneration, represented by the cycle of seasons.
• Victorian society: Hardy highlights the most conventional, moralistic and hypocritical aspects of Victorian society. He is critical towards religion, as he believes that Christianity is no longer able to satisfy the needs of modern man.
• Difficulty or failure of communication, which results in tragedy.

Hardy’s language and style

Hardy’s language is precise, controlled and full of symbols. His characters speak naturally and effectively, and some of them even use dialects. Hardy expresses his love of nature through metaphors, similes and personifications. Sense impressions also play an important role: things are often presented through their shape, touch, sound, smell and sight. Sight is particularly important: characters watch each other and are watched by nature. Colors are linked to emotions and natural landscapes. As regards style, Hardy adopts a strict, rigorous form and blends dialogues, narration and descriptions. The story is told by an omniscient narrator, who is always present: he makes comments and gives us his opinions. Events are often presented from the point of view of a hypothetical observer, and the reader is invited to identify with him. Hardy anticipates the cinema by using narrative techniques similar to the “camera eye” and the “zoom”.

“Tess of the d’Urbervilles”

“Tess of the d’Urbervilles” is one of Hardy’s most famous novels. It was published in three volumes in 1891, and as a single book in 1892. The subtitle, “A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented”, introduces the theme of distorted Victorian morality. Hardy addresses this issue in two ways: first, he highlights that moral values vary according to time and place; second, he stresses a contrast between laws created by man and Nature. These themes are addressed through the experiences of Tess as she faces the hardships of her life. In particular, moral issues are explored when Tess gets pregnant by Alec: she feels guilty, but Hardy tells us that this feeling is unnecessary, as the people of her community do not censure her. Tess is a victim, but she has the energy to survive her hardships and go on living. The main themes discussed in the novel are:

• The difficult conditions of the people of the countryside;
• The difficulty of being alive;
• Hostile Fate;
• The control of the individual, whose freedom is limited by family or society.

The protagonist of the novel is Tess Durbeyfield, a sixteen-year-old country girl. At the beginning of the story, her father, John Durbeyfield, finds out he is a descendent of an ancient noble family, the d’Urbervilles. Following the death of their horse, Tess’s parents get her to start working as a poultry maid on the d’Urberville estate. Alec d’Urberville, the son, seduces Tess; she resists his advances, but eventually she is raped and gets pregnant. She returns to her village and gives birth to a baby boy who dies soon after he is born. Then, Tess leaves her father’s house and starts working as a milk maid on a dairy farm. There, she meets Angel Clare, a clergyman’s son who is interested in innovative farming methods. They fall in love, but Tess feels she should tell him about her past. So, she writes a note and slips it under Angel’s door, but it slides under the carpet and Angel never reads it. They get married, but when, on their wedding night, Tess tells Angel her story, he leaves her and goes to Brazil, where he thinks he might build a farm. Tess suffers a lot, and she is forced to accept a job on a farm. She hears a preacher speak and she discovers he is Alec d’Urbervilles, converted to Christianity by Angel’s father. Tess agrees to become Alec’s mistress. Eventually, Angel decides to forgive his wife; he comes back from Brazil and finds her. Tess kills Alec and flees with Angel. She is arrested at Stonehenge, imprisoned and executed.
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