Is Angel Really an Angel?--- the Paradox of Angel of Tess of the D’urbervilles
Abstract
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the representative of Thomas Hardy. The heroine, Tess’s bravery, purity, and her determination impressed many readers deeply. Till now, there are many works written about this. In those works, the authors usually prize Tess and condemn Alec who raped Tess and made her pregnant. But there is still another character----Angel whom Tess loves most. In this paper, the author tries to prove that Angel is the root cause which leads to Tess’s tragedy. And through comparing this character to the image of angle in Christianity, tries to find the similarities between these two. Why does Angel hurt Tess so badly although he loves her so much? Is there some symbolized meaning of his name? In this paper, the author will explain those questions, and finally explain the question in title: Is Angel really an angel?
Key words: angel；paradox； Christianity
Introduction
"Tess of the D'Urbervilles", the magnum opus of Thomas Hardy, is one of the excellent literary works of the European Critical Realism. It describes the tragically short life of the poor peasant woman Tess. By describing the sufferings of Tess, this novel specifically and vividly describes the disintegration of small individual farmers and suffering of the bankruptcy after the rural capitalistic invasion into Britain in 19th century.
The three main characters ----- Tess Durbeyfield, Alec D’Urbervilles, and Angel Clare make up a tragic and realistic fairy tale. Hardy gives his all to a better quality of working women: strong, hardworking and imbued with rebellion. She suffers from a series of heavy blows of life and the strong pressure of secular ethics, but she does not bow to the difficulties and the evil. By the sense of dignity and self-determination, she struggles in the face of tremendous difficulties and hardships strongly and repeatedly rescues herself from a desperate situation. Without doubt, she is a woman with good nature. So people hate Alec
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the representative of Thomas Hardy. The heroine, Tess’s bravery, purity, and her determination impressed many readers deeply. Till now, there are many works written about this. In those works, the authors usually prize Tess and condemn Alec who raped Tess and made her pregnant. But there is still another character----Angel whom Tess loves most. In this paper, the author tries to prove that Angel is the root cause which leads to Tess’s tragedy. And through comparing this character to the image of angle in Christianity, tries to find the similarities between these two. Why does Angel hurt Tess so badly although he loves her so much? Is there some symbolized meaning of his name? In this paper, the author will explain those questions, and finally explain the question in title: Is Angel really an angel?
Key words: angel；paradox； Christianity
Introduction
"Tess of the D'Urbervilles", the magnum opus of Thomas Hardy, is one of the excellent literary works of the European Critical Realism. It describes the tragically short life of the poor peasant woman Tess. By describing the sufferings of Tess, this novel specifically and vividly describes the disintegration of small individual farmers and suffering of the bankruptcy after the rural capitalistic invasion into Britain in 19th century.
The three main characters ----- Tess Durbeyfield, Alec D’Urbervilles, and Angel Clare make up a tragic and realistic fairy tale. Hardy gives his all to a better quality of working women: strong, hardworking and imbued with rebellion. She suffers from a series of heavy blows of life and the strong pressure of secular ethics, but she does not bow to the difficulties and the evil. By the sense of dignity and self-determination, she struggles in the face of tremendous difficulties and hardships strongly and repeatedly rescues herself from a desperate situation. Without doubt, she is a woman with good nature. So people hate Alec
Bibliography: Andrew Mangravite. Tess of the Derbeyfield -- Good Woman or Noble Dame?, http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/hardy/mangravite.html < Dec. 12, 2006 > Blake, Kathleen, (1982). Pure Tess: Hardy on knowing a Woman. Studies in English Literature, 1982, vol. 22, issue 4, 689-701 Kathy Newkirk, Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Born At the Wrong Time. http://www.aug.edu/fenglish/choice_voice/essays/tess.htm. <Dec. 12, 2006 > Li, Y. (2005). Genesis. In Y. Li (Eds.), Selected Readings from the New Revised Standard Bible, pp 17-21. Chengdu: Sichuan University Press Luo, J. G. (2005). John Milton (1608-1674). In J. G. Luo (Eds.), A New Anthology of English Literature (volume 1), pp 202-215. Beijing: Peking University Press Thomas Hardy, (2003). Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Yili: Yili People’s Press Zhang, S.J. (1986). Appreciation of “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”, Chongqing: Chongqing Press