The lamentable Features in a Hateful Man

#8212;#8212;Analysis of the Tragic Fate of Alec in Tess of the D#8217;Urbervilles

可恨之人也有可怜之处#8212;#8212;析《德伯家的苔丝》中亚雷的悲剧性

Purpose and Significance of the Study

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) is one of the most outstanding authors in the late period of 19^th century in Britain. Thomas Hardy made a lifetime to create 14 novels and much poetry. Tess of the D#8217;Urbervilles is the representative work of him. This novel revolves around the unfortunate life of Tess. Tess was born in a poor peasant family, which made her have to turn to Alec D#8217;Urbervilles for help. However, Tess was raped by Alec. In order to earn her living, Tess went to a farm to be a worker and fell in love with Angel. Unfortunately, Tess was dumped after telling the past story to Angel in nuptial night. Then Tess met Alec again and became his mistress because of the economic hardship from her family. Unexpectedly, Angel came back and he found Tess. Tess killed Alec for the sake of getting Angel#8217;s forgiveness. At last, Tess was condemned to hang. Through collecting and reading abundant materials concerning Tess of the D#8217;Urbervilles, I find that Alec always became the first target that scholars attack and criticize when it comes to the reason for Tess#8217;s tragedy. In these scholars#8217; opinion, Alec is the source of Tess#8217;s tragedy and he is a cold-blood man, meanwhile, he doesn#8217;t love Tess and he always dallies with Tess. Alec and Tess affect with each other, Tess is a tragic woman, in a way, and Alec is a tragic man either. Previous study are focus more on the Tragedy of Tess, almost nobody make a research concerning Alec. As each coin has two sides, it is absolute to judge Alec as an atrocious person. This thesis aims at giving a new analysis on Alec in order to make people have a new cognition to Alec. Alec is also a lamentable man like Tess.

Literature Review

Alec has always been regarded as the source of Tess#8217;s tragedy in most critics#8217; works. Guo Shuang referred to that Alec is an evil man and he is lech and dissipated. Alec made use of Tess#8217;s kindness to rape her. It is Alec that destroys the purity of Tess. As a result, Tess was teased by other. Guo Shuang indicated that Alec is the source of Tess#8217;s tragedy. (142)Zhe Cairui presented that Alec is the chief criminal and Alec is the symbol of evil. As the representative of rich bourgeois man, Alec is sanctimonious. (90)The four stages Tess is ruined by her admires by Song Lixiang indicated that Alec raped Tess make Tess#8217;s life has a great change. Tess became an unmarried pregnant woman who has to take up all the pain and she was not an innocent girl any more. This is just a beginning which sets the stage for her tragedy later on. (192)

Some studies even put forward that Alec does not love Tess and he deserves his fate. Zhe Cairui indicated that Alec expressed his avarice and lech when he met Tess at the first sight. At that time, Alec has made a decision to get Tess but Tess was so innocent that she didn#8217;t realize that she was in danger. Later, Alec set a trap to rape Tess. (90)Zhen Changfa stressed the family background of Alice. He was born in a rich family, and he is a rou#233; who don#8217;t need to worry about his life. As a result, Alec won#8217;t love Tess .Zhen Chuangfa divided the comment on Alec into two stages. Before 1980s, scholars usually evaluate Alec from the attitude of class. For example, ”he stand on the statue of new bourgeois rulers”, ”he flirt with women casually and act absurdly”. After 1980s, the evaluation to Alec changed as Chinese politics and economics changed, but Alec still seen as a villain. For example, ”Alec is a determined thug”, ”a light-headed playboy”.(112) Yang Guiqin write that Alec seize Tess and just take her as a tool which can meet his sexual passion. Alec is not willing to marry her. There is no doubt that Alec doesn#8217;t love Tess at all. The essence of relationship between Alec and Tess is a kind of destroy to rural society, which depend on the power of wealth and the advantage of social structure. (142)

Feng Yunhui presented the opinion that Alec is a bourgeois parvenu which is the typical representative of egomania in bourgeois. He use money, horse and rely on his statue and wealth to seduce Tess, which trample on Tess#8217;s dignity and destroy her innocent affection. The evil behavior of Alec was neglected by the society, while Tess became an impure woman. At the same time, Feng Yunhui indicated that Alec seized Tess again under the name of ”a woman who was cheated by me” when Tess fell into a dire strait. (89)Zhang Yuan thought that Alec belong to dual personality. On the one hand, he is a playboy who lives a rich life. The author indicated that Alec is the key of Tess#8217;s tragedy directly. On the other hand, he tries his best to hide his ugly soul. Zhang Yuan quote what Tess said when she met Alec again. For example, ”You, and those like you, take your fill of pleasure on earth by making the life of such as me bitter and black with sorrow; and then it is a fine thing, when you have had enough of that, to think of securing your pleasure in heaven by becoming converted.” The author thought that Alec is an evil soul who wears a hypocritical religious coat. Alec is hypocritical both in morality and religion. (219)

When it comes to the Tess#8217;s attitude to Alec, many authors think that Tess doesn#8217;t love Alec. Analysis of the Fate and Tragic roots of Tess in Tess of the D#8217;Urbervilles by Jiao Jinhua quote the words Tess told Alec, ”I have said I will not take anything more from you, and I will not - I cannot! I should be your creature to go on doing that, and I won't!” Tess would take the impure burden rather than get the rich life by using her beauty. (18)Huang Lixiang in his thesis said that ”Tess believed that Alec was the maker of her unbearable misfortunes, Tess bravely revenged herself upon the make, murdering him. As Tess said to Angel, she killed Alec”for the trap he sent for me in my simple youth#8230;he has come between us and ruined us, and now he can never do it anymore.#8217;”It is obviously that the author want to express that Tess hate Alec. Tess doesn#8217;t love Alec at all. (96)