浅析《德伯家的苔丝》中的自然描写

本科毕业设计（论文）
题目浅析《德伯家的苔丝》中的自然描写
学院外国语学院
年级2009级专业英语（师范）
班级******* 学号*********
学生姓名张怡
指导教师刘红霞职称讲师
论文提交日期2013-05-16
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摘要
托马斯·哈代是19世纪英国批判现实主义文学的杰出代表。

他的小说以独特的视角展现了英国维多利亚时代的社会面貌。

哈代的小说大多以远离城市文明、保留传统习俗的英国西南各郡为背景，构建出一个具有苏格兰独特文化风格的乡土世界。

在他的威塞克斯系列小说中，以《德伯家的苔丝》最为著名。

《苔丝》是哈代环境小说杰出的代表作，描写了贫穷的农家女子苔丝的悲剧性命运。

作者通过自然环境的细致描写，让读者对当地的自然风光和风土人情有了充分的了解。

更重要的是，小说中的自然描写将空间及季节变换和苔丝的悲剧命运紧密结合起来，使整部小说通过时间、空间两条主线连接为一个有机的整体。

因此本文从空间、时间两方面对《苔丝》中的自然描写进行研究，证明自然描写对苔丝多舛的命运的衬托作用和意义。

关键词：《德伯家的苔丝》；自然描写；空间转换；季节变化；
ABSTRACT
Landscape Description in Tess of the d’Urbervilles
Zhang Yi
Thomas Hardy is one of the most eminent British critical realists. His writings reveal a profoundly pessimistic sense of human subjection to fate and circumstance. Hardy's novels are mostly British southwestern counties away from urban civilization, which retain the traditional conventions as its background. “Wessex” novels are Hardy's most accomplished works. Tess of the D’Urbervilles, one of Wessex novels, is the masterpiece of Thomas Hardy’s famous books. This novel depicts the tragic fate of the poor peasant woman. Landscape description in Tess of the D’Urbervilles not only provides physical background for the novel, but also correlates the changing of places and seasons with the changing of Tess’s fate. This paper attempts to make a detailed study of the landscape description in Tess from the perspective of space transfer and seasonal changes, aiming to analyze how they correlate with Tess’s fate and set off an atmosphere for the novel.
Key words:Tess of the D’Urbervilles; landscape description; changing of places; changing of seasons
TABLE OF CONTENTS
摘要 (iii)
ABSTRACT (iv)
TABLE OF CONTENTS (v)
Chapter One Introduction (1)
Chapter Two Changing of Places in Tess of the
d’Urbervilles (4)
2.1 Vale of Blackmoor (4)
2.2 Trantridge (6)
2.3 Thalbathays (7)
2.4 Flintcomb-Ash (8)
2.5 Stonehenge (9)
Chapter Three Changing of Seasons in Tess of the
d’Urbervilles (10)
3.1 Spring (10)
3.1.1 May—Tess first appeared in the May-
Day Dance (11)
3.1.2 May--Tess started her journey to
Thalbathays (11)
3.1.3 Next May --Tess and Angel’s love
sprouted (11)
3.2 Summer (12)
3.3 Autumn (13)
3.4 Winter (14)
3.4.1 Abandoned (14)
3.4.2 Worked in Flintcomb-Ash (15)
Chapter Four Conclusion (17)
REFERENCES (19)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (20)
Chapter One Introduction
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) is a famous English novelist and poet in the 19th century. He is a realist novelist in Victoria Times. His novels and poetries are largely influenced by Romanticism. Thomas Hardy was born in Higher Bockhampton, an idyllic-style hamlet in the parish of Stinsford to the east of Dorchester in Dorset, England, in 1840. (He, 2011: 8) At that time, this hamlet is still a place far away from modern industrial civilization, quiet and ancient. Growing up in Higher Bockhampton, Hardy is influenced by mysterious nature and therefore attains an extreme sensitivity to nature. He depicts all sorts of nature in his works. Hardy’s father works as a stonemason and local builder. At the same time, he is also a talented violinist. Hardy’s mother is well-read. “Hardy is quite intelligent. He can read almost before he can walk.”(Williams, 1976:7) Hardy’s preschool age is very important for him to become a novelist and poet. (Millgate, 2004: 38) Hardy benefits understanding of music from his father, and he benefits inspiration to words from his mother. (Wu, 2009:2) Out of thirst for knowledge, Hardy starts self-study diligently under the enlightenment of his mother. For several years he attends Mr. Last's Academy for Young Gentlemen in Dorchester. Here he learns Latin and demonstrates his academic potential. However, his formal education ends at the age of sixteen when he become an apprenticed to James Hicks, a local architect. Hardy continues to do architecture work in London and goes back to Dorchester in 1867. Although having no opportunity to receive a university education, Hardy adheres to study during his spare time. During this period, he reads works by Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Shelly, and a large amount of books on philosophy and religion. He widely connects with the society, witnesses the rapid development of English capitalism and decreasing of rural society, which lays a solid
foundation for his future literary works. Consequently, Hardy wins a success from his own efforts, just as many other English writers do.
From writing the lyric poetry in 1860s to publishing the last poetry anthology called Winter Words in 1920s, the 60 years of Hardy’s literary career can be divided into two phases, which are novel writing and poetry writing. “Hardy himself claims that the poetry is not only his first love, but also his last love. This interpretation shows his writing career experiencing the phases of “poetry-novel-poetry”. (Wu, 2009: 3) While Hardy writes poetry throughout his life, and regards himself primarily as a poet, his poet dream does not succeed when it begins. At that time, not acknowledged by the literary circle, he cannot get an opportunity to publish his poetries. Out of frustration, he turns to novel writing and gradually achieves a success. Throughout 30 years of novel-writing, he produces 14 novels such as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge(1884), The Return of the Naïve(1878), Tess of the d’Urbervilles(1891) and Jude the Obscure(1895).
Of all Hardy’s novels, Tess of the D’Urbervilles(hereafter to as Tess) is generally considered the most eminent one. Over the past 100 years, Tess not only represents Hardy’s creative thoughts and artistic achievements, but also wins attentions and love by readers of one generation after another for its unique artistic attractions. As Harold Bloom, a western critic, said, “Tess attracted most readers among Hardy’s novels. The popularity of Tess replaces the superiority of Return of the naïve. Almost a century passed, we still consider we read a contemporary work when we read Tess.” (Wu, 2009: 182)
In recent years, with the development of modern criticism, critics judges Tess in various kinds of approaches. Many scholars focus their attentions on elements of narration and its tragic consciousness. Others look carefully from a perspective of ecofeminism. However, despite the various studies made by so many scholars and critics, no one thoroughly study such a great book as Tess in the light of changing of places and seasons. Therefore, with important researches made by the former scholars, the paper intends to analyze the landscape description in the novel.
In the first chapter, the paper gives an introduction of the author and his work, and the literature reviews on this novel. The second and third chapter will be carried out in detail, which centers on interpretations of changing of places and seasons in Tess. In the end, a conclusion is given in the fourth chapter. It points out the significance of landscape description in determining Tess’s emotions and fate.
Chapter Two Changing of Places in Tess of the
d’Urbervilles
Natural environment plays an important role in this novel. Hardy utilizes several kinds of artistic methods to highlight specialized sceneries throughout the whole novel. There is a general space transfer in Tess. The story begins from Vale of Blackmoor, then changes into Trantridge, then to Thalbathays and finally to Stonehenge. The changing places indicate the changing of Tess’s fate at different stages in her life. The story starts from the Vale of Blackmoor, Tess’s birthplace. Feeling guilty on the death of horse “prince”, Tess comes to Trantridge to claim kinship with the d’Urbervilles. After her illegitimate child died, Tess goes to Thalbathays to start her new life, where she falls in love with Angel Clare, and shares a happy life. After being abandoned by Angel, Tess works in Flintcomb-Ash, where offers her a poor subsistence but a shelter for the coming winter at any rate. After killing Alec under excessive agitation, Tess enjoys a short happy life with Angel, who returns from Brazil. However, she cannot escape from the police. She is arrested at the Stonehenge and executed in the end. So it can be concluded that the changing places are synchronized with the changing of Tess’s fate at different stages.
2.1 Vale of Blackmoor
The story begins at Tess’s hometown, the village of Marlott which lay amid the north-eastern undulations of the Vale of Blackmoor. The beautiful scenery of Tess’s hometown is depicted in the first three paragraphs of Chapter Two.
In the first paragraph, there is a description about the Vale of Blackmoor.
“The village of Marlott lay amid the north-eastern undulations of the beautiful
Vale of Blakemore or Blackmoor aforesaid, an engirdled and secluded
region, for the most part untrodden as yet by tourist or landscape-painter,
though within a four hours’ journey from London.”(Hardy, 2009: 5)
From these sentences, a quiet and secluded vale jumps into the view. The words “engirdled” and “secluded” interpret the location of the Vale of Blackmore. On the other hand, they implied the vale’s isolation. Therefore, although it is close to London, it is not frequented by tourists. The country is just like an idyllic place for people to live in.
Hardy depicted the Vale of Blackmoor as followings:
“This fertile and sheltered tract of country, in which the fields are never
brown and the springs never dry…the hills are open, the sun blazes down
upon fields so large as to give an unenclosed character to the landscape,
the lanes are white, the hedges low and plashed, the atmosphere
colorless.”(Hardy, 2009: 6)
A vibrant idyllic picture comes to readers. Like many other village girls, Tess grows up here, affected by the environment. She is pure and innocent just as the same as the vale. “…with but slight exceptions the prospect is a broad rich mass of grass and trees, mantling minor hills and dales within the major. Such is the Vale of Blackmoor.”(Hardy, 2009:6) These lines show the vale’s fertility. Lands are covered with a broad rich mass of grass and trees which displayed a cozy village. The beautiful scenery sets the tone for plot of May-Day dance on the one hand, and it provides a wonderful mood for the readers on the other hand.
This district is no less than of geographical interest, it is known for its history. It is known as the Forest of White Hart because it links a story with King Henry Ⅲ, a
hunter and a beautiful white hart.
“The country was densely wooded. Even now, traces of its earlier condition
are to be found in the old oak copses and irregular belts of timber that yet
survive upon its slopes, and the hollow-trunked trees that shade so many of
its pastures.” (Hardy, 2009: 6)
Whether the story is true or not, the country is still existed traces of ancient times, which outstanding the features of original and secluded.
From portraits of the village Marlott and the vale of Blackmoor, readers have a basic understanding of Tess’s birthplace, which is beautiful and peaceful. It still keeps some old customs, the May-Day for instance. Natural environment where people live in influences people’s characteristics. And it explains the reason why Tess is a beautiful and innocent girl. Tess lives a happy life in this peaceful village until an
accident strike on her family: the death of horse “prince”. Since then, peaceful life breaks down all of a sudden. As the one who drags her parents into this quagmire, Tess decides to bear the responsibility for the whole family. So she starts her journey to Trantridge.
2.2 Trantridge
If the Vale of Blackmoor represents innocence, then Trantridge is the beginning of distress. The death of the horse forces Tess to take responsibilities of the whole family. Tess obeys her mother to go to Trantridge to the d’Urbervilles for “claiming kin”. On a memorable morning, Tess goes on her journey away from the birthplace. Tess first goes on a brief visit to the d’Urbervilles.
“It was not a manorial home in the ordinary sense, with fields, and pastures,
and a grumbling farmer…It was more, far more; a country-house built for
enjoyment pure and simple, with not an acre of troublesome land attached to
it beyond what was acquired for residential purposes, and for a little fancy
farm kept in hand by the owner, and tended by a bailiff…it was of decent
erection---indeed almost new.” (Hardy, 2009:30)
It displays that the d’Urbervilles is not an ordinary manor but a country-house just built for owner’s enjoyment. Tess is so innocent that her nervousness far outweighs her doubt. From the following part, readers know about the paddock is one of the few remained woodlands in England of primeval date. “The aged oaks” and “enormous yew-trees” can be still found in this place. The estate of the d’Urbervilles makes a large contrast to the antique forest land, which implies the estate’s incompatibility with the surroundings. Then, the history of the d’Urbervilles is given. In reality, old Mr. Simon, Alec’s father, makes a fortune as a merchant in the North. He decides to move to the south of England as a county man. He thinks changing name into a noble one can avoid being identified his tradesman history. As a consequence, he chooses to change into the name of d’Urbervilles and settled down in this country. However, it is a tragedy for Tess and her parents who are naturally ignorant about this. “In this glory of present and past natural history only the two inhabitants of the Slopes，like their name，are counterfeit--Alec and his blind mother.” (George, 1980:90) After the brief visit, Tess is informed to manage poultry farm of the d’Urbervilles. Several days later,
Tess encounters seduction from Alec. Therefore, to some extent, Trantridge is a turning point in Tess’s life. It is a beginning of Tess’s distress.
2.3 Thalbathays
After recuperated in two or three years, Tess leaves home for the second time. This time, the direction is almost opposite to that of her first sad adventure. It indicates that Tess would usher in a brand new life. If Trantridge represents pain and distress, Thalbathays Dairy can be regarded as a new life. In this dairy, Tess encounters Angel whom she loved and agreed to marry.
Tess starts her journey in a good mood. It is a thyme-scented, bird-hatching morning. Everything is full of hope and so is Tess. “Tess had never before visited this part of the country, and yet she felt akin to the landscape.”(Hardy, 2009:93) Although she hasn’t visited Thalbathays before, Tess feels familiar with the landscape. She has an inherent closeness to nature. Passing a troublesome walk, she finally reaches a summit of the Valley of the Great Dairies where can clearly see the landscape of Thalbathays in a bird’s-eye perspective. The first impression of this place is large and broad. The landscape is not as beautiful as Tess’s birthplace. However, it cheeres Tess up. “It lacks the intensely blue atmosphere of the rival vale, and its heavy soils and scents; the new air is clear, bracing, ethereal.”(Hardy, 2009:94) Hardy makes a comparison between Thalbathays and Blackmoor. Although Thalbathays is not as beautiful as Blackmoor, it gives Tess a completely opposite impression from the Vale of Blackmoor. “The Froom waters were clear as the pure River of Life shown to the Evangelist, rapid as the shadow of a cloud, with pebbly shallows that prattled to the sky all day long.”(Hardy, 2009:94) The air is bright and fresh and the water is pure. Breathing such fresh air, Tess is in a happy mood. Or in other words, the scenery one sees reflects the person’s mood. The scenery before Tess reflects she is very cheerful.
“Her hopes mingled with the sunshine in an ideal photosphere which
surrounded her as she bounded along against the soft south wind. She
heard a pleasant voice in every breeze and in every bird’s note seemed to
lurk a joy.”(Hardy, 2009:94)
Birds here can be the symbol of freedom. From these sentences readers can clearly see that Tess’s mood is influenced by the landscape. Her spirits, her thankfulness and her hopes, rise higher and higher. What she sees and what she hears gave her a happy mood, which represents a good start of Tess’s new life.
Thalbathays is the place where Tess comes across Angel, the place where Tess falls in love with Angel and the place where Tess agrees to marry Angel. So it represents Tess’s new life and love.
2.4 Flintcomb-Ash
If Thalbathays is the place of all good things, Flintcomb-Ash is the place like a living hell. Life in there makes Tess’s desperation comes to the climax.
From the stubborn soil Tess can imagine how tough labor work will be. But she wants to rest from searching another shelter. Considering the bad weather, she decides to stay. Later, Tess finds there is no exaggeration in her friends Marian’s definition of Flintcomb-Ash farm as a starve-acre place. “The single fat thing on the soil was Marian herself; and she was an importation.”(Hardy, 2009:263) It is a vivid comparison between Marian and Flintcomb-Ash. Villages are often divided into three classes. And Flintcomb-Ash is the lowest. The Flintcomb-Ash is infertile and desert at the first glance, however, the working condition is even harsher.
“The swede-field in which she and her companion were set hacking was a
stretch of a hundred odd acres…The upper half of each turnip had been
eaten off by the live-stock, and it was the business of the two women to grub
up the lower or earthly half…that it might be eaten also.”(Hardy, 2009:263)
The field gives off a sense of hopelessness. It implies Tess would suffer a quite tough and rough time in this place. “They worked on hour after hour, unconscious of the forlorn aspect they bore in the landscape, not thinking of the justice or injustice of their lot. Even in such a position as theirs it was possible to exist in a dream.”(Hardy, 2009:264) Life in Thalbathays is sweet and hopeful. On the contrary, life in Flintcomb-Ash is nothing but bitter and hopeless. Under the cruel exploitation, Tess becomes numb and her movements shows a mechanical regularity. She thingks about
giving up, but she realizes that she could not be paid if she does not work. To sum up, Flintcomb-Ash is like a dark hell where Tess has to endure unimaginable pains.
2.5 Stonehenge
Tess has experienced the journey in Blackmoor, Trantridge, Thalbathays and Flintcomb-Ash, finally she reaches the end of her journey, Stonehenge. Stonehenge appears when Tess and Angel exile in darkness.
“Clare felt the vertical surface of the structure. It seemed to be of solid
stone…it was a colossal rectangular pillar…at an indefinite height overhead
something made the black sky blacker…the place was roofless…”(Hardy,
2009: 365)
Between these lines, readers gets a gothic impression on Stonehenge. It discloses a gloomy and mysterious atmosphere, which indicates death was closer to Tess. When the sun rose, Tess is arrested by the police. So far, Tess completes her journey and Stonehenge is the journey’s destination.
The Vale of Blackmoor, Tess’s birthplace, indicates vigorous and youthful. Trantridge is the beginning of her suffering. Thalbathays is the place where she starts her new life. Flintcomb-Ash where Tess works offers her a poor subsistence but a shelter. Finally, she is arrested at the Stonehenge and executes in the end. Each changing of places parallels Tess’s phases of her life. Each place can be a turning point of Tess’s life.
Chapter Three Changing of Seasons in Tess of
the d’Urbervilles
In Tess, Hardy depicts the heroine as “the daughter of nature”. Her lifetime is closely relates to nature and blended in with nature. Environment only provides appropriate background for characters, activities. But “in Tess, Hardy artfully employs environment description to indicate characters, personalities, psychology and situation.” (Chi, 2011:25) Nature is like a turning wheel. Sunrise and sunset, four seasons, change and develop in a regular pace. In Tess’s short life, she has also experienced several ups and downs, death and rebirth. Each turn of her fate is closely linked with the seasonal changes. The changes of seasons imply Tess’s different mentalities and situations. The changes of seasons reflect Tess’s fluctuated life to some extent. Spring and summer symbolize Tess’s youth and vigor. They also represent Tess’s pursuit of love. While on the contrary, autumn and winter foreshow her tragic fate. The story begins from spring, when Tess is an innocent and youthful girl at her birthplace. It is also a spring after two or three years’ recuperation, Tess rekindles her hope of life and goes to Thalbathays Dairy to start a new life. In summer, Tess and Angel’s love develops. Tess enjoys the most valuable time in her short life. Tess is seduced by Alec in an early autumn then she returns home in a late autumn. And Tess endures the harshest time in Flintcomb-Ash in a cold winter. Tess’s fate is closely related with different seasons and which stresses the line between seasonal changes and Tess.
3.1 Spring
Spring is the season of vitality and hope. Tess makes her first appearance in May. Tess is vigorous and youthful. She is an innocent happy young girl until Alec’s
seduction. After the death of Tess’s child, on a thyme-scented, bird-hatching morning in May, she leaves home for the second time to start a new life. It is also the time that loves between Tess and Angel sprouts.
3.1.1 May—Tess first appeared in the May-Day Dance
Tess makes her first appearance in the May-Day Dance, a club-walking festival in the vale of Blackmoor. The old custom is a synonym of cheerfulness. It is also the place where Tess first encounters Angel. In Tess’s first appearance, she appears as followings:
“…Her mobile peony mouth and large innocent eyes added eloquence to color and shape. She wore a red ribbon in her hair, and was the only one
of the white company who could boast of such a pronounced
adornment.”(Hardy, 2009:8)
Tess is the most beautiful girl among the women. She is a fine and handsome girl filled with youthful breath. The white frock she wears displays her purity. Her elegant appearance is a picturesque part of nature, which impresses Angel deeply in their first encounter.
3.1.2 May--Tess started her journey to Thalbathays
After recuperating for two or three years, Tess leaves her birthplace and goes Thalbathays to start her second journey. She decides to take a job as a dairymaid at Thalbathays, where no one knows of her past.
“On a thyme-scented, bird-hatching morning in May, between two and three years after silent reconstructive years for Tess Durbeyfield—she left
her home for the second time.”(Hardy, 2009:92)
The air is heavy with the scent of thymes. Everything rouses up from sleeping and sprang to life. It depicts a picture of vibrancy and vigor. On the other hand, the description foreshadowes Tess’s fruitful life at Thalbathays.
3.1.3 Next May --Tess and Angel’s love sprouted
The season develops and matures, which is appropriated to Tess and Angel’s love. “Another year’s instalment of flowers, leaves, nightingales, thrushes, finches, and such creatures, took up their positions…” (Hardy, 2009:117) As time moves on, nature presents a picture of prosperity. Plants blooms and creatures develops to a new look, which are quite different from the previous year.
“Rays from the sunrise drew forth the buds and stretched them into long stalks, lifted up sap in noiseless streams, opened petals, and suck out
scents in invisible jets and breathings.”(Hardy, 2009:118)
The buds, the peaceful stream and opened petals are the symbols of fertility. And Tess and Angel’s love is progressing and finally achieves fruitfulness. Maids and men in Dairyman Crick’s household live on comfortably and merrily. Tess has never been so happy in recent years, and she thinks she would never be so happy again. The relation between Angel and her stands “as yet on the debatable land between predilection and love”. (Hardy, 2009:118). But they couldn’t help meeting continually. They usually meets early every morning and takes a walk around the dairy. Their love has been silently sprouted.
To sum up, spring is the season of vitality and hope. It indicates Tess’s purity and innocence.
3.2 Summer
In this season, Love between Tess and Angel has developed. Tess achieves her harvest of Angel’s love. From Angel’s eyes, Tess is a dazzlingly fair lady who has her strange and ethereal beauty. The hot weather of July has creep upon them unknowingly. “The atmosphere of the flat vale hung heavy as an opiate over the dairy-folk, the cows, and the trees.”(Hardy, 2009:129) Summer’s enthusiasm symbolized passionate love. On a Sunday morning, Tess and other three girls go together to Mellstock Church. However, they find the crooked lane is flooded over-shoe because of the rain. When girls are on the horn of a dilemma, Angel appears to do them a favor. He carries them over and told Tess he does this only for the sake of her.
In describing the season, Hardy chooses the words like “oozing fatness”, “warm ferments”, “juices” and “fertilization” to show that the natural surrounding is full of vigor and force.(Zheng, 2004:21) The sultry day catalyzes Angel’s passion, he proposes his love to Tess. After confessing his love, he goes home to ask parents’ permission and finally he gets their permission successfully. On his way back to Thalbathays dairy, Hardy describes it as followings:
“The atmosphere grew heavier, the languid perfume of the summer fruits, the mists, the hay, the flowers, formed therein a vast pool of odour
which at the hour seemed to make the animals, the very bees and butterflies
drowsy.”(Hardy, 2009:154)
This description displays an idyllic picture of Thalbathays. At the period of late summer, fruits and other landscape make a fragrance which makes animals and insects sleepy. At the same time, it reflects Angel’s delighted mood because he is going to ask Tess to marry him. In Hardy’s description, readers can find that human and nature are continuously interactive.
3.3 Autumn
Autumn is the season that tragedies happened. In an early autumn, Tess is seduced by Alec. In late October, Tess returns home to look for a shelter. In a harvest season, Tess has her baby but unfortunately he died when he is an infant. Tess spends two to three years to recuperate herself. This chapter discusses the phase of Tess’s return to her birthplace in late October.
Tess returns home in late October and spends a long time inside home for her pregnancy. Autumn is a harvest season. Tess also harvests an illegitimated baby. This period matches the first part of Tess’s journey.
“It was a Sunday morning in late October… and some few weeks subsequent to the night ride in The Chase. The time was not long past
daybreak, and the yellow luminosity upon the horizon behind her back
lighted the ridge…the barrier of the vale wherein she of late been a
stranger.”(Hardy, 2009: 68)
The young and innocent girl experiences her first tragedy in her youthful life. She returns home, looking for comfort and shelter. Tess has to plunk all her courage to be an unmarried mother ignoring people’s gossips.
“The incline was the same down which D’Urberville had driven her so wildly in that day in June. Tess gazed over the familiar green world beyond,
now half-veiled in mist…It was terribly beautiful to Tess today…she had
learnt that the serpent hisses where the sweet birds sing...”(Hardy, 2009: 68) Walking on the same way as Alec has driven her to leave Marlott, Tess has quite different feeling this time. The birthplace is always beautiful and familiar to her. This time Tess finds it still terribly beautiful. She realizes a philosophical thought that there is always a mysterious force destroying the innocent. After this tragic accident happens, Tess is forced to be mature.。