象征主义在《德伯家的苔丝》中的体现
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象征主义在《德伯家的苔丝》中的体现
摘要
托马斯·哈代是横跨两个世纪的英国作家、诗人、小说家,他的一生共发表了近20部长篇小说。
《德伯家的苔丝》是其代表作。
这是一部具有特殊艺术魅力和丰富内涵的作品。
自发表以来,评论家们运用各种各样的理论对小说进行了分析。
但是,鉴于前人对小说中象征手法的研究较少,本文将采用象征主义理论分析小说中意象的运用及意象与作者、宗教、社会背景等的联系,揭示哈代对社会、宗教以及大自然等的态度,以便读者更好地理解这部作品。
哈代在小说中多次运用象征手法,例如:人名、动物、色彩、自然景象等的象征与暗示,不仅成功的塑造了主人公形象,而且深化了小说的主题。
因而,该部作品可被视作象征主义的现代文本,具有一定的时代意义。
关键词:哈代,象征主义,《德伯家的苔丝》
Symbolism Reflected in Tess of the D‟Urbervilles
Abstract
Thomas Hardy is a British writer, poet, and novelist who spanned two centuries and published more than 20 novels, t hat Tess of the D‟Urbervilles is the masterpiece of his works, which has special artistic charm and rich connotation. With the publication of the novel, critics have used miscellaneous theories to analyze the novel. Nevertheless, there are few previous studies on symbolism so that this paper will use the theory of symbolism to analyze imagery and relationships between imagery and the author, religions and social background, to reveal Hardy‟s attitudes towards society, religions and natures, to make readers have a better understanding on the novel. In this novel, Hardy used symbolic methods, for instance, symbols and hints of characters‟ names, animals, colors and natural scenes, which was not only shaped image of characters successfully, but also deepened the theme of the novel. Accordingly, Tess of the D‟Urbervilles can be read as a modern text of symbolism, and possesses certain significance of the times.
Key Words:Thomas Hardy, Symbolism, Tess of the D‟Urbervilles
1. Introduction
1.1 Literature Review
Thomas Hardy was an English writer, poet and novelist. In the 19th century, Hardy mainly devoted himself to novel writing. While for the last three decades of his lif e, he turned back to poetry. In Hardy‟s life, he published more than 20 novels and 8 poetry collections. He was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, especially William Wordsworth. [] Charles Dickens was another important influence.[] The critic Ford Madox ever said that Hardy was the ideal poet of a generation.[] In fact, Hardy was not only a great poet, but also a wonderful novelist. Hardy‟s novels set in the southwest of England, and full of local color. His novels can be divided into three categories: novels of character and environment, novels of romance and fantasy, novels with perfect structure and plot. After publication of Tess of the D‟Urbervilles, it caused conflicts with Victorian morality. Hardy was depressed by the combat caused by his works so that he gave up novel-writing.
There is no doubt that Tess of the D‟Urbervilles is a successful novel. Ever since its publication, the novel has received some compliments, for instance, “It makes a distinct epoch in English ficti on.”[]While quite a few critics have attacked Tess‟s morality and Hardy‟s view of “God was malicious”.[]
Hardy and his masterpiece Tess of the D‟Urbervilles have been studied worldwide. After Tess of the D‟Urbervilles was published, some researchers have b een working on Hardy‟s writing style and techniques, for instance Thomas Hardy: the Tragedy Form (Dale Kramer 1975); some have been studying on his novels‟ female images, for example The Woman Described by Thomas Hardy (Kathleen Rogers 1975). Some Chinese researchers concerned about realistic tragedy, religion, marriage ethic, feminism and some other angles of Hardy‟s works. Nie Zhenzhao analyzed the novel from the tragic consciousness of the social system in his Thomas Hardy: A Study of His Novels. In Wu D i‟s New Studies on Thomas Hardy, he analyzed the tragedy of Tess from the aspect of law. Apart from this, Wu also interpreted religious thought of Tess of the D‟Urbervilles. In the last few years, the concentration of the domestic research mainly focuses o n “character and the environment”, such as An Ecofeminist Interpretation of Tess of the D‟Urbervilles
(Wei Yafei 2012). Some foreign scholars also made studies on the above-mentioned point of view. Compared with Chinese researchers, foreign scholars have more extensive researches on the novel. In Scott McEathron‟s Thomas Hardy‟s Tess of the D‟Urbervilles: A Sourcebook, he studied Tess of the D‟Urbervilles from the perspective of literature review and introduction of the novel.
Tess of the D‟Urbervilles is s tudied by researchers from different views, such as explanation of feminism, interpretation of Hardy‟s fatalism, the analysis on Hardy‟s religious consciousness, explanation of the tragic conflict and so on. All in all, in the light of previous researches, this paper studies the novel‟s symbolism comprehensively, and explores profound meaning of the novel‟s symbolism writing skills. A better understanding of characters‟ destiny and nature will be achieved. Based on this study, readers will have a better und erstanding on Hardy‟s perception of history, reality and life.
1.2 Purpose of the Thesis
This thesis aims to explore one of the typical literary features reflected in Tess of the D‟Urbervilles, symbolism. And the study of the symbolism in the novel can hel p readers have a better understanding of the protagonist‟s destiny, the development of the plots and it is also significant in an in-depth comprehension of the writer‟s artistic creation. Additionally, the author of this paper manages to analyze Hardy‟s pessimistic thought, the query of religion and internal communication between man and nature by analyzing color symbols, symbolic meaning of names and natural scenes in this novel.
1.3 Composition of the Thesis
The first part briefly introduces the research status in relation to Tess of the D‟Urbervilles from researchers and scholars at home and abroad, and then states purpose of the thesis.
In the second part, the author studies the basic theory of symbolism, especially introduces symbolism in literature.
The third part is the primary part of the paper. The author focuses on analyzing image of the novel-colors, names, natural scenes and so on. First of all, the author
analyzes color symbols, such as, white, red, and so on. By analyzing color symbols, the auth or explores Hardy‟s pessimistic thought. Then the author explains Hardy‟s attitudes towards religion by analyzing names of characters. Last but not least, through the analysis of symbolic meaning of natural scenes, this paper reveals internal communication between man and nature.
The last part is the conclusion, summing up the whole text and the main content and meaning of the paper.
2. An Introduction to Symbolism in Literature
Symbolism is an art movement that developed at late 19th century in the French, Russian and Belgian literature, which originated in poetry and other arts. In literature, Charles Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du mal that published in 1857 made this style of writing have a great vogue. The critic Jean Moréas was the first man to use the name “symbolist” to distinguish the symbolists from the related decadents of literature and of art. Generally speaking, symbolists focus on description of personal illusion and inner feelings.
As a literary concept, symbolists believed that literature should reflect an emotion or idea rather than represent the natural world in the objective. In literature, symbolism represents a synthesis of form and feelings, of reality and the writer‟s inner subjectivity.
In 1891, Albert Aurier gave the first definition of symbolism as an aesthetic in an article on Paul Gauguin. Although symbolism began in France, it was an international van ward movement that spread over Europe and North America during the last two decades of the nineteenth century. The Norwegian Edvard Munch was closely connected with Symbolist circles.
Symbolism is a literary element used in literature to help readers understand a literary work. In literature, symbolism is a tool that writers introduce for purpose of not only interest in one‟s work but also to create another level of meaning. Alfed North Whitehead ever said in his Symbolism, Its Meaning and Effect “Symbolism is no mere idle fancy or corrupt degeneration; it is inherent in the very texture of human life. Language itself is a symbolism”. []
There are lots of definitions in the theory of Symbolism. Nevertheless, there is one thing in common. Just as Liang Daizong ever said, “symbolism implies invisible things by visible images, implies infinite by limited, and implies eternal by the moment.”[]Thi s concept has seeped into literature, and it has become an indispensable part of some literary works. Roses show the meaning of love. Different colors stand for different emotions, such as purple for royalty. For many writers, symbolism has been an important writing method to deepen the theme and express emotions.
The word “symbolism” derived from the Greek word symballein. That refers to the idea of putting things together to contrast them, and ultimately became a word that was used for compare. When writers want to create a special emotion in literature, they always use symbolism; when writers use one object to refer to a completely different idea, maybe she or he is employing symbolism. An object, person, situation or word all can be used symbolism to convey thoughts. Some common types of symbolism include metaphor and Allegory. Symbolism is used to give meaning to literary works what are inconspicuous to the reader. It is unnecessary for the writer to actually spell it out due to symbolism will give a mood to the piece. By giving human-like characteristics to certain things, and also defining them with certain qualities, the writer can manage to give the novel another level. This may refer to things which are completely alien from what is mentioned in the piece of writing. Symbolism is not necessarily symbol. They can be delicate symbolic representations used to imply something without making it a distinct and preponderant statement. Some common things of symbolism include: colors, figures, animals, letters, names and so on.
It is difficult for readers to understand this concept even some writers use simple imagery to express their own opinions. But it provides us with a method to follow the author‟s way of thinking, and try to know why the author would put in a theory. It is also a way that writers play games with readers.
3. Symbolism in Tess of the D‟Urbervilles
In terms of Hardy‟s works, symbolism is the main features of his writing. In Tess of the D‟Urbervilles, Hardy repeatedly used symbolic techniques,which made the
novel full of artistic appeal, deepened the theme and enhanced the tragedy consciousness of the novel. Meanwhile, uses of symbolic techniques made the novel full of mystery. There are symbolic elements in Tess of the D‟Urbervilles, such as colors, animals, names, natural scenes and other elements.
3.1. Color Symbols: Hardy‟s Pessimistic Thought
Compared with other perceptions, the perception of colors is the most impressive one. Authors always capitalize on colors to arouse readers‟ feelings and to resonate with their experiences. Writers invariably use colorful symbols to voice their emotions so that they can make readers feel more about characters‟ emotion. Tony Tanner comment Hardy that “Every great writer has his own kind of legibility, h is own way of turning life into a language of particular saliences, and in Hardy this legibility is of a singularly stark order.” []Thomas Hardy, an outstanding critical realism writer who likes using symbolism to write novels, whose works reflect the changes of social economy, politics, morals and customs, and the tragic fate of the bankrupt peasants after capitalism invaded the countryside, which have a strong sense of tragedy. It is generally known that Tess of the D‟Urbervilles is a typical tragic work of Hardy, in which Hardy uses a large number of color symbols, such as white, red, green and black, to shape fates of characters and to express his pessimistic thought.
In Tess of the D‟Urbervilles, the color “white” and the color “red” appear frequently. In English culture, color white has two metaphorical meanings: …bad things‟ and …pure heart‟. When the first time Tess showed up in the novel, both she and her companions who attended the May-Day dance were all dressed in white gowns and held a bunch of white flowers in their left, which implied that Tess was innocent and pure. Meanwhile, color white is easy to be polluted by bad stuff. After the death of horse Prince, Tess had to get relation with Mrs D‟Urberville. When she walked to Mrs D‟Urberville‟s hou se, she wore a white gown. Since then, the nightmare of Tess was beginning. As expected, after several months, Tess who also wore a white gown was seduced by Alec in The Chase- the oldest wood in England where ruled darkness and silence. Hardy created the beautiful and simple image of Tess by using color white, however, Tess was ruined over and over again just like。