During the winter vacation, I picked up this book again and reread Tess, emphasizing Tess's life.
I am just a wet behind the ears college student, and my understanding of life and society is still insufficient. Maybe my understanding of Tess is only superficial, so I'm still writing about my feelings.
Tess is a pure and beautiful girl in Hardy's works, pure and natural. She has everything that women envy-charming appearance, beautiful face and just right figure. Such a stunning woman was persecuted by social family and even human nature. Under the double pressure of family difficulties and social customs, she finally went to ruin step by step. On the title page of the book, the author left a line: Tess, a pure woman. Yes, this is a pure woman, although she was raped.
The tragedy began from the moment Tess was raped by Alec. Although her family was poor before, at least, she still had a teenage dream and could dance in her spare time. But then, everything changed, because she even lost a girl's virginity. This is an unforgivable mistake that will haunt her all her life. And all this, just because she is a good daughter and sister. For the sake of this family and the bright future that her parents expected, she went to the abyss without hesitation, a dead end that she could not walk out of all her life.
The climax of the tragedy appeared on Tess and Angie's wedding night. When Tess sincerely told Angie what had happened to her, Angie's words became so cruel: "I thought-any man would think so-since I gave up all my plans for a wife with status, wealth and education, what I got should of course be exquisite cheeks and pure purity." This is the climax of tragedy, which is a devastating blow to Tess, and her world has completely collapsed. Angie had proposed to Tess many times before. Tess's refusal was a great pain. She is afraid of hurting this young and innocent guy. However, the great temptation-Angela is so excellent, so deeply in love with her, and promises to forgive all Tess's mistakes, Tess compromised and agreed, fantasizing that she could start a new life. However, everything is wrong. Angie's love for her was only to satisfy her poor vanity, and Tess's happy life ended in a hurry before it started. Angela left Tess.
The next day, Tess has been suffering, once the devil pestered herself, and the distant lover did not come back. I don't know how long it will take Angie to come back. Alec's death is inevitable. Tess would rather die with Alec than be with her beloved Angie, even for a short moment, even for hopeless happiness.
Poor stupid Tess. . .
Not to mention many critics' comments on this novel, I know that my feelings about the capitalist social background at that time were very simple, and there was no intersection between social historicity and inevitability. I just look at this novel from the perspective of a female reader. Apart from family factors, Alec is the first person to persecute Tess, but at the same time, Angie, who seems to be educated, is also a hypocrite who drives Tess to the wall step by step. From beginning to end, in Tess, what we see is the struggle between her pure nature and the forces that persecute her. Tess is strong and optimistic, but her fate is irreversible. I believe that if Tess is given a few more choices, she will eventually go the same way, unless Angela doesn't mind her going to Brazil. In this love, Angela is the complete master, but in the end, under his hypocritical morality, Tess, the love of her dreams, goes to the gallows, which is a tragedy.
True love should be selfless. If you love someone deeply, you should accept her past, because the past is also a part of her, a part of her heart. If you can't accept her past, you will never enter her heart, her heart that loves you deeply. Love to the depths is understanding, love to the depths is tolerance, because love can make our hearts as broad and selfless as the blue sky and the sea. Because the temperature of love can melt everything. Because love is the only reason we live in this world.
This article is not perfect, but I hope it will be useful to you.