《德伯家的苔丝》与《嘉莉妹妹》中女主角命运不同的比较_毕业论文

毕业论文

The Comparison Between the Different Fates of Heroines of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles "and "Sister

Carrie"

《德伯家的苔丝》与《嘉莉妹妹》中女主角命运不同

的比较

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2、论文的观念是否有新意？设计是否有创意？

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Abstract: "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "Sister Carrie" are two major masterpieces written by Thomas Hardy and Theodore Dreiser respectively. In these two novels, the heroines are girls from rural areas. The authors describe the hard lives of the heroines in the society which is dominated by men. They have similar origin but very different fates. Firstly, this thesis introduces Thomas Hardy and his work "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and Theodore Dreiser and his work "Sister Carrie" separately. Furthermore, I will make a comparison about their fates of the two leading ladies of these two works, mainly from their personality traits, social background, views of love. Why do they share a similar fate at the beginning but have different ending.

Key words: Tess; Carrie; comparison; different fates

Contents

Introduction (1)

1 Two Works and the Authors (1)

1.1 Thomas Hardy and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" (1)

1.1.1 Thomas Hardy (1)

1.1.2 "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" (2)

1.2 Theodore Dreiser and "Sister Carrie" (3)

1.2.1 Theodore Dreiser (3)

1.2.2 "Sister Carrie" (3)

2 Comparison (4)

2.1 Character (4)

2.1.1 The Characteristics of Tess (4)

2.1.1.1 The Simpleness and Kindness but Softness (4)

2.1.1.2 The Self-esteem and Spirit of Resistance (5)

2.1.2 The Characteristics of Carrie (6)

2.1.2.2 The Innocence of Carrie (6)

2.1.2.2 The Vanity and Independence of Carrie (7)

2.2 Harsh Reality (7)

2.2.1 Capitalist Society (7)

2.2.2 Men Are the Rulers of Society (8)

2.2.3 Religion and Ethics (10)

2.3 Views of Love (11)

2.3.1 The Purity and Sincerity of Love (11)

2.3.2 Matter Above All of Love of Carrie (12)

3 Conclusion (12)

Bibliography (14)

Acknowledgement (16)

Introduction

In the late 19th century, Thomas Hardy published "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". Today, many scholars comment on the character of Tess and her love-life only through the religion, social background, and the author's fatalism, etc. There are some certain limitations to analyze in such a way. Therefore, this thesis attempts to have a comparative analysis of the heroines of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "Sister Carrie" which written by Theodore Dreiser and published in the early 20th century.

Both "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and "Sister Carrie" were written in the period of capitalism. Coincidentally, the two writers choose the beautiful pure girls as their heroines. They give us an unforgettable impression at first sight with beautiful appearances and a local flavor of innocence when they appear. They all come from the poor peasantry, which send them to the bottom of the capitalist society. Nevertheless, they are eager to live a better life. The two innocent heroines take the first step toward community bravely. Even though they make a great effort to live well and even at the cost of the life, the harsh social reality does not give them a good result they desired. On the contrary, they fall to be the sacrificial lambs of the capitalism. Faced with the harsh social reality, the two heroines make different choices. Tess sticks to her principles - pure love, kindness but eventually she is engulfed by the devil of the community; while Carrie chooses to follow the American consumer society, in order to live a better life, she gives up the cherished virtues and principles of the traditional society. Why do they have a similar start but different destinies?

1 Two Works and the Authors

1.1 Thomas Hardy and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"

1.1.1 Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy is a British writer of the late Victorian era. He was born on June 2, 1840, in a rural region of southwestern England and educated in local schools(Kramer,2002:2). He entered a firm specializing in ecclesiastical architecture, winning the Architectural Association prize for design in 1863. He began writing verse and essays in 1861. His first short story was published in 1865. Many of his first novels were published in 1871. In 1874 his novel Far From the Madding Crowd was a commercial success, allowing him to take up writing as the full-time job.

On one hand, he lived at a time when Britain transferred from capitalism to imperialism. Although it created a prosperous economy in the British capitalism, the lower class ran into life difficulties. Therefore, in his works, he sharply exposes hypocrisy and cruelty and sympathizes with the poor facing the tragic fate.

On the other hand, Hardy spent his teenage years in the town of Wessex, so his work has a clear demonstration of rural life. One of his greatest achievements lies in the portrayal of nature, which involves the power and vastness of nature and demonstrates the subtle and exquisite details. Another great achievement is that those dramatic and sometimes tragic events happened in a small social circle. As is well

known to all, he has a high moral sensitivity and is good at expressing rural young women pure but often controversial. His most prominent representative is "Tess of the D'Urbervilles", which is enveloped in the whole pessimism and highlights his Criticism. Therefore, his works reflect his social pessimism and a sense of tragedy in human life．

1.1.2 "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"

Written by Thomas Hardy in 1891, "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" is a tragic work, which is about the tragic fate of heroine Tess, a sixteen years old and beautiful peasant girl. The novel begins with a late evening in May; John D’Urbervilles (Tess's father) is told that he is the descendant of the ancient and knightly family of the D'Urbervilles. This sudden news makes this poor rural pedlar happy, and then he goes to a public house and spends all his money drinking to celebrate his noble blood. In fact he is a vain, short-sighted man. When his horse is killed by a mail mart, he drives his 16-year-old daughter, Tess D'Urbervilles to Trantridge to claim kinship with rich but spurious D'Urbervilles to receive financial assistance. In fact, the old wealthy woman has no relations with D'Urbervilles. Her home starts by practicing usury and moves here from the north. In order to improve their identity and status, she gets the family name from the museum. Because of the poverty of family and insistence of his parents, Tess thinks that she is the eldest daughter at home and bears family responsibility, so she has to work in the manor farm.

Unfortunately, she is seduced by the young master of the house, Alec D'Urbervilles. But Tess disgusts Alec and then she returns home. The matter does not help her to win the sympathy of the community, what’s worse; she is subjected to ridicule and accusations. Soon after she gives birth to a baby, the baby dies in infancy. With the pain and poverty, she goes to the south as a milk factory worker. There, Tess meets her lifetime lover, Angel Clare. He is a gentle, knowledgeable, and anti-feudal man, who falls in love with Tess. And at this time, Tess's ideas are full of contradictory. On one hand, she gets a good sense from Angel; on the other hand she is sad that she loses virginity and is not worthy to be his wife. But in the end, a strong love defeats the remorse of past, they get married. On the wedding night, Tess confesses herself "sin" and hopes that the open-minded Angel will forgive her, but he abandons Tess ruthlessly and leaves for Brazil, even though he himself has an experience with a bad woman. Tess's heart is broken for being abandoned but she hopes that her husband will change his mind and come back.

To support her family, she has to slave away on a distant farm. One day, she is told that Alec becomes a priest, who preaches to crowds on principle. Alec entangles Tess and shameless attempts to cohabitate with her. Tess is very angry and frightened, and then she writes a long letter to beg Angel to return quickly but in vain. On the one hand, because of the death of Tess's father and sickness of her mother, her family descends on the streets; Tess has to agree with Alec cohabitation. While beyond the sea, Angel is in the state of poverty and ill health in Brazil, so he regrets abandoning Tess and decides to return to England with Tess reconciled. Angel's back, like a razor awakes Tess from the state of numbness. In desperation, she kills Alec and catches up with Angel. In the wilderness desert, they spend five happy days together. In the end,

she hangs in the gallows.

1.2 Theodore Dreiser and "Sister Carrie"

1.2.1 Theodore Dreiser

Theodore Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, the ninth of ten children. His parents are poor. In the 1860s his father, a devout Catholic German immigrant, had attempted to establish his own woolen mill, but after it was destroyed in a fire, the family lived in poverty. Dreiser’s schooling was erratic, as the family moved from town to town. Although he was very poor at that time, he was a voracious reader and the impact of such writers as Hawthorne, Poe, Balzac, Freud and so on. Therefore, He is a prominent writer and pioneer of modern American fiction and describes accurately the new American city life.

In 1945, he applied to join the American Communist Party, therefore, he is known as the socialist tendencies of American realist. He has many loyal followers, including even his contemporaries’ famous writers such as Sherwood Anderson.

Dreiser is the first impoverished writer from the underworld in American Literature. He has struggled in the bottom of society. When he was young, he was a newspaper reporter and editor, he often traveled some major cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Toledo and so on, so he accessed to the reality of life at various levels and witnessed slums, alcoholism, pornography, murder, robbery, etc. Thus, in his works, he wants to expose the disparity of wealth in American society, moral bankruptcy of the novel "Sister Carrie" (1900), "Jennie Gerhardt" (1911).

He describes life as we can see- real and never pretending. In the field of American fiction, he turns timid and gentle style in the Victorian era to the styles of loyal, bold and passionate. Therefore, the United States critics think that Dreiser is loyal to life and his writing style is innovative which brings about a revolution in American literature.

1.2.2 "Sister Carrie"

The background of "Sister Carrie" is two major U.S. cities - Chicago and New York between the 1880s and early the 1990s. It describes a simple, naive girl from the countryside moving to the city. She gets to see the final success but emptiness in her heart after suffering the trials. The story begins with a rural girl Carrie, carrying a small suitcase with a piece of paper with her sister’s address written. Come to Chicago passionately, she hopes that she can be a rich woman in the commercialized social life. However, she lives with elder sister poorly instead of having a fashionable and comfortable life she had imaged.

Even worse, she has no choice but to find work to support herself. She goes to a shoe factory to do a low-paid work, but soon she is fired due to illness. Heavy labor, poor working conditions, unemployment and illness, all these problems are undoubted challenge for her. Her sister suggests that she returns to countryside, but she refuses this advice. Carrie does not want to give up living in the city; her mind is still full of hope to continue to live in such a big city.

At this time, she encounters with Drouet, a salesman, who she meets on the train. She accepts his offer and cohabitates with him. Then she gets to know Drouet's friend

Hurstwood, although he has high salary, enjoying a high social status, he does not have perfect family life lacking communication with his wife and children. Therefore, after meeting Carrie, he feels that her youth and vitality as if in the scorching summer sun there suddenly sweeps a burst of spring breeze(裘柱常译,2001:8). He has repeatedly dated Carrie in private. Lately, he steels his employer's safe ten thousand dollars and takes Carrie flee with him. They change the name and get married. In order to avoid prosecution, he returns back the most of his stolen money back and leaves for New York. Hurstwood opens a pub with some men but fail, hence, Carrie has to work to support her family.

She takes a good chance to play in the theater and achieve success. She becomes a famous star and squeezes into the upper class. She decides to break up with Hurstwood. Hurstwood becomes a beggar and finally commits suicide in despair. Drouet heard that Carrie is in a fortune and begs for reconciliation but is rejected. The final outcome is that Carrie sits in the rocking chair in a luxury hotel like smug but regretful, in fact, Carrie finds her original dream life is not so attractive, instead, she feels herself very empty and boring in her heart.

2 Comparison

2.1 Character

Schopenhauer believes that personality works constantly in every moment of our lives. It works when we need to make the choice in our lives and personality determines our fates to a large extent(石冲白译,1997). Therefore, the personal characteristic plays a decisive role in the novel. What kind of a person's character will determine what kind of fate. So, first of all, I will first analyze two heroines' common points and uncommon points in characteristic.

2.1.1 The Characteristics of Tess

2.1.1.1 The Simpleness and Kindness but Softness

Firstly, Tess is a simple and honesty girl, who is the epitome of Wessex. She is in harmonious with nature, so we all call her "Nature's daughter". It is a dancing party in the "village community parade" on May Day, at this time; the beautiful Tess first appears in front of us. She wears a red string is particularly clear in that green and bright field on the Wessex. Her piercing eyes reveal her innocence and her dance shows us the features of childhood. She disseminates a kind of the characters of pure and kindness. In the novel, the author says, Tess could not bear to hurt a fly or an insect, even a bird in a cage calls her to tears(孙法理译,1993:9). The character of Tess determines her lack of sufficient knowledge of the darkness of human beings. She is not able to protect herself.

How does this simple girl escape from Alec, this crafty people? Alec is a young master of a rich family. The amorous manner, the black diamond ring and mustache are all belongs to the image of Satan. In the novel, he is often filled with smoke. At night, the fire of his cigarette implies he appears. When he first meets Tess, he exposes his dissipated and unashamed face. But youth and ignorance of Tess, she is in the absence of experience. For Alec's close, she surprises and confuses. The night she

comes back from Chesebrough, it is a fateful night, Tess is made fun by her companions. Alec proposes her to take her a ride. Because of darkness and sleepiness, she falls into the trap of Alec, resulting in irreversible consequences.

Tess is influenced by conventional morality of the period of Victorian, developing a softness of characteristic. Therefore, her another fatal defect of characteristic of Tess is being kind but soft(郭琳,2009). It is informed of family background by chance, Tess's parents in order to show off their so-called "elite" status and meet the humble vanity, they want to improve their status by marriage. But Tess disdains these things. She thinks that she is the daughter of farmers, earning a living by her labor, and Tess also says, I was raised by father and mother, my beauty is given by my mom, and she is mere a milking woman(孙法理译,1993:32). However, since the horse is killed by a mail mart, the source of family income has disappeared. Guilt and shame in her heart, she is willing to help families out of their hardships. Tess has to follow the arrangement to go to Trantridge where she claims kinship with a rich old lady. So Tess is an extremely kind but soft and compromised girl. For parents and siblings, she goes against her own will and takes the responsibility bravely. This is her fatal defect in the Tess characteristic - kind but too soft and compromised.

2.1.1.2 The Self-esteem and Spirit of Resistance

Tess has a strong sense of self-esteem, with the spirit of resistance. Firstly, violated the chastity by Alec, Tess would not be his mistress from her inner self-esteem; she decides to leave Alec and returns home. When many girls at that time lose their virginity, they will make compromises and force to marry the rapers. But Tess does not do so. if she did, she would not be happy. She believes that she can find her true love; she would not be driven by secular ideas, she has her own way to go and wants to live a life she enjoys. Therefore, even if she lost virginity, she holds inviolable attitude to Alec. Tess encounters with Alec again when she is in the most difficult times of her life. Faced the temptations, she is unmoved. Tess is a self-respecting, high self-respecting girl.

Secondly, she has courage to do the rebel of the time. She is brave to kill Alec to pursue her true love. But the cost of being brave casts aside by society, she can not escape the so-called "legal sanctions", and lays down her young and precious live. As a rebellious woman, at the beginning, Tess shows the contempt to God and denial of religion. After Tess suffers all kinds of misfortune, she draws the conclusion from her own experience that she does not believe the religion and doubts the religious. She violates the canons of the then religion. On behalf of the pastor gives a baptism to her own illegitimate child, which arouses the intense revolt of the religion. Moreover, in the late 19th century, It said that the law and the British church forbid the man marry with the sister of the man's dead wife(罗峰,2010). Tess despises it, regardless of the items of the church and the law. She asks for her husband to get married with her sister after she dies. Doing this may be have no relations with religious, but it means that she makes no compromise with the religion in despite of her death. Tess has a strong belief in life, taking the uncompromising attitudes toward the relentless of her living environment and fighting for their unfair treatment.

2.1.2 The Characteristics of Carrie

2.1.2.2 The Innocence of Carrie

At the beginning of the whole novel itself, Carrie is a simple, innocent, kind-hearted girl but a little ignorance, while at the end of the story; she turns into a realistic, selfish, vanity and independent woman. Like Tess, Carrie is a girl from the countryside, without having opportunity to be educated at school. She is a little ignorant but her nature is innocent, pure and kind-hearted. First, the examples of Carrie's innocence as follow.

She can easily be moved by honeyed words of the opposite sex. When she is on a train bounding for Chicago, she encounters with Drouet. He helps her take the package, she says, "You are too good."(蒋道超,2003:12) and feels so lucky to be taken care of in a strange city. Actually, Drouet is a man who likes to please women by the strong desire and affections. When Carrie is sick and loses her job, she meets him again. Drouet invites her to eat and offers her 10 U.S. dollars to buy clothes and shoes. For the time being, Carrie's feelings are complex and contradictory, she feels ashamed, after all, she thinks getting something without working is shameful, so she refuses at first; but Drouet insists and the temptation of money, she finally accepts it. She badly needs money, so she is still ashamed but happy. At that time, she increasingly feels Drouet is a generous man, she completely does not know he is a man who pursuits women as his pleasure. So when her sister and her husband think that she can not find a job, they regard her as a burden and want to force her return home. At that time, Drouet proposes to her living with him and helps her find a job, then Carrie has been completely conquered by him and becomes his mistress obediently. She imagines that Drouet would marry with her, but Drouet is the kind of guy that just plays around and flirts with a lot of girls, even with his maid. Whenever Carrie mentions the topic of marriage, he always says he wants to wait until the business is good. At the end, Carrie does not seem to hold her fantasy marrying with him.

But even worse she is deceived by the second man Hurstwood, who is Drouet's friend. Carrie is also impressed by his appearance and conversation. When Drouet takes a trip on official business, they make frequently appointments; she has no idea that Hurstwood is a married man. When Drouet tells her his situation, she knows she is cheated, however, Carrie decides to leave Hurstwood, one day the wily Hurstwood suddenly comes to her place to tell her that Drouet is sick in the hospital, no doubt what his words, she follows him. When she is aware of being deceived on a train leaving for another strange city, she has no choices but to follow him. Carrie's innocence and simple becomes a prey of two men. It is true that the behavior is still not accept in the country, but in this industrial city of Chicago, they can accept it. Because people in big cities think one's economic status and spending power is very important(万辉祖洁,2011). The prevalence of consumerism in the society, which causes people immerse themselves in pleasure and the values of the old traditional morality have gone.

When Carrie becomes a mistress, her temperament has changed. She becomes much more practical and more independent. Tess does not have these two points of

characteristics. I think this is a reason causes their different fates.

2.1.2.2 The Vanity and Independence of Carrie

Firstly, Tess does not have Carrie’s vanity. Carrie has a very strong sense of vanity, which leads her to become men's victim, but promote her future success. She always longs for clothes and jewelry. When she goes out for looking for a job in the department store, she is attracted by each item such as the dedicated slippers and stockings, skirts trimmed with beautiful necklaces and petticoats, different kinds of ribbons, combs and flower package. She thinks that if she has all of these, how nice are they! Later, she lives with Hurstwood in New York.

One day, invited by the next door Mrs. Vance, she goes to the theater with her, at this time, her vanity is fully performed under the comparison with Mrs. Vance. She thinks that why does Mrs. Vance have so many cute little things. Walking with Mrs. Vance in crowds, Carrie feels more uncomfortable for she does not dress up more beautiful than others. Finally, she vows that she would never come here until dress up more beautiful and more charming than others.(裘柱常译,2001:123).

Carrie's vanity presents in the desire for goods and has a comparison with others, and reflects in her pursuit of fame and fortune. She never satisfies with the statue she gets, hence, she goes out and achieves her dream.

Secondly, it is about her independence. Find a job paid four dollars a week, she images that she can live happier than before. The happiness is waiting for her, but her fantasy is short-lived, intense competition in this big city. Poor working condition and no work experience make her survive in a big city difficultly. She has been sick for three days, resulting in her losing that sort of a job. At first, she cherishes the illusion that Drouet would marry her, then she takes a fantasy to Hurstwood, but the former does not really want to marry her, and the latter treats her as a port to avoid his peremptory wife. Her illusions have been shattered, therefore, gradually she becomes an independent girl. Furthermore, after she breaks up with Drouet, she encounters with Hurstwood and is lured to New York. Hurstwood fails in his business; Carrie can not stand the poverty of life. Hurstwood can not find jobs, so living a comfortable life is a big problem. She has to go out to look for work again, and try in many places several times, and finally she becomes a famous star in Broadway from an ordinary actress in the choir.

She no longer relies on others and she makes up a name for herself.

2.2 Harsh Reality

2.2.1 Capitalist Society

Tess's tragedy is a social tragedy, which is the product of contradiction between human beings and society. Tess's tragic fate can not avoid inevitably in that society. Tess lives in industrial capitalism of the mid-19th century. Newly industrialized and urban civilization make an impact on rural areas. With the invasion of capitalism, the farmers have fallen into the states of unemployment and poverty. The tragic story of Tess's family is the portrayal of the rural poor of the time.

Tess appears in the novel, the family finance has come to the brink of collapse. In spite of Tess is a hard-working and pretty girl, as a worker, she has no rights. Her

father is a lazy, ignorance and vanity hawker and often drunk, when he is told that he is the descendant of an eminent family, he is immersed in the glory every day. Her mother is vulgar and shallow. Tess has seven sisters and brothers. A heavy burden of the family cast a shadow over her fate. Tess leaves the school to support the family and shares the burden of housework. Tess' home, especially the only horse is killed, causes the change of family financial situation. The poverty results in Tess meeting Alec and being tempted. Eventually, to assist her family pull through the difficulties, Tess forces to live with him. It makes her reunion with Angel impossible and leads to Tess's tragic fate.

The novel "Sister Carrie" was published in the early 20th century, which is in the same period of capitalism as Tess', resulting in the fate of Tess and Carrie's miserable fate.

First, from the late 19th century to the early 20th century in the United States with the abolition of serfdom, the northern cities expanded at a rapid speed in the terms of developing the industrial economy and accelerating the formation of the capitalist market economy(屈荣英,2008). Because of the introduction of large machines into the agricultural, the family-centered agricultural economy has been broken down. Therefore, young people naturally go out of the family toward the major city. Carrie is a member of the third generation of urban migrations. With a youthful impulse and courage, she comes to Chicago alone, dreaming that she can say goodbye to the underlying social and turn to be a part of the city.

Second, with the process of industrialization and urbanization, the rapid development of the U.S. economy enriches the commodity greatly. In order to obtain further development, the United States government makes an unprecedented effort to promote and encourages national consumption. The American society proves to be a society from production to consumption-oriented. Roosevelt government encourages Americans freely squander money to buy items and decorate homes luxuriously. It can be said, the concept of consume attitudes are deeply rooted and become a way of life and their sole purpose of life and the greatest joy. Therefore, the shopping has become a major women's social activity and a way to show their status. At such an era, everyone associates material with achievements unconsciously. Everyone spares no effort to enhance their social status through the means of economic. Pragmatism becomes a criterion of the people's behaviors(屈荣英,2008). In such an environment, you want to maintain the intermediate state is very difficult. Moreover, Carrie has a good sense of observation and strong adaptability. As the author in the story tells us, she always imitates other people's behaviors to enhance herself. In this social atmosphere, Carrie leaves a calm and harmonious village and goes to the international metropolis, longing for achieving her "American Dream".

2.2.2 Men Are the Rulers of Society

In the Victorian era, the whole society is a male-dominated society. It is widely believed that women are men's accessories. In this world of male culture, men always play a role in the authority, dignity and strength but women has to live for the men and serve for them(杨华,2010).

First, in the male-dominated culture, women live only at the object position.

Women's chastity becomes the decisive factor of establishing her social status.

Once a woman loses her virginity, she will be condemned by public opinion and deprived of her social status. This custom is particular serious in the period of Tess's living time. Tess is seduced by Alec, the then ethics is not to condemn the perpetrators, but criticize the victim Tess. The villagers think that Tess is a loose woman. In addition, her parents feel embarrassed for her and the priest refuses to christen for her children; In this environment, on one aspect, Tess suspects the outmoded stereotypes and regulations and irrational practices; on the other aspect, she treats the traditional chastity as a standard of moral. Sometimes she feels shame for "Distortion". Under the pressure of social conventions, Tess twists about the pain in her inner heart.

Second, it is about the men's indulgence and prejudice. There is no doubt that Alec is the culprit leading to the tragedy of Tess, but another important figure in the novel is Angel Clare, who is the deciding factor of the formation of the tragedy.

Angel is the progressive youth of that era, with a more liberal idea. Although he is born in the pastor, he likes farming, despises class prejudice and struggles against the hierarchy(孙法理译,1993:243). However, in real life, he holds himself aloof and does not know the true meaning of life. Angel frankly tells Tess that when he has been in London, he leads a dissolute lifestyle of playing with women. He asked Tess forgivenesses. The kind Tess forgives him completely. They all have a "dirty" history, a woman forgives a man, but a man can not forgive a woman, which is the women's sorrow in the patriarchal society. Men use the double standards to require the female's purity and the problem of the sexes. This double standard causes Alec still at large but Tess suffers extrajudicial contempt and Angel can not forgive Tess.

Tess's tragedy is the result of the destruction of the Victorian male's culture. Just like Tess, Carrie is a tragedy under the rule of men. Throughout the whole novel, we can see that Carrie never has a real idea of her own and she follows along the road others specify for her. Carrie is in a passive state in the whole male society(王玉莲,2008).

First, Carrie meets with Drouet when she runs into unemployment difficulties. The appearance of Drouet as God gives her the life-saving straw; she thinks she must seize it. The women's passivity makes her give up the idea looking for work and puts her own destiny to someone else, because in her heart, there is a desire to be protected by men, such as at home, she is often protected by his father and his brother which cultivate the habit of relying on men. When she faces difficulties, she does not actively consider the ways to solving problems, but rely on others. Drouet is a man filled with the generosity and enthusiasm making her safe and warm. So she intends to give up hunting for work continually while she wants to get the happiness from Drouet.

The invalid marriage of Carrie and Hurstwood is also due to Carrie’s passive nature. Hurstwood, the hotel manager, meets Carrie and is impressed by her beauty. After acquaints with her, he often visits her when Drouet is on a business trip. One day, when they chat with each other, Hurstwood touches her hand tentatively. At that time, I think Carrie should immediately put her hands back and strongly denounce him the immoral behavior, and then expel him out of apartment. But she just cries,

"You can not do it"(裘柱常译,2001:79), in addition, she does nothing. Because she thinks that it is inappropriate to drive him out. This passive nature give Hurstwood a hint of making him more and more bold, and finally he lies to her to New York.

Although Carrie has been in the passive state, she never give up her dream. Finally, she finds a job in the theatre and later becomes a famous actress. She wants to get a fair place with men. It is a great difference with Tess.

In summary, The difference between Carrie and Tess is that on the one hand, Tess suspects the outdated convention; on the other hand, she measures them as moral standards while Carrie strongly wants to bail the traditional customs out. She finds a job and meets new friends. She begins with a new perspective to judge men. When Carrie has the ability to live independently, she places herself on equal position.

2.2.3 Religion and Ethics

Tess fights with the great social forces, at the same time, she struggles to survive in a secular society. To a large extent, her tragic fate results from moral law.

Firstly, Alec relies on money to be a member of the upper class. He uses to lure and destroy Tess's chastity, but the religion thinks that the responsibility lies with Tess. Later, Alec becomes a priest and advises people to do a good deed（孙法理译,1993:212). Therefore, the then religion is a tool of cheating and fooling the working people. Religion is regarded as a irresistible force making Tess has no future of herself.

Secondly, when Tess is raped, she leaves Alec and goes back home, she feels herself a sinner, which forms because of the concept of community instills in her. If there were not these stereotypes, Tess's fate would not suffer so much. If there were not others' pointing fingers, she could only learn from the unfortunate experience and might have a further understanding of the community, but not to such an extreme extent as to destroy her life.

Thirdly, Angle believes that there are the prejudices of custom from childhood, however he blinds this vulgar morality and ignores the purity of Tess. In his heart, there is a deep-rooted moral tradition. He also has dissolute behaviors and gets Tess forgiveness, but he refuses to forgive the innocent Tess. Although he also rebels against traditional values and class prejudices, his soul is still deeply branded with the mark of this class: He is a man of mean birth, so he looks down on the rich families. He uses the traditional chastity to measure whether a woman is "purity" or not. He not only does not have sympathy for Tess, but also cannot tolerable for Tess. He turns blind eyes to Tess's kindness and abandons her cruelly, which makes Tess suffer in the despair.

While Carrie lives in the rapid development of the industrial production, the most of the traditional moral values have dramatic changes in people's minds. People have been alienated into the machine simply chasing fame and fortune, and only for success, not asking the process. With all the then existing unfair situations, the traditional moral enlightenment ideals of diligence and frugality have given way to the values of the pursuit of high consumption and pleasures. Carrie's fate is a reflection of the moral people in the transition of society.

First of all, like Tess, Carrie herself embodies the then traditional morality, which

is the desire and pursuit of the normal marriage. Carrie originally has a strong sense of family values. Therefore, when Carrie lives in cohabitation with Drouet, she is in the state of self-blame and contradiction. Drouet helps her in the embarrassing time of her life and promises to marry her but delay. Carrie's weak moral values also tell her that it is shameful to be a mistress, so her mind is not at ease and eager to get married. Carrie still does not satisfy to be a Drouet's mistress. Lately, She believes that marry with Hurstwood, which make her free from disparage from others. When Hurstwood pays court to her, Carrie asks him: "do you want to marry me?" (裘柱常译,2001:63). The thought of her wanting to marry signifies that Carrie wants to be accepted by the society and eagerly to be a "good woman". So, in the depth of her heart, Carrie, likes Tess, has a sense of morality and longs for living a married life as a traditional woman.

Secondly, from the matter that Carrie decides to leave her elder sister and cohabitates with a salesman Drouet, we can see that Carrie, on behalf of the radical notion of morality, has a completely break with her sister Minnie represents the conservative thinking. Carrie accepts the new morality, mainly refers to the then popular "consumption ideology". In order to achieve her purpose, she can do everything and even sexual favors. When Carrie notices that Drouet likes her, she finds that her first opportunity to shake off poverty. But she hesitates at first, because her desire is in the fight against the moral, however, Drouet's money let her feels the material pleasures of wealth, which clearly demonstrates their relationship is dominated by money, not because she loves him. Carrie is the symbol of U.S. consumer culture. The attitude of Carrie towards money testifies that the lure of money has gone into everyone's heart in a money-worship society. At that time, the people's creed is: money is the truth, money is the virtue. And the penniless person will be abandoned by society ultimately.

2.3 Views of Love

Our views of love show our attitudes and basic opinions facing the problem of love. Its contents include: What is love and what is the nature of love and its position in the social life and the personal life. In addition, the standard of choosing spouse and how to deal with losing love and so on. The concept of love is a reflection of one's view of life; therefore the views of love have different contents in different historical periods, owning to different economic conditions, social systems and the impact of ideological and cultural status. The ideas of love will develop and change continuously with the development of society.

2.3.1 The Purity and Sincerity of Love

Thomas Hardy through the pursuit of love of Tess approves the meaning of life. First of all, Tess loves her family. To her parents and siblings, she is willing to take risks to claim kinship with the rich woman, hoping that it can change the family financial condition.

Secondly, her love is very pure and careful. When Tess first meets Alec, she is sick of him and avoids him consciously. After raped by Alec, she does not succumb to Alec's money and the social pressure. She decides to leave Alec, not for any reason