從亞里士多德的詩(shī)學(xué)鑒賞德伯家苔絲.doc

An Analysis of Tess of the DUrbervilles from the Perspective of Aristotles PoeticsThomas Hardy is one of the greatest novelists in literary history. He has created many literary classics for human beings, such as Far from the Madding Crowd, the Major of Casterbridge, Jude the Obscure, the Return of the Native, Tess of the DUrbervilles. Karl Weber once made the comment that “nobody would doubt that its his greatest novel” on Tess of the DUrbervilles (qtd.in Zhang 2). W.P. Trent also commented that“Tesss story is a tragedy-and in our opinion, is the greatest tragedy since Elizabethan area” (ibid 2). As a tragedy story, Tess of the DUrbervilles is worthwhile to read and study.Since Tess of the DUrbervilles is one of the classics in literary history, many scholars has made a variety of studies on it. Some researchers explain Tesss tragedy from the feminist perspective. Some focus on Hardys fatalism, the tragic conflict, the characteristics of the language and features of scenes. Some try to study it from archetype criticism based on Bible. Some analyze the plot and structure as well as the narrative techniques. Some make efforts to find out Hardys value orientation and religious consciousness from studying the book. Although researchers has done many researches on the book, few bowfin analyze the work by applying Aristotles The Poetics which is concerning the techniques of writing a tragedy. Therefore, the author wants to apply The Poetics to excavating the techniques used in Tess of the DUrbervilles producing catharsis on readers. In The Poetics，Aristotle defines tragedy as “Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude” (25). He also claims tragedy can have a proper purgation for human emotions through pity and fear (25). There are six elements for a tragedy which are Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle and Song (Aristotle, Poetics 25). According to Aristotle, Plot means “the arrangements of incidents” (ibid 25), and Plot holds the first place because it is “the soul of a tragedy” (ibid 26). Character ranks at the second place and its definition is that “in virtue of which we ascribe certain qualities to agents” (ibid 25).In order to understand the catharsis brought by Tess of the DUrbervilles, it is necessary to comprehend several conceptions. Aristotle defines catharsis as “purging of the spirit of morbid and base ideas or emotions by witnessing the playing out of such emotions or ideas on stage” (Aristotle, Works 1458). Others add that catharsis is “a release of feeling, or a kind of pleasure” (qtd.in Galgut 13). Some scholars expresses that “Katharsis is not an experience of the audience but a property of the play” (ibid 13). In order to make the effect of catharsis, Aristotle thinks the emotions of pity and fear are crucial for a tragedy (Poetics 25). As for the concept of pity, Aristotle in The Poetics writes that “Pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune” (30). In his another work named The Art of Rhetoric, Aristotle expounds more about it. He writes that pity is a kind of emotion caused by audiences when watching that unmerited individuals suffer from destructive or poignant misfortune and imagining such misfortune may immediately happen to themselves or their relatives (97). Moreover, Aristotle adds that the emotion of pity can be aroused if the characters in the play should have a prosperity but instead they encounter adversity or the characters never have felicities in their life (Rhetoric 98). In regard to the notion of fear, according to The Poetics, fear is evoked by “the misfortune of a man like ourselves” (Aristotle 30). In The Art of Rhetoric, Aristotle details that fear is a grievous or apprehensive emotion produced by spectators when imagining that devastating or painful misfortune will soon happen to themselves (Aristotle 88). Some people add that the emotion of pity is given to the protagonists in the tragedy whereas the fear is to the audiences themselves (Zhu and Yuan 117). Thus it can be judged that pity and fear are closely related and cannot be separated from each other. Moreover, pity and fear can produce the feeling of pleasure on the condition that the spectators understand the plights in the tragedy happen to the protagonists not to themselves (Zhu 12). Such understanding “enables the distance necessary for aesthetic pleasure” (Galgut 23).According to Aristotle, a good Plot and Character can stir up the emotions of pity and fear among audiences. As the first principle, “Plot is thus central to the main function of tragedy-Katharsis” (Galgut 23). Plot, the arrangements of incidents, should obey “the law of probability or necessity” (Aristotle, Poetics 27). Moreover, “Peripeteia or Reversal of the Situation, and Recognition scenes” in the plot are “the most powerful elements of emotional” (ibid 26). Furthermore, Aristotle expounds that a virtuous man should not pass from prosperity to adversity because it only shocks audience. A bad man should not experience from adversity to prosperity since it neither satisfies moral sense nor evokes pity and fear. Moreover, that an utter villain experiencing from good fortune to misfortune cannot arouse pity and fear and it merely satisfies the moral sense (ibid 30). Aristotle suggests the Peripeteia should be from prosperity to adversity and the character plays an important role in stirring up pity and fear. Aristotle in The Poetics explains that: There remains, then, the character between these two extremes,-that of a man who is not eminently good and just,-yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous,-a personage like Oedipus, Thyestes, or other illustrious men of such families. (30)Furthermore, Aristotle details more on characters. He expounds that the protagonist should be good, proper, “true to life” and consistent (32).During the time when Tess of the DUrbervilles was being published in instalments on a magazine, some readers wrote letters to Hardy to ask for a glad ending for Tess and expressed they would financially support Hardy (Zhang 14). These readers are deeply touched by the work and feel pitiful for Tess and fearful for themselves. Since many readers report that they have cried for Tess when reading the novel, it is necessary to have a comprehensive study on its Plot and Character according to The Poetics.A girl who is originally from a noble family and who is beautiful, hard-working and filial suffers the loss of her virginity in the Victorian age. The girl is Tess. As Hardy writes in the book, Tess originally is the offspring of “the ancient and knightly family of the dUrbervilles, that renowned knight who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror” (3). But Tess is born in a poor family. Her father is a drunkard, her mother is a narrow-minded village woman, and her sisters and brothers are little kids. When reading at the point, most readers feel sympathetic for Tess for the daughter of a noble family changes into a country girl. Due to an accident, the old horse named Prince dies (Hardy 38). Tess shoulders the responsibility and decides to visit the fake dUrbervilles to find a job (Hardy 39-43). Her tragedy begins at the visit. During the Victorian period, women are strictly required to preserve their chastity for men. Losing virginity equals to losing social recognition. Therefore, when Tess loses her virginity, no matter what reason she is doomed to be discriminated by the whole society. Such misfortune is not caused by her “vice or depravity” (Aristotle, Poetics 30), but by her ignorance as she complains to her mother:How could I be expected to know? I was a child when I left this house four months ago. Why didnt you tell me there was danger in men-folk? Why didnt you warn me? Ladies know what to fend hands against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the chance olearning in that way, and you didnt help me!(Hardy 114) After coming back home, Tess is condemned by the villagers in Marllot and is alienated by both men and women. Moreover, her baby dies soon after its birth. It is pitiful since a beautiful and pure-hearted girl once from the noble family is caught in the predicament due to her ignorance. Simultaneously it is fearful because such misfortune is not far away from the real life. Tesss story is originated from Wessex, so the story can reflect the real life in society and become genuine and believable to some extent. Moreover, in daily life, it can be heard about that some maidens or ladies are forced to lose their virginity owing to their incaution or ignorance and thus they are marginalized by the society. Therefore, when readers especially women feel sympathetic for Tess, they also fear such tragedy may immediately happen to themselves or their relatives. Nevertheless, since such misfortune occurs in the novel, readers can securely appreciate the aesthetic techniques of the novel and have a feeling of pleasure, the effect of catharsis. Through the process of releasing the morbid and base emotions, audiences will finally feel relaxed.Tess leaves her hometown to a daisy which is far away from her home. Without being known of her past, Tess has a peaceful life and gradually moves to her prosperity. In the dairy, the son of a respectable parson Angel falls in love with Tess. Angel expresses his love to Tess so fiercely that spectators expect Tess will live a carefree and cheerful life with Angel. Tess finally marries to Angel, in contrast to readers expectations, Tess does not have an envious life and she is still a Cinderella in society or even worse than her previous life. Angel cruelly abandons Tess because of Tesss past. In fact if Tess does not confess her past to Angel, at least she can enjoy a content life for some time or forever. Stubborn as Tess is, she does not listen to her mother but chooses to be honest to Angel. Accordingly, her felicity has gone with the wind. Reading at this section, most readers bemoan Tesss misery for her deserved happiness vanishes so quickly. Audiences wonder that had Tess not be so sincere to her husband, she would belong to a member of the first class. Except pity, fear also concurrently comes in readers minds. Spectators also feel terrified because they are afraid of the thing that good times do not last long. One of the most mournful thing is the lost felicities. Therefore, readers worry about they will lose their content life because of an accident. Nevertheless, for they are not the protagonists in Tess of the DUrbervilles, audience can continue their appreciation of the novel and obtain the kind of pleasure brought by catharsis. Due to the disasters Tess has encountered, Tess is driven to become Alecs lover. At the same time, Angel goes back to find Tess. When Angel asks for Tesss forgiveness, Tess says: “It is too late” (Hardy 525). At this point, audiences suppose Tess will not stay with Angel anymore since he once was too merciless for his wife Tess. Nevertheless, another peripeteia turns out. Tess kills Alec and stays with Angel again. Such plot is surprising, but it is reasonable. Some readers express that they may should have known Tesss final choice after all she loves Angel so deeply and hates Alec so fiercely. According to the law in Victorian time, Tess will be sentenced to death since she kills Alec. Owing to her sudden impulsion, Tess kills Alec. Because of the impulse, she has to pay for her young life. When reading at the final section, readers feel extremely grievous and even cry for Tesss death since the good girl never enjoys her life and her life is filled with misfortune and adversities. Sudden impulsion is frightening because many individuals in daily life has done many regrettable things under their impulse. Readers thus are also terrified they may do something illegal because of their impulsion. But since it is Tess who is sentenced to death, readers can securely cry for Tess to release their morbid and base emotions to obtain a feeling of pleasure brought by catharsis. Aristotle originally proposes t