An Analysis of Tess of the D’Urbervilles from the Perspective of Ecofeminism

Thomas Hardy （1840-1928） was an English novelist and a poet whose closing phase of career in fiction was characterized with the tragic sense and the conflict between the traditional and the modern. The publication of Tess of the DUrbervilles （1891）， which marked his later period， was generally considered one of Hardys finest novels.

Tess Durbeyfield， attractive and innocent， is seduced by a dandy called Alec， for which she is later abandoned by her husband Angel Clare shortly after he learns the truth. Emotionally bereft and financially impoverished， Tess is trapped by necessity into giving in once again to Alec. When Angel returns however， she kills Alec in despair and is hanged for the murder.

Known as “novel of character and environment”， Tess of the DUrbervilles is the best representative of Hardy as both a naturalistic and a critical realist writer， whose idea of ecofeminism is remarkable in this very novel.

Emerging in the 1970s， the concept of ecofeminism relates environmental damage to womens exploitation and lack of empowerment. To quote Professor Mary Mellor， a UK academic， “Ecofeminism brings together elements of the feminist and green movements， while at the same time offering a challenge to both.” In Tess of the DUrbervilles， the thought of ecofeminism is evident in several aspects.

First of all， there is an intimate affinity between women and nature. According to Hardy， women are parts of nature， and nature the enlargement of women.

“A field， man is a personality afield; a field-woman is a portion of the field; she has somehow lost her own margin， imbibed the essence of her surrounding， and assimilated herself with it.” （Hardy， 2005： 94）

In Hardys works， the destiny of female characters are intertwined with the environment， and the shift of places heralds the turn of fate. For instance， the viable green Blackmoor Vale  is the cradle of pureness. The heavy foggy Talbathays dairy is the heaven of passion. The sterile farm of Flintcomb-Ash is the derisiveness of banishment. Eventually the Stonehenge reflects Tesss doomed death. Therefore， Tesss character is closely linked to the environment and her painful destiny parallels the alteration of surroundings in the book.

The similarity between women and nature also reflects in their disposition of selflessness and generosity. Nature bears fruits for humans and asks nothing for return， so it is with women. Though Tesss child Sorrow is a product of her adversity， she loves the baby wholeheartedly. Likewise， she forgives Angle for his misconduct and even sacrifices her life for him when he returns.

On the contrary， the male characters in the book are selfish vampires who care only for themselves and suck womens blood and soul. Here comes the second aspect of the ecofeminism in Tess of the DUrbervilles， that is the identity between ecological damage and gender oppression. With the intrusion of industrialization， the original serenity and the secluded life on the village Marlott is totally broken.

Similarly， women are dominated and exploited by men. Tess is coveted and raped by Alec for her innocence and beauty， but is mocked and criticized for that， although it is not her fault at all. Her perpetrator never feels ashamed for even one moment， but blames her for his degradation， saying “You have been the cause of my backsliding.” Beside the man who considered evil， the man seen as a perfect “angle” also abuses Tess， which is so ironic. Because of the patriarchal conventions， Tess is mercilessly discarded by her husband Angel when she confesses her “sin”. To make matters worse， under the adverse influence of paternity， Tess passively accepts such ridiculous prejudice and regards herself as a section of Angel who would lose her existence beyond all doubts if Angel does not like her anymore. Therefore， it can be justly said that what kills Tess in the end is not the hang， but rather the social environment she lives in， the play of the “mens club”.

Thomas Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles is certainly a great literary work for ecofeminism. By exposing the economic exploitation of nature and the oppression of women in the industrial age， Hardy makes a scathing critic of the irrational society， calls for the protection of environment and also advocates gender equality. Indeed， there is a close relationship between the governance over women and the destroy of nature. Both forms of dominance are controlled by the same logic of hierarchical value. Therefore， the patriarchy could not be challenged without challenging ecological damages and each side of the problem must be addressed in order to address the other.

【作者簡介】张诗雨，浙江理工大学。