A Brief Analysis On The Ecological Humanism In Tess Of The D' Urbervilles

In the late 20th century, ecocriticism has become a powerful political and philosophical utterance, it has an important position among multitudinous critical thoeries. Under the influence of ecocriticism, eco-humanism is exerting a more and more assertive effect.Thomas Hardy is a great realistic novelist in British literary history. His most famous works are known as "Novels of Characters and Environment", which are also called "novels of Wessex". Hardy's descriptions about Wessex express his endearment and fascination towards nature. In Hardy's view, the ancient culture of Wessex is full of enchantment. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Hardy depicts a colorful picture which is peaceful, exquisite and harmonious from the perspective of ecocriticism. All of these have provided us with a totally new angle to observe the universe and human nature. Hardy advocates the harmoniously existent form of human and nature, praises the thriving vitality, which show his deep eco-humanistic ideal. To some extent, nature has penetrated into human nature and become a part of the human spirit, natural endowment, atmosphere and sense of nationhood. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the wholeness of human society and nature under the background of Wessex cannot be separated.Based on the theoretic framework of ecocriticism, this thesis makes a point of analyzing one of Thomas Hardy's Wessex novels Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and aims to demonstrate Hardy's ecological ideas and their enlightenment to us nowadays.