An Analysis Of The Ecological Ethics Of Hardy In Far From The Madding Crowd

Thomas Hardy, a well-known writer both in the west and China, has a great influence in the literary world. As a British excellent and prolific novelist and poet of the late19th century, he is a cross-century literary giant. His long-lasting artistic appeal has been attracting a large number of researchers. It can be said that Hardy has become a well-known literary writer around the world. Published in1874, the novel Far from the Madding Crowd has received wide acclaim from critics and readers. The descriptions of the spectacular natural scenery of the countryside and those vivid characters in the book have got readers’attention, and have laid the foundation of Hardy being a famous novelist.In recent years, with the popularity of ecocriticism, scholars have begun to analyze Hardy’s works from the perspective of ecological aspect. Based on the ecological interpretation that scholars have done before, this thesis tries to explore Hardy’s complicated ecological ethics embodied in the novel. By analyzing Hardy’s description of nature, animals, and humans’ characteristics and fates in the novel, this thesis illustrates Hardy’s complex ideas on ecological ethics. From his description, his attitudes towards nature to some extent not only manifest his emphasis on the economic value of nature, but also reflect his approval of better developing nature and making use of nature. His attitudes towards animals also represent his view that animals’value depends on their economic value to humans, thus in Hardy’s description, sometimes he ignores the feelings of animals, and puts humans as the center of interests. Hence we can conclude that a sense of anthropocentrism exists in Hardy’s thoughts. However, some of his depictions in the novel show his love for nature and animals, his disapproval of modern civilized society and his promotion for peaceful coexistence of people and nature. Hardy’s ecological ethics contain both anthropocentrism and non-anthropocentrism which overlaps and coexists with each other.Although Hardy’s ecological outlook still contains the impact of anthropocentrism, he advocates a harmonious relationship between man and nature and calls for people’s consideration for animals. His idea has gone beyond the limitations of his era and his ecological ethics can help people re-examine the relationship between man and nature.