Theory Of Hardy Novel Consciousness Of Death

Thomas Hardy is one of the important writers in the history of the world literature. He isgood at digging colorful human nature from the emotional pulse of common people. Also hedoes well in exposing the life suffering, disillusion and unsatisfactory desire through thehangings of life. The writing of death in his novels reflects his profound and complex deathconsciousness. Hardy’s death consciousness shows his deep thinking of life and society,demonstrates his spirit of exploring the truth of life, his sympathy for the ordinary people whohad tragic fate, and his humane care of the destiny of mankind. The study of Hardy’s deathconsciousness is an effective way to learn more about the literary connotation in his novels.This paper selects the most representative novels as research object and through intensivereading as well as combing Hardy’s life and the literary theory, the paper deeply analyzes theconsciousness of death in Hardy’s novel.In the introduction part, this paper reviews the main features of domestic and foreign studyon Hardy, and indicates the academic and practical significance of the selected topic.Chapter One, explores the source of Hardy’s death consciousness by analyzing thebackground, Hardy’s life experiences and death experience.Chapter Two, tries to seek Hardy’s death consciousness by analyzing the typical deathfigures, the imagery and death mood in the novels, and the linguistic features of death writing.Eustacia’s death reflects Hardy regards death as a way of ending life desires and pain; andHenchard’s death has the color of Darwinism; meanwhile, Tess’s dying for love implies death isthe only way to achieve successful life; and the death of Jude contains the theme that words untodeath. The death images in Hardy’s novel show that death is powerful, ruthless, uncontrollable,and with strong fatalistic color. The lonely and solemn mood of death shows Hardy’shumanitarian sympathy for the suffering ordinary people, and demonstrates his questioning andthinking bout society. Also Hardy’s death writing language shows solemn, silent, quiet andmysterious beauty.The third part resolves the aesthetic significance of the consciousness of death in Hardy’snovel from ideological and artistic two aspects. In the ideological aspect, this paper focuses onthe critical spirit which reflects Hardy’s thinking on the capitalist system and his lash on socialtradition concept which destructs people’s life. In the artistic aspect, the paper mainlyinvestigates the death consciousness’s effect on tragic result.The last part summarizes the whole thesis. As a sincere and responsible writer, Hardy hasbeen caring the misfortune Wessex local people with deep compassion. Also Hardy’s novels present the mysterious and powerful hostile force in the universe, and show the sad picture of thepatriarchal clan system countryside which is destructed by the double-edged sword of capitalisteconomy. In short, all of these reflect his deep concern about human future and destiny.