Subversion And Reconstruction Of Victorian Values In Hardy’s Work

Thomas Hardy is a world-famous and trans-century writer in the history of English literature. In Victorian era, Hardy, well known for his novels, was an outstanding novelist of English critical realism of the 19 th century. He lived in the period of social transition, that is, the transitional process from agricultural society to industrial civilization. As traditional production mode of the countryside was gradually disintegrating, people’s values altered as well.Hardy’s novels not only reveal social changes in the late Victorian period, but also profoundly reflect social values and the devastating blow that peasants suffer. With rational and critical spirit, Hardy exposes evils of traditional values, and tries his best to subvert and reconstruct Victorian values.The author chooses three representative novels, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure, from Hardy’s long novels. Based on close-reading of the text, combining with critical realism theory, and analyzing typical characters and incidents, the author tries to interpret subversive and reconstructive thoughts reflected in his novels from the perspective of Victorian values.This thesis consists of six chapters.The first chapter briefly describes innovation and practical significance of the research. The second chapter itemizes the relevant researches that have been made into his novels at home and abroad. The third chapter dwells on theoretical background of critical realism and Hardy’s artistic principles. The fourth chapter explains subversive thoughts in his novels, which are embodied in three aspects: collapse of religious belief, loss of family ties as well as query about bumptious optimism of industrialization. He criticizes dogmatic religion, exposes persecution of Christianity, strongly denounces women’s sufferings in patriarchal society, and opposes religious marriage. What’s more, he sympathizes for the plight of peasants caused by industrialization, which shows his humanistic care as a novelist. The fifth chapter analyzes reconstructive thoughts in the three novels. Hardy tries to reconstruct Victorian values. However, after exploring for a long time, he is unable to point out the right way to solve social contradictions because of the influence of historical development trend and his paradoxical thoughts. His characters often doubt the existence of God, and even give up their religious beliefs, nevertheless they fail to get rid of the bondage of religion; they pursue free marriage but return to religious marriage; they hold a hostile attitude towards industrialization but praise advanced thoughts and ideas. It can be seen that his reconstruction has limitations. The last part of the thesis is conclusion. His advanced thoughts and foresight is ahead of his time, and his ambivalent attitudes towards social problems are fully revealed in his works, which lays a solid foundation for the development of English and world literature.From the perspective of Victorian values, the author penetrates into three novels, in order to interpret his subversive and reconstructive thoughts, intends to extend perspectives of Hardy research in theoretical study, and looks forward to the positive and practical significance for challenges that China encounters in the period of social transition.