Study On Ethical Value Of The Mayor Of Casterbridge From The Perspective Of Ethical Literary Criticism

As one of the greatest Victorian critical realists,Thomas Hardy(1840-1928),is an influential English novelist as well as short story writer and poet.His works,are well-known for his vivid descriptions of the countryside of southern England as well as for his superb characterization.The Mayor of Casterbridge,one of the fourteen Wessex novels,as the transitional novel of his literary creation,tells a series of tragic events caused by Michael Henchard's wife sales.This thesis is to probe the ethical implication of the novel from the following three ethical angles: ethical envrionment,ehtical choices and ethical endings,as well as to present the ethical reality of Victorian age and Hardy's ethical value.The thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter One focuses on the introduction of Thomas Hardy and The Mayor of Casterbridge as well as the previous research on this novel abroad and at home.In addition,a brief introduction of ethical literary criticism and the significance of the study are included.Chapter Two is to make an explanation to complicated ethical environment the novel has presented.According to ethical literary criticism,interpretation of literature must be put into specific ethical environment since literature is the product of history.This chapter aims to discuss,on the one hand,local people's adherence to rural patriarchy,which is presented with the event of Henchard's wife-selling and the Ancient Roman-featured Casterbridge;and on the other hand,the invasion of industrial revolution,namely,the change of traditional production mode and the conflict between Casterbridge and Mixen Lane.Chapter Three is to discuss Henchard's ignorant ethical consciousness from man-dominant family ethic and commerce-dominant social ethic.Under the influence of complicated ethical environment,his ethical awareness is characterized with patriarchal ideas and commercial ethic in dealing with family relationship and social relationship,with the representation of his discarding of Susan,coldness toElizabeth-Jane,breakup with Farfrae and coercion to Lucetta.Chapter Four is to explore the implied ethical reflections in this novel.According to the death of Henchard,Susan and Lucetta and the rise of Farfrae and Elizabeth-Jane,Henchard is always lost in the past events with which Susan and Lucetta are tortured.However,Farfrae and Elizabent-Jane are tolerant to Henchard's passionate deeds and comply to social development.The two kinds of fates indicate that only when man observes ethical modes of certain time and conforms to historical development can he survive from the chaos.Last but not the least,Chapter Five is the conclusion of the study above.Through the ethical interpretation to the novel,not only the ethical implication is to be dug out,but also Hardy's ethical care for Victorian society and ethical appeal for an ideal ethical society are to be expressed.