A Comparative Study Of Tian Xiaoe's And Tess' Tragedies From Marxist Feminist Perspective

White Deer Plain,a novel written by the Chinese writer Chen Zhongshi,is so successful largely due to the brilliant portrayal of the female character Tian Xiaoe whose tragic fate is always the focus of public attention.Tess of the D'Urbervilles is Thomas Hardy's best-known masterpiece in which Tess' tragic fate always remains as the central focus of public attention.Many scholars have made researches on these two novels by focusing on the two female characters' tragic fate and miserable life,but they simply interpreted the two novels separately rather than examined them in a comparative way.Although Tian Xiaoe and Tess live in different times and societies,they are found to possess some similarities in terms of their personality and tragic fate.This study attempts to make a comparative study on the tragic fate and oppression encountered by Tian Xiaoe in White Deer Plain and Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles from the perspective of Marxist feminism.Based on Marxist feminism,this study intends to explore the two heroines' tragedies caused by low economy and class status,the patriarchal society and the weakness in their respective personality.By examining these two novels,it is found that both Tian Xiaoe and Tess have suffered from patriarchal oppression and tragic fate though they live in different times and in different social systems.As it is proved,their tragic failures are chiefly caused by three factors.Firstly,their low social status and economic dependence give rise to their miserable destinies.Secondly,the patriarchal society has brought about their tragic fate.Thirdly,their dual disposition is also an important factor that leads to their tragedies.By making a comparative study on the patriarchal oppression and tragic fate of Tian Xiaoe in White Deer Plain and Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles,it is revealed that either the Western capitalist society or the patriarchal society of old China is the dominant factor that has given rise to the oppression over women,their tragic lives and tragic fate.At the same time,it is also shown that women,no matter in what era or age they are living,should gain economic independence,just as Virginia Woolf has clearly pointed out in A Room of One's Own,otherwise they would be doomed to fall into the miserable abyss and tragic fate.Therefore,the tragic stories of Tian Xiaoe in White Deer Plain and Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles may,in many ways,bring important inspirations to modern women who should strive to receive good education,gain economic independence and promote feminist consciousness.