论《卡斯特桥市长》主人公的悲剧命运---毕业论文.doc

【标题】论卡斯特桥市长主人公的悲剧命运 【作者】梁 洁 峰 【关键词】悲剧命运；亨查尔；性格；外因；偶然因素 【指导老师】李 雷 【专业】英语 【正文】. IntroductionA. Introduction to the Author Thomas HardyThomas Hardy, last and one of the greatest of Victorian novelists, is born in Dorset on June 2, 1840, in the centre of the Wessex country which later plays an important role in his works. Both his mother and his father, who was a builder, come from Dorset stock, and Thomas early learns to love the country ways and speech around him. At sixteen he is apprenticed to a local architect. In 1862 he leaves for London to continue his work as an architect, an occupation he practiced until his marriage. In the meantime, he has found that poetry is his main love of the rest of his life. He tries unsuccessfully to publish his poems, but even after they are rejected, he continues writing them. In 1867, poor health forces him to return to Dorset, where his work as an architect supports him so that he could write in his leisure. Hopping that it would sell better than poetry, he turns his hand to write fiction, and after his return to Dorset he begins his first novel, The Poor man and the Lady. After that, Hardys works become more and more popular with people.The impression of his early youth-the people, the events, and the surrounding countryside become a part of the subject matter of his“Wessex” novel and stories. The town of Casterbridge itself for example, is just Dorchest Hardy always cherishes his experience in a rural community, participating in its seasonal occupations and festivals, and listens to the tale-telling and music which are made by parents, relatives, and friends in his early years. He studies Greek, classic literature and architecture. On every page of Hardys Wessex novels is displayed the influence of Hardys upbringing, regional background and architectural studies.Hardy is at the height of his powers when he begins to work on The Mayor of Casterbridge at the age of forty-four. He has written ten novels up to then, but only one, The return of the Native, written seven years before, is a masterpiece. Since that time, he has produced some inferior books. But by 1884, he could afford to have a house built in Dorchester, the town he called Casterbridge, and most of the novels are written there, as are The Woodlanders, Tess of the DUrbervilles and Jude the Obscure.B. Introduction to The Mayor of CasterbridgeIt seems to have had a good effect on his work. The Mayor of Casterbridge is a magnificent novel, although Hardy himself was not entirely happy about it.The Mayor of Casterbridge is, from beginning to end, the story of Michael Henchard, a skilled farm laborer who, in a drunken rage, sells his young wife, along with their infant child, to a passing sailor. Most of the novel takes place eighteen to twenty years after this event. When the sailor is reported lost at sea, the wife and now-grown daughter set out to find Henchard, who has become an affluent businessman and the mayor of Casterbridge. Henchards success is temporary, though, as circumstances and his own weaknesses of character combine to bring about his downfall. He finally dies with loneliness.As far as the tragic fate of the mayor is concerned, critics quite disagree with one another. One kind of view tends to be overwhelming. That is:“most critics emphasize that Henchards tragedy is determined by his character.”1 These critics must without exclusion are influenced by the writers title page“The Story of a Man of character,” Also, Hardys quotation“Character is fate” when commenting on Donald Farfraes success must be of influence. No doubt this tends to steer the critics attention to the study of Henchards character. And some reviewers claim that the opening scene is“impossible”2 to believe. William Dean Howells proves this completely wrong and says:“Henchards sale of his wife is not without possibility or even precedent”.3But many praises come after publication of the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. Charles K.Hofling acclaims:“Henchard is far and away the most developed male character in all of Hardys writings, as well as the character, who most fully dominates the novel in which his actions are recorded.”4 Douglas Brown more fully acclaims“It(The Mayor) remains one of the peaks of English fiction”.5 Critics of this genre believe Henchards tragic ending as a kind of retribution for his sin of wife-sale. Thus they consider Newson(the sailor) and the furmity woman as unsecured past and they believe that the inhuman sin of wife-sale leads to a series of consequences and pursues him to death.The Internal Factors of Henchards Tragic FateEvery one, in his efforts to reach the final goal and to realize his ambition, has to face many difficulties. The result is the conflicts between man and the society, man and man, and man and his own self. Internal and external factors, and the immanent coincidence combine together to contribute to Henchards tragedy. These factors will be expounded roughly from four aspects：Henchard in the transitional social background, the arrival of Farfrae and Henchards defective character, and two immanent coincidences.The full title of The Mayor of Casterbridge is The life and Death of the Mayor of Casterbridge: A story of a Man of Character, which suggests the close interrelationship between the character and fate of the mayor. Reading through the novel, Henchards impulsive and proud character is to a large extent responsible for his own tragic fate.A. Impulsive CharacterThe novel opens dramatically with the splendid scene in which Henchard decides to sell his wife and child to the sailor. He makes decisions on the spur of the moment. This is a typical example of his impulsive character. Henchard sells his wife when he is drunk, just because his wife stops him from drinking too much. What he has done in public to sell them has a great effect on his later life. And this also leads to lose his daughter finally, which is an important reason that makes him a tragedy fate. After selling them for five guineas to a stranger Newson, Henchard tries to owe the full responsibility to his act by blaming it on his evenings drunkenness. He even blames his lost wifesimplicity for allowing him to go through with the act:“Seize her, why didnt she know better than bring me into this disgrace”6 Then, almost immediately he blames himself these contradictory impulses are typical of his whole personality.Chapter Five describes him as:a man about forty years of age；of heavy frame, large features, and commanding voice, his general build being rather coarse than compactHe had a rich complexion, which verged on swarthiness, a flashing black eye, and dark bushy brows and hair. When he indulged in all occasional loud laugh at some remark among the guests his large mouth parted so far back as to show to the rays of the chandelier a full score or more of the two-and-thirty sound white teeth that he obviously still could boast of7We can see that Henchard in the prime of life，is very strong and coarse. He is exaggerated in characters, and from his appearance, he gives us an impression that he is still liable to impulsiveness.When meeting Donald Farfrae, the man Henchard just knows for only one day, he tells him everything that he never told anyone before. This makes us aware of the possibility that Henehards impulsiveness can mean inconvenience to himself. Alternately cloudy and warm to Farfrae, he fires Farfrae in jealousy of his popularity, and regrets his own haste when it is too late. This impulsive decision brings him danger. He drives Farfrae to run a same business in the town, who becomes his competent rival. Henehard is doomed to fail in this struggle.With a nature of“volcanic fire,” he forces choir to sing the 109th Psalm to curse Farfrae for his“rags to riches”. Ironically, the curses have influence on Henchard instead of on Farfrae. When at last Elizabeth Jane becomes his only emotional tie，his impulsive lie to Newson knocks it down.“Amazed at what he had done the impulse of a moment speak mad lies like a child”8. Afterwards, with a feeling that“everybody has left me”9, and that“nothing to come, nothing to wait for”10, Henchard commits suicide.Henchards impulsive character leads him to a series of unnecessary mistakes. He never considers the serious consequence before he takes actions. And often regrets only when it is too late. His impulsive character brings harm to others initially but finally results in his own self-destruction. Reading through the whole novel, one can easily realize that his impulsiveness is responsible for his tragic fate.B. Proud CharacterAt the beginning of this novel, we can see Henchard and Susan walking side by side: Henchard speaks to her hardly at all, because of“his cursed pride, and mortification at being poor”11(Henchard confesses this twenty-five years later in chapter XLIV). After selling his wife, Chapter Two states that in searching for her, Henchards pride does not let him reveal the shame of selling his wife to others, even though such a revelation would certainly help in his quest further more, he feels relief that he does not speak his name during the transaction. So his pride also plays all important parts in his retribution. If not because of“his cursed pride”, he may not look down upon Susan so much as to sell her for five guineas, and he may not be afraid of losing face to reveal the truth just in order to find her.Eighteen years later, when he remarries Susan. Since marrying Susan is lowering his dignity, Henchard has no respect for her. He breaks her restriction concerning when to read her letter. Here Henchard begins to receive the first emotional blow in his downward turnElizabeth Jane is not his but Newsons daughter“Had he obeyed the wise directions outside her letter this pain would have been spared him for longpossibly for ever”12 or if as advised by Farfrae he had told Elizabeth-Jane the truth about his past upon her arrival in Casterbridge, she might forgive him and stay with him. But his pride prevented him then, just as his pride prevents him now from telling her that she is Newsons daughter. So trapped by his proud character, Henchard cannot be relieved from his pain. He has to face the evils of his past only when it is too late to remedy it.Another typical example is that humble and simple people in Casterbridge, he harbors no respect, understanding, sympathy or pity but indifference and sometimes even contempt. Henchard violates human bonds by his ignorance of the need to respect human rights. Instead, though flourishing as a church warden, mayor and greatest corn-factor now, Henchard often tramples on human dignity. This already shows in his rude treatment of Abel Whittle, one of his workers, who easily oversleeps because of health reasons, yet his work is a key link and will not allow laterness. After warning him twice, Henchard roars out an ultimatum“I will mortify thy flesh for thee.”13 However, poor Whittle pleads him. Unfortunately, Whittle oversleeps again. This time, Henchard was true to his words and orders Abel not to wear his breeches. So Whittle is exposed to public humiliation. Such a disgrace is not what a man can endure or should endure. Even people of lowest social status have their own dignity, which can be exposed clearly by Abels words:He said hed mortify my flesh if so be I didnt get sooner, and now hes a doing ont. Ye see it cant be helped, Mr. Farfrae; things do happen queer sometimes. Yes-Ill go to Blackmoor Vale half-naked as I be, since he do commend it; but I shall kill myself afterwards; I cant outlive the disgrace; for the women-folk will be looking out of their winders at my mortification all the way along, and laughing me to scorn as a man ithout breeches.14Henchard tries to acquire Elizabeth-Jane like a piece of property just as he chases his wife. So his attitude towards her is possessive and overbearing. After Susans death, Henchard desperately persuades her to change Newsons name to his own. In great surprise, Elizabeth-Jane gently accepts it but without willingness. At the crucial moment, the truth comes out that Elizabeth-Jane is Newsons daughter not his. But he conceals the truth, and suddenly treats Elizabeth-Jane ruthlessly, just true to his words“when I do not care for a person. I am the distant fellow.”15 Yet before the discovery, When Henchard pleads Elizabeth-Jane to accept him as father, promises“Ill be kinder to you than he was！Ill do anything, if you will only look upon me as your father.”16 However, he fails to realize that human relationships are more than legal or business transaction.Henchards arrogance stops him from facing his own shameful act and taking some effective measures to put it right. He is finally punished by that. His pride makes him lose the opportunity of recovery in his downward course. He is eventually ruined by his pride.C. Ambitious CharacterIn the opening of the novel, we can see a man extremely obsessed with ambitions. Henchard is a skilled countryman. Yet his is not a common one, he claims he is a good experienced hand in hay-trussing. Moreover he is confident in his capability in the fodder business and dares to“change England to beat him”17“If not married, he believes that he would be worthy 100 pounds”18 Having experiences failure in finding a job, he is full of resentment over the disproportion between his capability and poverty and attributes all these to his marriage. Henchard also regards his wife as evil influence that causes what he regards as his miserable plight. Driven by fierce ambition, he carries out indifferent and inhuman act of selling his wife. Before the sale, he has already begun to resent her not because he wants another wife, but because she and his child are holding him back from getting on in the world. He wishes to get rid of wife and child in order to assert his ambition. The ruthless materialist Henchard sacrifices his closest human ties between husband and wife to his ambition.Henchards ambition reaches its top as selling his wife though under the pretext of addiction to drinking. Earlier Susan has been aware of the consequences of her husbands drinking and has tried to urge her husband to avoid it. Yet he will not listen. Description of the increasing effect of the drinking on Henchard clearly shows that drinking to some extent helps push him to the act of the wife-sale. What is more, it makes Henchard reveal his true self, as is indicated by“At the fourth, the qualities are signified by the shape of his face, the occasional clench of his mouth, and fiery spark of his dark eye began to tell in his conduct.”19 In spite of the drunken appearance Henchard is not actually drunk: he is“fairly sober”20. His ambition let him sell his wife and child to clean up them, because his wife and child are his obstacles. For a drunken man would not have shown such insistence on selling his wife, the fact that is he calls for the highest bid and never gives in. Nor would a drunkard have been so careful of his money and careful of his steps like one conscious of his“alcoholic load.”21 It is not on an impulse as some critics say that Henchard sells his wife, though he is a man well known for his quick temper.During competing with Farfrae, Henchard wants to destroy him completely. Because he is an ambitious man, he never bears that his business can be passed by anyone. He just wants to keep his fortune, fame and status in Casterbridge. In order to accomplish this aim, his ambition forces him to win Farfrae at expanse of his all business.“The Scotchman whos taking the town trade so bold into his hands must be cut out. Dye hear? We two cant live side by side-thats clear and certain.”22 From these words, we can see Henchards ambition. There just one faith in his heart, which is he can not live happlily if Farfrae lives in the same place.“By such a desperate bid against him for the farmers custom as will grind him into the ground-starve him out. Ive capital, mind ye, and I can do it.”23 Just because he wants to ruin Farfrea, which makes him face to bankrupt. His business fails in a moment, and he pay too much for his ambition. His ambition makes him lose his wealth and gives him a heavy punch on his spirit. The External Factors of Henchards Tragic FateThe external factors are another factors attributing to Henchards tragedy. There are two main aspects in external factors.A. The Background of Henchards SocietyThe town, Casterbridge, is typically such a place completely untouched by“the faintest sprinkle of modernism”24. It is evident that such a primitive town must experience a bitter downfall from prosperity. So will the mayor is a symbol of it. Henchard, for he can never adjust himself to the changed environment.Henchard, the old style factor has foreseen his own stunned incapacity in the contemporary mercantile transaction“His accounts were like a bramble-wood. He used to reckon his sacks by chalk strokes all in a row like garden-palings, measure his ricks by stretching with his arms, weigh his trusses by a lift, judge his hay by a chaw, and settle the price with a curse.”25. Obviously, he lacks the scientific method of management. His rough and ready method can only be useful in doing a small business. When the business is enlarged, he cannot handle it alone, thus when the wheat has grown, he needs a manager. Henchards incompetence is exposed here.After eighteen years hard working, Hechard achieves his overall success politically, economically and religiously. Casterbridge, whose unique environment fosters Henchards success, Henchard is as inaccessible and conservative as Casterbridge. In such a self-contained town as is entirely shut out from the main stream of development in England, it is just through sheer hard work