An Analysis of Tess of the DUrbervilles from the Perspective of EcofeminismThomasHardy1840-1928wasanEnglishnovelistandapoetwhoseclosingphaseofcareerinfictionwascharacterizedwiththetragicsenseandtheconflictbetweenthetraditionalandthemodern.ThepublicationofTessoftheDUrbervilles1891，whichmarkedhislaterperiod，wasgenerallyconsideredoneofHardysfinestnovels.TessDurbeyfield，attractiveandinnocent，isseducedbyadandycalledAlec，forwhichsheislaterabandonedbyherhusbandAngelClareshortlyafterhelearnsthetruth.Emotionallybereftandfinanciallyimpoverished，TessistrappedbynecessityintogivinginonceagaintoAlec.WhenAngelreturnshowever，shekillsAlecindespairandishangedforthemurder.Knownas“novelofcharacterandenvironment，TessoftheDUrbervillesisthebestrepresentativeofHardyasbothanaturalisticandacriticalrealistwriter，whoseideaofecofeminismisremarkableinthisverynovel.Emerginginthe1970s，theconceptofecofeminismrelatesenvironmentaldamagetowomensexploitationandlackofempowerment.ToquoteProfessorMaryMellor，aUKacademic，“Ecofeminismbringstogetherelementsofthefeministandgreenmovements，whileatthesametimeofferingachallengetoboth.InTessoftheDUrbervilles，thethoughtofecofeminismisevidentinseveralaspects.Firstofall，thereisanintimateaffinitybetweenwomenandnature.AccordingtoHardy，womenarepartsofnature，andnaturetheenlargementofwomen.“Afield，manisapersonalityafield;afield-womanisaportionofthefield;shehassomehowlostherownmargin，imbibedtheessenceofhersurrounding，andassimilatedherselfwithit.Hardy，2020：94InHardysworks，thedestinyoffemalecharactersareintertwinedwiththeenvironment，andtheshiftofplacesheraldstheturnoffate.Forinstance，theviablegreenBlackmoorValeisthecradleofpureness.TheheavyfoggyTalbathaysdairyistheheavenofpassion.ThesterilefarmofFlintcomb-Ashisthederisivenessofbanishment.EventuallytheStonehengereflectsTesssdoomeddeath.Therefore，Tessscharacteriscloselylinkedtotheenvironmentandherpainfuldestinyparallelsthealterationofsurroundingsinthebook.Thesimilaritybetweenwomenandnaturealsoreflectsintheirdispositionofselflessnessandgenerosity.Naturebearsfruitsforhumansandasksnothingforreturn，soitiswithwomen.ThoughTessschildSorrowisaproductofheradversity，shelovesthebabywholeheartedly.Likewise，sheforgivesAngleforhismisconductandevensacrificesherlifeforhimwhenhereturns.Onthecontrary，themalecharactersinthebookareselfishvampireswhocareonlyforthemselvesandsuckwomensbloodandsoul.HerecomesthesecondaspectoftheecofeminisminTessoftheDUrbervilles，thatistheidentitybetweenecologicaldamageandgenderoppression.Withtheintrusionofindustrialization，theoriginalserenityandthesecludedlifeonthevillageMarlottistotallybroken.Similarly，womenaredominatedandexploitedbymen.TessiscovetedandrapedbyAlecforherinnocenceandbeauty，butismockedandcriticizedforthat，althoughitisnotherfaultatall.Herperpetratorneverfeelsashamedforevenonemoment，butblamesherforhisdegradation，saying“Youhavebeenthecauseofmybacksliding.Besidethemanwhoconsideredevil，themanseenasaperfect“anglealsoabusesTess，whichissoironic.Becauseofthepatriarchalconventions，TessismercilesslydiscardedbyherhusbandAngelwhensheconfessesher“sin.Tomakemattersworse，undertheadverseinfluenceofpaternity，TesspassivelyacceptssuchridiculousprejudiceandregardsherselfasasectionofAngelwhowouldloseherexistencebeyondalldoubtsifAngeldoesnotlikeheranymore.Therefore，itcanbejustlysaidthatwhatkillsTessintheendisnotthehang，butratherthesocialenvironmentshelivesin，theplayofthe“mensclub.ThomasHardysTessoftheDUrbervillesiscertainlyagreatliteraryworkforecofeminism.Byexposingtheeconomicexploitationofnatureandtheoppressionofwomenintheindustrialage，Hardymakesascathingcriticoftheirrationalsociety，callsfortheprotectionofenvironmentandalsoadvocatesgenderequality.Indeed，thereisacloserelationshipbetweenthegovernanceoverwomenandthedestroyofnature.Bothformsofdominancearecontrolledbythesamelogicofhierarchicalvalue.Therefore，thepatriarchycouldnotbechallengedwithoutchallengingecologicaldamagesandeachsideoftheproblemmustbeaddressedinordertoaddresstheother.【作者簡介】张诗雨，浙江理工大学。