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Real Manifestation of Traditional and Modern Society

Author: TanJun
Tutor: WangXiaoLing
School: Anhui University
Course: Comparative Literature and World Literature
Keywords: Hardy Jude the Obscure paradox tension
CLC: I561.074
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2012
Downloads: 105
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Abstract

Thomas Hardy is a great novelist and poet at the junction of the Victorian age and new age in United Kingdom. His novel Jude the Obscure is one of the most controversial works, which involves many aspects of society and people’s lives, and reveals the social contradictions and conflicts in the middle and late Victorian, and objectively describes contradictory values in the society and people’s living conditions in his age. In his works, various value factors are unconsciously presented in opposite status, namely, the author constructs the works in the way of paradox, implicit or explicit. The paper analyses the Hardy classics---Jude the Obscure by the theory of paradox. The works shows the conflicts between people, people and the society, and people themselves in collisions of traditional society and modern civilization.In the works, the characters and their ideas and values are often in a paradox. These paradoxes reflect Hardy’s inner contradiction: He is fascinated with the traditional folk civilization and laments the decline of native civilizations; he is attached to religion but opposed to it; he is pessimistic and at the same time optimistic; he has the traditional ideology but pursues liberal humanism spirit. So Paradox also reflects a living form of Hardy.These conflicts are derived from the age of the big historical bang. During this stage, the development of science, the progress of society and the spread of freedom cause the conflict of the traditional values of the society and scientific spirit, and contribute to the intersection of religious and radical thoughts. The opposition of cultural values and the diversity of thinking had a profound impact on the works, bringing about the discord and division of traditional and modern concept, and resulting in the deep contradictions and crack in Jude the Obscure.The sharp confrontation of two cultures is embodied in Paradox in the text, which forms tension in the text creating a three-dimensional sense. In the conflicting elements of tension readers continue to produce aesthetic feeling. Simultaneously, paradox and tension contribute to the split of text, making the works’ theme ambiguous and the text meanings complex. Therefore, the split provides critics and readers with different interpretations of the text, and also makes the works of the Jude and Hardy himself receive various evaluations. This is where the value of the works exists.Hardy’s works is based on a traditional Victorian culture, and absorbs achievements of modern civilization. In the big bang of the Victorian age and new age, he understands and accurately describes the society. Therefore, his works embodies two times and two cultures, which makes his works a unique charm.

Real Manifestation of Traditional and Modern Society

Abstract

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