Contents

Acknowledgements

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Cao Xueqin and Thomas Hardy-1

1.2 A Brief Introduction of A Dream of Red Mansions and Tess of the D’Urbervilles-1

1.3 Literature Review-2

1.4 Composition of the Thesis-3

Chapter Two Analysis of the Two Protagonists-5

2.1 Family Background: Noble vs. Peasant Girl-5

2.2 Personality: Self-esteem vs. Self-denial-5

2.3 Tragic Fate: Lonely Deathbed vs. Gibbet-6

Chapter Three Analysis of Causes for Daiyu and Tess’s Tragedies-8

3.1 Social and Moral Background Factors-8

3.1.1 Tragedy in Social Transition: Decline of Nobility vs. Decline of the Agricultural Civilization-8

3.1.2 Tragedy of Oppressed Female Identity: Patriarchal Morality vs. Male-Chauvinist Morality-9

3.2 Family Background Factors-10

3.2.1 Disadvantaged Social Status: A Dispossessed Noble Girl vs. A Poor Peasant Girl-10

3.2.2 Educational Degree: Literacy vs. Illiteracy-10

3.3 Character Flaw: Autistic, Proud vs. Cowardly-10

Chapter Four Literary Significance of Tragedies of Daiyu and Tess-12

Chapter Five Conclusion-14

References-15

Abstract

Cao Xueqin is one of the most famous writers in the late Qing Dynasty. His greatest contribution lies in literary creation. A Dream of Red Mansions is the best known of his works. This is an encyclopedic novel. It takes a family as the center, with a broad social historical picture, each class of feudal society and the class having been vividly described. The extensive knowledge and profundity with A Dream of Red Mansions of is rare case in the history of world literature. Thomas Hardy is a British novelist and poet across two centuries. He creates a unique style of “Wessex” novels. The representative of the Wessex novel is Tess of the D'Urbervilles. It depicts a rural girl's tragic fate. Hardy in the novel's subtitle called heroine as "a pure woman", which is open to fight with the hypocrisy of the social and morality in Victorian time.

The two works have similar social background. And the root cause of two females’ tragedies is the society. This paper starts from the analysis of the characters and the outcomes of two women. Then it analyzes and compares the two females’ tragedies and the reasons. The two authors both praise and regret the two women. They are kind and pure in contrast with the dark societies they live in. They are the symbol of the awakening of women. But the final results are tragic because of the time. Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu can't get married and she died of depression while Tess was hanged for the murder of Alec. They are both the victims of the rotten societies.

Keywords:  A Dream of Red Mansions  Tess of the D'Urbervilles  Social background   Comparison