强奸抑或诱奸——再探苔丝的失身问题

Rape or Seduction——A Re-exploration of Tess's Initiation

在《德伯家的苔丝》中,苔丝失身是贯穿小说始终的关键情节,是苔丝悲剧的起源。但对她的失身是强奸还是诱奸,评论界一直争论不休而无定论。本文根据小说文本,从家庭、社会与个人三方面探讨苔丝失身的原因及在苔丝的失身问题上所体现出的作者的创作意图与性爱观。

In Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy,Tess's initiation is the key plot through the whole novel,for it has led to her tragedy.However,it remains disputable in the critic circle whether she is raped or seduced by Alec.This paper,based on the previous researches,explores the causes of her initiation from three aspects of family,society and personality,and probes into the author's intention which embodies Hardy's progressive attitude towards sex.