earticle

영어

Among the many novels penned by Thomas Hardy, the novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" came into print in 1891.In this novel, Hardy portrays Tess who was born and raised in a rural middle-class family but ends up working as a laborer, trapped in a society where she is subjugated by the men’s wealth, leading a life marked by loneliness and isolation. The novel presents the status of women, moral struggles, and the challenging fate that they must overcome. It highlights the powerlessness of women living in a structurally unreasonable social environment, forced to depend on the ever-changing twists of destiny. This story delves into the complexities of love between the genders, moral conflicts, and the societal criticism that must be confronted. By utilizing the life of the young woman Tess, it underscores the struggle for existence and elucidates the roles, expectations, and constraints imposed on gender during the Victorian era. This research paper aims to compare the roles of women in the Victorian era in Britain and woman in contemporary Korean society. The Victorian era featured rigid gender norms, confining women to prescribed roles. In contrast, modern Korean society blends tradition and modernity, empowering women to play vital roles and reshape societal norms. Our research explores the interplay of tradition and change, providing a comprehensive understanding of women's evolving roles in both historical and contemporary contexts. We will present our discussions regarding the enduring roles that women have faced in both periods. Furthermore, we aim to highlight the distinctive roles women are called upon to play while dealing with the swift transformations in contemporary Korean society, recognizing them as essential agents in the agents in advancing Korean society.