Fiche à imprimer : Tess of the d'Urbervilles : une femme pure (1re)

Anglais	Français
Tess comes from a poor rural family.	Tess vient d'une pauvre famille rurale.
She is a victim of a rich man and of society.	Elle est victime d'un homme riche et de la société.
She is judged more harshly than the men.	Elle est jugée plus sévèrement que les hommes.
a double standard	deux poids, deux mesures
Hardy subtitled the novel "A Pure Woman".	Hardy a sous-titré le roman « Une femme pure ».
The novel shocked Victorian readers.	Le roman a choqué les lecteurs victoriens.

Dans ce roman de Thomas Hardy (1891), Tess Durbeyfield, jeune paysanne du Wessex (une région inspirée du sud-ouest de l'Angleterre), est envoyée chez de riches « parents » et abusée par Alec, un homme sans scrupules. Rejetée ensuite par Angel Clare, l'homme qu'elle aime, quand il apprend son passé, elle est condamnée par une société qui juge les femmes bien plus sévèrement que les hommes (a double standard). En sous-titrant le roman A Pure Woman, Hardy défie la morale victorienne : le livre fit scandale. Thèmes : la classe sociale, le destin (fate), l'injustice. Passif : She is judged, she was rejected.

Mise en situation : le cours de littérature

Teacher : Why did Tess of the d'Urbervilles shock Victorian readers?

Pourquoi Tess d'Urberville a-t-il choqué les lecteurs victoriens ?

Ines : Because Hardy defends a woman who was considered "fallen". He even called her "a pure woman" in the subtitle.

Parce que Hardy défend une femme qui était considérée comme « déchue ». Il l'a même appelée « une femme pure » dans le sous-titre.

Teacher : Who is responsible for her tragedy, in your opinion?

Qui est responsable de sa tragédie, selon vous ?

Ethan : Alec, of course, but also society. Tess is judged far more harshly than the men around her.

Alec, bien sûr, mais aussi la société. Tess est jugée bien plus sévèrement que les hommes qui l'entourent.

Ines : Even Angel rejects her when he learns about her past, although he had made mistakes too. It's a double standard!

Même Angel la rejette quand il apprend son passé, alors qu'il avait lui aussi commis des erreurs. C'est deux poids, deux mesures !

Teacher : Well argued. Hardy also shows how social class and fate crush the poor.

Bien argumenté. Hardy montre aussi comment la classe sociale et le destin écrasent les pauvres.

À retenir

a peasant, social class, fate, a tragedy, a double standard, morality, a subtitle, injustice, a reader.
was considered / is judged / was rejected (passif) ; far more harshly than ; In your opinion... ; although he had made mistakes too ; Well argued.

Exercice 1 : Tess d'Urberville : exercice 1 (QCM)

« deux poids, deux mesures »
1. a double standard
2. a double measure of
3. two weights two measures
« le destin »
1. feat
2. fate
3. fat
« la classe sociale »
1. social classroom
2. social class
3. society class of
« Elle est jugée plus sévèrement. »
1. She judges more harshly.
2. She is judged more harshly.
3. She is judged more harsh.
« un sous-titre »
1. a subtitle
2. an undertitle
3. a subtile
« Le roman a choqué les lecteurs. »
1. The novel shocked readers.
2. The new shocked readers.
3. The novel was shocking readers of.
« selon vous »
1. on your opinion
2. in your opinion
3. for your opinion
« bien plus sévèrement »
1. much harsher of
2. far most harshly
3. far more harshly
« la morale victorienne »
1. Victoria moral
2. Victorian morality
3. Victorian morale
L'auteur de Tess :
1. Thomas Hardy
2. Charles Dickens
3. D. H. Lawrence

Exercice 2 : Tess d'Urberville : exercice 2 (à compléter)

Why did the novel .......................... Victorian readers?
She was .......................... "fallen".
He called her "a pure woman" in the .......................... .
Who is .......................... for her tragedy?
Tess is judged far more .......................... than the men.
Angel .......................... her when he learns about her past.
although he had .......................... mistakes too
It's a double .......................... !
Social class and .......................... crush the poor.
Well .......................... .

Exercice 3 : Tess d'Urberville : mise en situation

Pourquoi le roman a-t-il choqué les lecteurs ?
1. Why did the novel shocked readers?
2. Why did the novel shock readers?
3. Why the novel shocked readers?
Hardy défend une femme considérée comme « déchue ».
1. Hardy defends a woman which was considered "fallen".
2. Hardy defends a woman who was considered "fallen".
3. Hardy defend a woman who was considered "fallen".
Qui est responsable de sa tragédie ?
1. Who is responsible for her tragedy?
2. Who is responsible of her tragedy?
3. Who are responsible for her tragedy?
Elle est jugée bien plus sévèrement que les hommes.
1. She is judge far more harshly that the men.
2. She is judged far more harshly than the men.
3. She is judged far most harshly than the men.
Il la rejette quand il apprend son passé.
1. He reject her when he learns about her passed.
2. He rejects her when he will learn about her past.
3. He rejects her when he learns about her past.
Il avait lui aussi commis des erreurs.
1. He has made mistakes too yesterday.
2. He had made mistakes too.
3. He had did mistakes too.
C'est deux poids, deux mesures !
1. It's a double standard!
2. It's two weights!
3. It's a double standing!
Bien argumenté.
1. Well arguing.
2. Good argued.
3. Well argued.
Le roman a fait scandale.
1. The novel caused a scandal.
2. The novel did a scandal.
3. The novel caused scandal of.
La classe sociale écrase les pauvres.
1. The social class crushes the poors.
2. Social class crush the poors.
3. Social class crushes the poor.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. a) a double standard · 2. b) fate · 3. b) social class · 4. b) She is judged more harshly. · 5. a) a subtitle · 6. a) The novel shocked readers. · 7. b) in your opinion · 8. c) far more harshly · 9. b) Victorian morality · 10. a) Thomas Hardy

Exercice 2

1. shock · 2. considered · 3. subtitle · 4. responsible · 5. harshly · 6. rejects · 7. made · 8. standard · 9. fate · 10. argued

Exercice 3

1. b) Why did the novel shock readers? · 2. b) Hardy defends a woman who was considered "fallen". · 3. a) Who is responsible for her tragedy? · 4. b) She is judged far more harshly than the men. · 5. c) He rejects her when he learns about her past. · 6. b) He had made mistakes too. · 7. a) It's a double standard! · 8. c) Well argued. · 9. a) The novel caused a scandal. · 10. c) Social class crushes the poor.