An Elegy For Agricultural Civilization

Even if Hardy and Shen Congwcn arc different in the times they were in.in the countries they belonged to and in their cultiircs.wc can still find out that there many similarities between them.which lie in the influence of agricultural civilization's being replaced by industrial civilization on their works.The two writers both reflected on the history process during which the country world of traditional agricultural civilization was confronted by modern induserial civilization and was on decline.They both cherish what are in the agricultural civilization.i.e the beauty of harmony between human being and nature.the simplicity of human nature.All the beauty was deminished by modern civilization gradually.as a result .the two writers felt regretful and helpless and they added a melancholy touch to their works.Wessex and Xiangxi are the literary world that the two writers created respectively.Both of the two regions are relatively backward and closed.They are the stubborn remains of agriculyural civalization in the process in which the whole society is advancing toward industrial civilization.Although relatively closed,the agricultural civilization was still corroded by the industrial civilization from the outside.With the collision of the two civilizations,Wessex and Xiangxi were being changed and they both marched toward industrial civilization. The two writers experienced the changs by themselves and revealed them in their works.There is much quite artistic description of nature.which is due to the intimate relationship between living and nature and to their respective living environment and growing experience. We can say,nature plays a vital role in both literary worlds. The graceful discription of nature shows the mood of elegy in the works of the two writers.With nature still beautiful,with vicissitudes of life,these social changes seem to be even swifter and more relentless.The two writers both go alter the beauty of human nature.ln the agricultural civilization which was relatively primitive and natural.the relationship among people was simpler.closer and more sincere.the purity and honesty in human nature remained more intact,and the instinct of life deeply rooted in nature was stronger.Wessex and Xiangxi .where human nature was purer and more beautiful,were relatively closed.so the replacement of agriculture! civilization by modern industrial civilization indicates a tragedy more significant.In Hardy's and Shen Congwen's works.wc can find the conceptions of destination,and feel strong conciousness of tragedy.Having grown up in an envionment in which traditional agricultural civilization still gained an upper hand. Hardy and Shen Congwen were inevitablely influenced by fatalism and then they revealed it in their works.The changes confronted the obscure people and forced them to experience predicament.All the factors involved the two writers in confused and painful thinking.and brought about strong consciousness of stragedy in their works.Negative or even back-falling as the view of historical development revealed in Hardy's and Shen Congwen's works was.their works caught up with the steps of times.manifested the characteristics of the steps of the two civilizations.showed the chaos of society and evolution of human nature.Their works revealed the tragical beauty caused by the decline of agriculturalcivilization.Their strongly critical altitude Unsaid the negative effects of industrial civilization is constantly being answered in the following generations.All these above make the two writers outstanding in literary history for the two writers.