Tess Of The D Urbervilles Character Analysis

Since the original publication of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy, in 1891, a debate has raged regarding Tess’s status in the novel. Some claim that she is a harlot, who instigates the events that occur in her life and her ultimate demise while others believe that Tess is simply an innocent, inexperienced young woman who does not deserve her painful experiences. This debate was significant in Hardy’s time but is also increasingly relevant in our own, as it shows the intrinsic way in which society views women and the events that befall them. By examining Tess’s rape, Angel’s anger regarding Tess’s dishonesty and Alec’s reappearance, I will attempt to show that Tess’s ultimate situation was not her fault, rather a combination of events

Many will argue that since Tess did not tell Angel the truth when she repeatedly had the opportunity, she must feel ashamed of the events and thus, obviously she instigated the original actions. While this argument makes sense, I believe that a more rational explanation would be that she is afraid of Angel’s response, a rather warranted fear. Tess knows that Angel is the son of a parson and thus, it is quite reasonable for her to suspect that Angel would have a problem with her being what society considers impure. This fear ends up becoming a reality after Tess does tell him about her past, with Angel telling her that “forgiveness does not apply to the case” (228) and that “you were one person; now you are another” (228). While Angel does eventually forgive Tess, this comes much later in the novel and after Angel has had the opportunity to think about the event for nearly a year. His initial reaction shows the common view of impurity in Victorian England, which maintained that a woman was impure if she had lost her virginity prior to marriage, no matter the circumstances. Tess would have known that this was likely the reaction she was to receive and this explains why she is unwilling to share her past with

First, the audience discovers that Tess has joined Alec as his pseudo-wife. We are led to believe that Tess does not really want to take this action but was cajoled by Alec, as Tess tells Angel that “he kept on saying you would never come any more… he was very kind to me, and mother” (379). The way in which Tess phrases this statement makes it apparent that Alec promised to pay for her mother and sibling’s care if she agreed to live with him. Many critics would make the argument, that due to Tess’s prior ardent refusal to even associate with Alec, this step implies that she goes willingly with him. However, we must consider what Tess would be willing to do in order to save her family. The answer would likely be almost anything, including live with a man she despises. The second dramatic event that occurs towards the end of Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the murder of Alec, executed by Tess after she has reached her limit with him. This is again a common argument meant to assure that she deserved her ultimate fate. While I would agree that legally, she was subject to the punishment of execution, in a moral sense it is arguable as to whether she deserves to die for killing the man that raped