Summary
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, published in 1891, is considered Thomas Hardy's masterpiece and one of the greatest novels of the Victorian era. Set in rural England, it tells the tragic story of a young woman struggling against societal expectations and injustice. The book was controversial upon release for its critique of Victorian sexual morality and sympathetic portrayal of its “fallen” heroine.
Hardy subtitled the novel “A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented," emphasizing his view of Tess as a virtuous victim of hypocritical social conventions and unfortunate circumstances. The work represents a major departure from typical Victorian fiction in its frank treatment of sexuality and criticism of religious dogma. Its themes of fate, misfortune, and double standards for women continue to resonate with readers.
Plot
Tess Durbeyfield's life is forever changed when her father discovers a distant connection to the noble D'Urberville family. Sent by her parents to seek assistance from wealthy relatives, Tess encounters Alec D'Urberville, who seduces and abandons her. Returning home pregnant and disgraced, Tess gives birth to a sickly child who soon dies. She later finds work as a milkmaid and falls in love with Angel Clare, a young man studying farm management.
Tess and Angel marry, but their happiness is short-lived. On their wedding night, Angel confesses to a past indiscretion, and Tess reveals her own history with Alec. Despite Tess's innocence, Angel is unable to forgive her and leaves for Brazil. Struggling to support herself and her family, Tess takes on grueling farm work and eventually encounters Alec again. He pursues her relentlessly, offering to care for her destitute family if she becomes his mistress.
Meanwhile, Angel has a change of heart and returns to England to find Tess. However, he arrives too late, discovering that Tess has reluctantly accepted Alec's offer. In a fit of despair and anger, Tess murders Alec and flees with Angel. The couple finds brief happiness while on the run, but Tess is eventually captured at Stonehenge.
The novel concludes with Tess's execution, symbolized by a black flag raised over the prison. Angel and Tess's sister Liza-Lu, whom Tess had asked Angel to marry, walk away hand in hand, leaving behind the tragic story of a woman wronged by society's rigid moral codes and the men in her life.
Themes
Fate versus free will
Social injustice and hypocrisy
The role of women in Victorian society
Nature and its symbolism
Innocence corrupted
The conflict between passion and morality
The impact of modernization on rural life
Setting
Set in the late 19th century, Tess of the d'Urbervilles unfolds against the backdrop of rural England during a time of significant social and economic change. The story takes place in Thomas Hardy's fictional region of Wessex, which corresponds to the real-life counties of southwestern England, including Dorset, Devon, Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire.
The action moves through various locations within Wessex, from the humble village of Marlott, where Tess's family resides, to the lush dairy farm of Talbothays, and the harsh, barren landscape of Flintcomb-Ash. These settings reflect the changing fortunes of the protagonist and serve as a microcosm of the larger societal shifts occurring in Victorian England.
Hardy vividly depicts the agricultural way of life that was rapidly disappearing in the face of industrialization. The contrast between the traditional rural existence and the encroaching modern world is symbolized by locations such as the ancient Stonehenge, where Tess finds brief solace, and the bustling seaside resort of Sandbourne, representing the new urban lifestyle. Through these varied settings, Hardy explores themes of social mobility, the decline of rural traditions, and the often cruel march of progress.
Characters
Tess Durbeyfield: The novel's protagonist, a beautiful and innocent country girl. Tess is hardworking and dutiful, but her trusting nature and circumstances lead to her downfall. She struggles with guilt and societal judgment after being seduced and raped by Alec d'Urberville. Though she finds love with Angel Clare, her past ultimately catches up with her, leading to tragedy.
Angel Clare: An educated farmer's son who falls in love with and marries Tess. Angel has unconventional views but still harbors Victorian attitudes about female purity. He abandons Tess after learning of her past but later regrets his actions and tries to reconcile with her. Angel represents the conflict between progressive ideals and ingrained social prejudices.
Alec d'Urberville: The man who forces himself on Tess and fathers her child. Alec is manipulative and self-serving, taking advantage of Tess's innocence and vulnerability. He later experiences a religious conversion but reverts to his old ways in pursuing Tess again. Alec represents the corruption and exploitation of the upper classes.
John and Joan Durbeyfield: Tess's irresponsible parents who send her to claim kinship with the wealthy d'Urbervilles. Their actions set in motion the events that lead to Tess's downfall.
'Liza-Lu Durbeyfield: Tess's younger sister, whom Angel promises to care for after Tess's death. She represents hope for the future.
Mrs. d'Urberville: Alec's blind mother who employs Tess. She is unaware of her son's true nature.
Reverend and Mrs. Clare: Angel's strict, religious parents who disapprove of Tess as a potential wife for their son.
Quick facts
Tess of the D'Urbervilles was first published serially, in a censored version, in The Graphic magazine in 1891 before being released as a book.
Thomas Hardy gave the novel the subtitle “A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented” to emphasize his view of Tess as a virtuous character despite her experiences.
The novel was controversial when first published for challenging Victorian sexual morals and received mixed reviews.
Hardy based some elements of the story on the real-life execution he witnessed of Martha Brown in 1856, when he was 16 years old.
The character of Tess was partly inspired by Hardy's cousin, Tryphena Sparks, who died young.
Hardy originally wanted to call the novel “Daughter of the d'Urbervilles” but was persuaded by his publisher to change the title.
The novel is set in Hardy's fictional county of Wessex, based on the real counties of southwest England.
Hardy wrote a stage adaptation of the novel in 1924 and selected a local Dorchester actress to play Tess.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles has been adapted into at least eight films and four television productions since 1913.
Most famously, Roman Polanski directed a lavish film version in 1979, called Tess, starring Nastassja Kinski. More recently, a 2008 BBC television miniseries brought Hardy's tragic heroine to life for a new generation of viewers.
Hardy considered Tess of the d'Urbervilles to be his finest novel.
About the Author
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. His work was sharply critical of many aspects of Victorian society, particularly the declining status of rural people and the rigid view of morality. Often featuring tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances, his novels include Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), The Woodlanders (1887), Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891), The Pursuit of the Well-Beloved (1892) and Jude the Obscure (1895).
Born in Dorset, a hamlet near Dorchester, in 1840, Hardy was homeschooled by his well-read mother until the age of eight and later attended a local academy, where he excelled in Latin. His formal education ended at age sixteen, because his family lacked the means for a university education. He was apprenticed to a local architect, and in 1862, moved to London to study architecture. While working for a noted architect, he began to write poetry. Despite his professional success, he never felt at home in London due to his keen awareness of class divisions and his social inferiority. After five years, he returned to Dorset, settling in Weymouth, and decided to dedicate himself to writing.
In 1870, he met his first wife, Emma Gifford. Over the next 30 years, he published more than 900 poems and his epic drama in verse, The Dynasts, as well as several acclaimed novels. After a long and bitter estrangement, Emma Hardy died in 1912. Paradoxically, the event triggered some of Hardy's finest love poetry. In 1914, he married Florence Dugdale, a close friend for several years. In 1910, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Merit and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was nominated again for the prize 11 years later and received a total of 25 nominations until 1927. Hardy died on January 11, 1928. His ashes were buried in Westminster Abbey and his heart at Stinsford in Dorset.
