Consider the Significance of Rural Traditions. Tess of the D'Urbervilles

I think customs and traditions are important in the novel because the difference between rural and urban customs would have caused a significant effect if the novel was based in a town or city. For example the use of agriculture may have been inexistent if the novel was based in the city, or religion may not have been an important factor as it is in the novel. Tess is brought up in the countryside, in a typical rural environment where the children are not obligated, or in most cases rich enough, to go to school therefore children are brought up and taught by their parents. This causes Tess to be uneducated in topics such as personal safety and naïve in areas such as men. Her innocence could be blamed on this lack of education because she is often lead away easily by male characters such Alec. Tess does not see how men can manipulate women nor is she even aware of her own personal safety. Therefore this absence of knowledge causes significances in the novel because Tess’ downfall is her inexperience; which causes her to be led so easily and finding herself in unpleasant situations such as her rape. Moreover; when children attend school, it becomes natural for them to be social and make friends. This sociability allows them to make friends easily when they grow older however as Tess does not go to school, she has an inability to make friends. As readers, we feel that Tess has a lack of a connection with the other milkmaids when she goes to work on the Dairy farm. The other milkmaids are seen to be friends with one another and look out for one another yet because Tess does not have this friendship with anyone, there is nobody to see over her and warn her to avoid dangerous situations. They allow her to walk off with Alec on her own because Tess says that it’s fine to leave her alone with him. If there was a strong connection between Tess and her fellow milkmaids, they may have advised her against being alone with a stranger. This novel is overflowing with...

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...Tracy Neal
Eng 480
Professor Judith Broome
March 23, 2011
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
As we read the classic novel, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, written by Thomas Hardy, we find discreet criticisms of the Victorian ideas of social classes, as well as the Victorian practices of male domination of women. If the reader looks superficially at the novel through the perspective of entertainment or a good read, the reader will ultimately miss the critical underpinnings of Victorian thought processes and ideals. The reader must analyze the text and main characters closely in order to grasp the point that Hardy is trying to make; namely that ability to have the privilege of personal rights and power based on position of social class or on gender is wrong. The Victorian Society, at that time, was composed of the thought process that the upper-class or nobility could basically get away with all sorts of injustice against women or against classes lower than themselves simply due to rank. In addition to social class status, men were able to get away with injustices against women simply due to gender. Hardy, through writing this novel, was able to discreetly criticize these ideas and societal norms using three predominant characters, Tess Durbeyfield, Alec D’Urberville, and Angel Clare.
We are first introduced to Tess Durbeyfield in chapter two of the book as her father has just...

... Literature
In "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" Hardy does expose the social injustices and double standards which prevail in the late nineteenth century.
These injustices and double standards are evident throughout the whole novel, and Tess, the main character, is the one who suffers them.
This becomes evident from the first page when Parson Tringham meets Jack Durbeyfield and refers to him as "Sir John". With his whimsical comment, made from the safety of a secure social position, the Parson begins the events which start the destruction and downfall of the whole Durbeyfield family.
Logically the fact that Tess's family and their "gentlefolk" relatives have the same descendents should mean that both sides of the family are equal, but this is not true.
Hardy makes this obvious in the contrast between Tess's mother's dialect and the sense of her words,
"That was all a part of the larry! We've been found to be the greatest gentlefolk in the whole county."[p.21]
The industrial revolution had begun a social revolution, and with ideas of democracy becoming popular, the notion of equality existed. But in the areas of England that housed the "landed gentry" it was no more than a notion. The gentry and peasantry were still totally separate and even if the gentry espoused the idea of equality, as Tess was accepted into the richer side of the family, the acceptance was hypocritical.
As we find out later in the...

...﻿Phase Questions
Phase the First: The Maiden
1. What are your initial impressions of Tess?
Tessd'Urberville was immediately imbued with a sense of pride and passion. Her richly detailed description of her personality and appearance made it clear that Hardy intended for her to be interpreted as a pure girl- unaware of her sexuality and odd aesthetic appeal. This was especially reflected in the quote 'You could sometimes see her 12th year in her cheeks, or her 9th sparkling from her eyes, and even her 5th would flit over the curves of her mouth now and again.' This conjures up an image of innocence and youthful naivety in Tess. The stunning detail and intimacy of Hardy's description left no room for doubt she was intended to empathized with. Even as I was reading, I could hear Hardy's presence in his writing, and his desire for us to feel for Tess and her plight. It made me painfully aware of her fate. I couldn't help but feel anger at her treatment; which is exactly what Hardy wanted.
2. Although the description of the three brothers is brief, what does the reader learn about them?
Immediately, it became clear that Angel differed from his brothers. They seemed dismissive of the smaller pleasures of life, like dancing, whilst Angel was eager to go and join the women. Angel's character was further developed by his physical description. Both his brother's are dressed for the part- one as regulation...

...In this novel, Hardy describes how Tess was killed by the cruelity of two specific characters in the novel, Alec d’Urberville and Angel Clare. Throughout the novel, Hardy seems to express his opinion on who is more responsible for Tess’s death by the cruelity they portrayed.
Alec was a member of the capitalist. This willful chap was ignorant and incompetent, depending on his rich family. He began to dally with women when he just was a very young man. When he saw Tess for the first time, he was struck by her beauty. His philandering and ferocious nature was completely unmasked. From the beginning, the writer succeeds in showing us great attraction and impact of Tess on man through Alec D’Urbervilles eyes. So it is very easy for her to become the victim of the other sex. Maybe this is one of the reasons for her tragedy. Alec made use of her purity and then seduced her. When his plot became the fact, he felt no shame at all. When Tess told him that she would never take anything more from him, he jeered: “One would think you were a princess… I am a bad fellow… a damn bad fellow. I was born badly, and I have lived bad, and I shall die bad in all probability...”① Facing poor and grief-stricken Tess, he didn’t feel bitter remorseful at all. He destroyed her purity and virginity as easily as he broke a cup carelessly. He even never thought of the tragedy and sufferings he imposed to...

...The Analysis of Symbol in Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Tomas Hardy is an controversial writer in the era of Victorian，his life span stretches over two centuries. In view of the influence of family life and the background of education， Hardy is aware of many ancient Greek fair tales and biblical stories. In his representative fiction, Tess of The D’Urbervilles, Hardy used different types of symbols to expose the tragic destiny of Tess, just as the famous word which Hamlet says “Frailty, thy name is woman.” Therefore, the whole symbols in this novel make immense effect on digging the deep meaning of Tess of The D'Urbervilles. My thesis will lay stress upon some characteristic symbols to argue about religious ideology and social significance.
1. The symbol of carriage
It's obviously that the symbol of carriage appears from the beginning of Tess to the end. A point which must be mentioned is that the carriage originally dates back to a Greek myth. This myth talks about a carriage with curse. In this story, there is a beautiful princess, but the king is told that if anybody married with his daughter, he would die. For this reason, the king asks everyone who wants to make a proposal to princess to race carriage with him. Consequently, he will kill them unless they get a triumph. Many participator is murdered expect a man, because of the god's...

...Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Chapter I
The scene begins with a middle-aged peddler, named John Durbeyfield. Making his way home, the man encounters Parson Tringham, who claims to have studied history. The Parson tells Durbeyfield that he is of noble lineage, the d'Urberville family, and his family has prospered for many generations until recently. Tringham tells his him however that this heritage comes from such a long period of time ago that it is worthless. At this the seemingly drunk man sits near a road and beckons a young boy to fetch him a horse and carriage to take him home in his newly liberated state.
Chapter II
Tess, the eldest daughter of the Durbeyfield family, has accompanied the other women in the village, young and old, to celebrate May Day. All of the women are clothed in white, but not the same shade of white, as noticed by the narrator. They all hold white flowers in one hand and a white wand made from oak in the other. This celebration commemorates the coming of spring, and all the women enjoy it, as it seems, because it allows them to forget their insignificant role in society. In the middle of the procession, John Durbeyfield rides along in his carriage, making quite a spectacle. Tess is embarrassed, and three very attractive (and obviously rich) brothers walk in. Only one of them, the youngest stays to dance, while his brothers continue their journey. All the women are...

...I. Narrative technique in Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Thomas Hardy uses a number of narrative techniques in his novel which enable the reader to get more deeply involved into the plot and emphasize with the characters. Among the techniques he employs are the third person omniscient narrator, dialogues between the characters, letter writing, songs and poetry, religious and mythological allusions as well as extensive descriptions of the settings. All these techniques are applied in such a way that they underline the message Hardy has woven into his novel, while allowing the reader to make up his own mind about the events.
The third person omniscient narrator is all-knowing and thereby adds to the vulnerability of Tess. This is because the reader knows certain facts which Tess is unaware of. For example, the reader is aware of Alec D'Urberville's intentions from the first moment this character enters the plot while Tess stumbles into her predicaments. The reader feels uneasy each moment both characters are left alone with themselves because he can guess what is going to happen. Another example is Tess's abandonment by her husband. All the while Tess is suffering and hoping for Angel to return quickly, the reader knows that he won't. But he also knows that Angel is unwell and has actually forgotten half the things he said to Tess during their quarrel. Tess is...

...Discussion Director - Tess of the D’Urbervilles
1. One of the biggest issues in this novel is whether Tess is victimized, whether she is responsible for her fate, or whether she is partially victimized and partially responsible for her fate. What do you think?
Throughout the entire novel, Tess has been victimized by others and by pure accident. Starting from the very beginning when her father found out about their link to the D’Urbervilles, every misfortune she experienced was initiated by external forces. Her own mistakes are minimal and forgivable until the end of the novel. Some of the readers of the literacy circle argued that Tess is responsible for her fate in the end because of her decision to kill Alec. I believe that she had been far too pressured and in the end she exploded and did something out of desperation. If she hadn’t been victimized for so long before her death, she definitely would not have committed such a crime.
2.Are there times when Tess does have a choice and her decisions and actions are the result of her character?
Yes, Tess does make her own decisions throughout the novel. For example, when she decides to tell Angel about her past, this is a decision based on her character. Although one can’t say she is to blame for his reaction, nor can anyone criticize her for her honesty, it was this...