Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
key themes
Nature
Social class/class conflict (T of the d’U presents complex depictions of both the importance of social
class in 19th Century England and the difficulty of defining class in any simple way. Certainly the
Durbeyfields are a powerful emblem of the way in which class is no longer evaluated in Victorian times
as it would have been in the Middle Ages – that is , by blood alone, with no attention paid to fortune or
worldly success. Indubitably the Durbeyfields have purity of blood, yet for the Parson and nearly
everyone else in the novel, this fact amounts to nothing more than a piece of genealogical trivia.)
Poverty
Male attitudes to women* (men dominating women- exerting a power over them linked primarily to
their maleness. Alec’s act of abuse is the most serious instance of male domination over a female. But
there are other less blatant examples of women’s passivity towards dominant men – e.g. Retty’s
attempted suicide)
Religion
Marriage
Morality and hypocrisy
Justice and injustice (the injustice of existence. Unfairness dominates the lives of Tess and her family to
such an extent that it begins to seem like a general aspect of human existence in the novel.)
Violence
Work
Reader’s attitudes to the protagonist/antagonists
Heredity
Fate and free will
Crime
Thwarted hopes/ambitions
*Further Notes on Male Attitudes Towards Women:
, Alec represents the modern landowner, who believes he is entitled to do what he wishes with a ‘country
maid.’ Hardy alludes to the Biblical serpent in his description of Alec, with his ‘swarthy complexion’ and
‘bold rolling eye.’ The present continuous verb ‘rolling’, acting as a pre-modifier in the noun phrase,
suggests Alec’s central role. He, as a typical patriarchal male, is the predator, and the beautiful Tess is
the prey his ‘rolling eye’ has been searching for. Despite men often acting in a domineering manner in
Victorian Britain, seeking out a woman in such a way is clearly an aspect of Alec’s behaviour which Hardy
criticises. It is also likely that Alec is being presented as an example of a predatory being, in alignment
with Darwin’s theory of natural selection in which the strongest and fittest are dominant. Contrastingly,
Angel idolises her spirituality: in the noun phrase ‘fresh and virginal daughter of Nature’, the attributive
premodifier ‘virginal’ implies the deluded perspective of men about the definition of purity in Victorian
Britain…
Contextual Factors:
Tess of the D’Urbervilles: the socio-historical context of the long depression of the 1870s; the
destruction of traditional ways of life; social attitudes to women and sexuality.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
EXTRACT FROM AN EXAMINERS REPORT:
“Candidates should be reminded that answering the question set is an important determining factor for
the success of an answer and one of the key matters examiners keep in mind when judging the quality of
a script. Once again it was noted at times during this series that some candidates took the opportunity
to ‘twist’ a question away from its desired focus towards a topic which the candidate had been hoping to
consider during the examination. This was not always a satisfactory approach.”
Explore the significance of Tess’ surname and noble ancestry to the tragedy of the novel. Remember to
include in your answer relevant analysis of Hardy’s authorial methods.
The original title of this novel was Tess of the D’Urbervilles, A Pure Woman, Faithfully presented by
Thomas Hardy. What are the various meanings of the words “pure” and “faithful” that Hardy might have
been suggesting by this title? In what sense does Tess personify purity? Does Tess, in fact, remain pure?
In what respects? Why does Hardy highlight this quality in his title?
key themes
Nature
Social class/class conflict (T of the d’U presents complex depictions of both the importance of social
class in 19th Century England and the difficulty of defining class in any simple way. Certainly the
Durbeyfields are a powerful emblem of the way in which class is no longer evaluated in Victorian times
as it would have been in the Middle Ages – that is , by blood alone, with no attention paid to fortune or
worldly success. Indubitably the Durbeyfields have purity of blood, yet for the Parson and nearly
everyone else in the novel, this fact amounts to nothing more than a piece of genealogical trivia.)
Poverty
Male attitudes to women* (men dominating women- exerting a power over them linked primarily to
their maleness. Alec’s act of abuse is the most serious instance of male domination over a female. But
there are other less blatant examples of women’s passivity towards dominant men – e.g. Retty’s
attempted suicide)
Religion
Marriage
Morality and hypocrisy
Justice and injustice (the injustice of existence. Unfairness dominates the lives of Tess and her family to
such an extent that it begins to seem like a general aspect of human existence in the novel.)
Violence
Work
Reader’s attitudes to the protagonist/antagonists
Heredity
Fate and free will
Crime
Thwarted hopes/ambitions
*Further Notes on Male Attitudes Towards Women:
, Alec represents the modern landowner, who believes he is entitled to do what he wishes with a ‘country
maid.’ Hardy alludes to the Biblical serpent in his description of Alec, with his ‘swarthy complexion’ and
‘bold rolling eye.’ The present continuous verb ‘rolling’, acting as a pre-modifier in the noun phrase,
suggests Alec’s central role. He, as a typical patriarchal male, is the predator, and the beautiful Tess is
the prey his ‘rolling eye’ has been searching for. Despite men often acting in a domineering manner in
Victorian Britain, seeking out a woman in such a way is clearly an aspect of Alec’s behaviour which Hardy
criticises. It is also likely that Alec is being presented as an example of a predatory being, in alignment
with Darwin’s theory of natural selection in which the strongest and fittest are dominant. Contrastingly,
Angel idolises her spirituality: in the noun phrase ‘fresh and virginal daughter of Nature’, the attributive
premodifier ‘virginal’ implies the deluded perspective of men about the definition of purity in Victorian
Britain…
Contextual Factors:
Tess of the D’Urbervilles: the socio-historical context of the long depression of the 1870s; the
destruction of traditional ways of life; social attitudes to women and sexuality.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
EXTRACT FROM AN EXAMINERS REPORT:
“Candidates should be reminded that answering the question set is an important determining factor for
the success of an answer and one of the key matters examiners keep in mind when judging the quality of
a script. Once again it was noted at times during this series that some candidates took the opportunity
to ‘twist’ a question away from its desired focus towards a topic which the candidate had been hoping to
consider during the examination. This was not always a satisfactory approach.”
Explore the significance of Tess’ surname and noble ancestry to the tragedy of the novel. Remember to
include in your answer relevant analysis of Hardy’s authorial methods.
The original title of this novel was Tess of the D’Urbervilles, A Pure Woman, Faithfully presented by
Thomas Hardy. What are the various meanings of the words “pure” and “faithful” that Hardy might have
been suggesting by this title? In what sense does Tess personify purity? Does Tess, in fact, remain pure?
In what respects? Why does Hardy highlight this quality in his title?
