"How could I be expected to know? I was a child when I left this house four months ago. Why didn't you tell me there was danger? Why didn't you warn me? Ladies know what to guard against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the chance of discovering in that way, and you did not help me!"
Once Tess' dad discovers that their family originates from a wealthy background, she is sent to seek out their potential relatives for aid. Here, she meets a man named Alec, who manipulated her young naivety and stole her innocence. She also meets a man called Angel, who seems to be sent from heaven just for her. He offers her his love, and it appears as if he could be her salvation. But Tess' past haunts her and looms over the choices she makes; demanding to be known. She has to choose between being honest with the man she loves and possibly losing him or keeping him in the dark and betraying his trust.
(Warning: Spoilers)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles was a fantastic novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He engages with his character on a meaningful level and allows his readers to understand them better. His writing is superb, and his descriptions are engaging— reading this book was an immersive experience. Hardy was ahead of his time, this whole book was a commentary on 19th-century society. It centred around the topic of rape, immoral sex, murder, illegitimate children, being unmarried while living together and social injustice. These issues were scandalous for an 1800s audience. As a result, it had initially been censored, and the serial rights were sold to the British illustrated newspaper The Graphic in 1891.
This book depicted the double standards that are applied to men and women in terms of sexual behaviour. Hardy was able to capture the essence of being a woman in a world dominated by men who think everything is their birthright. We witness Alec continuously act however he desires without any societal condemnation or implications to his character. Hardy depicts the injustices of the world for women from start to finish.
"They were simple and innocent girls on whom the unhappiness of unrequited love had fallen; they had deserved better at the hands of Fate. She had deserved worse—yet she was the chosen one. It was wicked of her to take all without paying."
Tess blames herself for her situation and punishes herself for what happened. She thought she must pay for her sins by living without Angel. But it wasn't her fault. However, as a 21st-century audience, we know that. We want to scream that to her through the ink on the pages. But this thought process didn't occur to Tess in 1891. This story is beautifully tragic and compelling.
The tragedy of Tess' tale is escalated when we realise that Angel doesn't live up to his name. On their wedding night, Angel divulges his sexual history with a woman in his past. He tells Tess how ashamed he felt for his behaviour and how he feels unworthy of her for his weakness.
As a result of his openness, Tess confesses her past with Alec to Angel (she has tried to do so many times might I add). And as a result of her honesty, he abandons her to go abroad, leaving Tess in her own personal hell- ironic.
"I agree to the conditions, Angel; because you know best what my punishment ought to be; only - only - don't make it more than I can bear!"
For this, I truly hated Angel, probably more than Alec. Don't get me wrong, Alec was a slime ball and you could see that from a thousand miles away. He was a disturbing character through and through. But as a result, it was rather easy for me to dislike him; he was an obvious villain.
But on their wedding night the double standards shone through. Angel made a conscious decision to stray from his commitment to purity, whereas Tess' choice was ripped away from her. Angel failed to acknowledge her trauma or that she was forced against her will. But sadly, I think this thought process was common among 19th-century men. I was so disappointed in the character that had been the poster boy for chivalry, firm morals and intellect.
Hardy was a very talented writer; Alec was the apparent villain, but Angel's actions against Tess were the ones that broke her. For all Angel's studies and education, he lacked basic human decency for compassion. I think that Hardy wanted to portray a realistic representation of his characters; with flaws and depth. This stain on Angel's disposition created a more interesting story that diverts from the perfect male lead stereotype; that even the best of them can make mistakes and hurt those that they claim to love.
Sometimes love doesn't triumph, and sometimes, justice does not prevail.
(Bit bleak I know, but she does end up being executed for killing the man that manipulated, raped and abused her, so it is true.)
