Personally I love Thomas Hardy, but although I've read all the rest of his majors novels, as well as some those lesser known, I've never read Tess, which is one of his greatest. I often assign a Hardy novel; I thought I'd read this one with you.
In this novel, as in all of Hardy's work, Fate plays an enormous role. We are tiny, pathetic creatures, at the mercy of forces bigger than us and which -- if they care for us at all -- are hostile to us. This one all starts of with a chance encounter on a country lane, where John Durbeyfield is told that he is descended from a noble family. And this leads to. . . which leads to. . . and then unfortunately. . . and it all ends here:
"Between the mother, with her fast-perishing lumber of superstitions, folklore, dialect, and orally transmitted ballads, and the daughter, with her trained National teachings and Standard knowledge under an infinitely revised code, there was a gap of two hundred years as ordinarily understood. When they were together, the Jacobean and the Victorian ages were juxtaposed."
One of the things changing is social mores. Attitudes toward sex and marriage, the role of women, are changing, as people move away from life on the land and into the Age of Industrialization. It may be hard to believe now, but Hardy was a scandalous writer in his day.
Many of hardy protagonists, like Tess, are young ladies. We tend to overlook just how young they are, especially in light of the times in which they lived. When the story begins, Tess is your age -- 16 or 17 -- but she hasn't grown up as fast, in many ways, as you have.
Now, I want you to beware of the several movie version of Tess that are available. I've watched one so far, and I will probably be watching others. The first one I've seen has some gaping holes in the plot. And I didn't really care for this particular Tess at all. (Although the actress playing her is quite pretty, it's not the right kind of pretty -- at least to my mind.) And resist the urge to use Sparknoes, etc. You'll miss out on a visit to Hardy's Wessex.
Here's my favorite part so far:
"I don't know about ghosts," she was saying; "but I do know that our souls can be made to go outside our bodies when we are alive."
The dairyman turned to her with his mouth full, his
eyes charged with serious inquiry, and his great knife
and fork (breakfasts were breakfasts here) planted
erect on the table, like the beginning of a gallows.
"What--really now? And is it so, maidy?" he said.
Ah, breakfast! A real breakfast, a big breakfast, a breakfast to keep you going though a morning of hard work on the farm!
I just finished "Phase the First" of this novel and I am already in love with the book, especially the author's poetic style. The first post has Mr. McArthur's favorite passage, so I will include mine as well, "...Tess was awake before dawn - at the marginal minute of the dark when the grove is still mute save for one prophetic bird who sings with a clear-voiced conviction that he at least knows the correct time of day, the rest preserving silence as if equally convinced that he is mistaken" (Hardy 61).
ReplyDeleteOne thing I was struck with while reading was the repetitive use of foreshadowing and symbolic colors.
I may be making things up, but to me it seems we have a wedding in store. The way Tess's mother dressed her up in a beautiful white dress to send her away to the man who asked for her while displaying a diamond ring, it is almost as if she was giving her daughter away to be married. I sense foreshadowing. This wouldn't be very foreboding if it wasn't accompanied by images of blood. I feel there must be some significance in the way the horse's blood covered Tess's clothes, the way she felt like a murderess after the event. There is something significant about the cut she received from Alec's rose, she herself took it as a bad omen. There is also something undeniably unsettling about this quote, "...Tess Durbeyfield did not divine, as she innocently looked down at the roses in her bosom, that there behind the blue narcotic haze was potentially the "tragic mischief" of her drama- one who stood fair to be the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life" (Hardy 52).Obviously this relationship is ill-fated.
Like a painter, Thomas Hardy depicts innocence and joy in light colors and a lot of white while more sinister characters and the unknown are dark. Some examples are, Tess's white summer dress and the white plants she carried as she danced (I think the plants also express her youthfulness and vitality). Alec, however appears out of the shadows when he comes to rescue her from the spiteful women. Also, we see darkness in the unknown with this quote, "...behind, the green valley of her birth, before, a gray country of which she knew nothing ... (Hardy 66)"
More thoughts, Tess has an internal locus of control. What I mean by that is, anything that happens to her she takes credit for. This is an unstable position to be in, because it means she will see everything as being her fault. She accepts responsibility for Prince's death rather than blaming it on someone else like the other driver, the horse, or her father for being so drunk he couldn't take the cart himself. I am concerned that if Alec makes a move, as he eventually does at the send of this section, Tess will end up blaming herself for his actions.
Congratulations, Kacey! As the first responder to the Summer Blog, you have earned the coveted "Early Bird Award". (I hope you like gummy worms!)
DeleteAfter reading Phase in the First, I agree with everything said. So far the story is told rather informally, with side notes added in as if it were being told to someone verbally. The repetitive use of extreme description and emotion is very unusual, but adds mystery and drama to the storyline.
DeleteI do see the frequent foreshadowing of a possibility of a maiden becoming pregnant, as well as a marriage to a gentleman. The death of the family horse and all the mention of blood is a very grim soon to be reality for Tess and her family. All the while, Tess is consumed with controlling those around her as well as the future for herself. When her family doesn't give a second thought to sacrificing her to the cause of claiming the D'Urberville name, she becomes hyperaware of all that happens around her. Tess becomes uneasy around everyone, especially the lurking cousin Alec.
Finally, my favorite quote of the section was, "Tess, locking them (her siblings) all in, started on her way up the dark and crooked lane or street not made for hasty progress; a street laid out before inches of land had value, and when one-handed clocks subdivided the day" (Hardy 32).
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DeleteI also agree. The language of the book carries such a peaceful tone and there does seem to be a wedding in the works, but I don't think it will be one of love and happiness especially since the roses Alec gave her were thorny. Also, at the very end of Phase I Hardy sets up the scene so that it seems as if Alec might take advantage of her. At that point in the book she has spent so much time trying to not have to walk home alone or with him for that matter because of her fear of the unknown, yet as events turn she ends up wandering through the darkness and fog with Alec. When she finally insists he put her down so she may walk the rest of the way they are lost; Alec has seemingly done this on purpose. The phase ends with him coming over to her sleeping figure while Hardy discusses the past wrongs of their forefathers and how the night with Tess may cause a repetition. So, I think if a marriage occurs between the two it might be in order to avoid a scandal. On a lighter note, I would also like to share one of my favorite lines, "She remained with her comrades till dusk, and participated with a certain zest in the dancing; though, being heart-whole as yet, she enjoyed treading a measure purely for its own sake; little divining when she saw 'the soft torments, the bitter sweets, the pleasing pains, and the agreeable distresses' of those girls who had been wooed and won..."(17)
DeleteJust finished "Phase the Second" (I figured the best way to do this would be to post after every phase) This wasn't a very long section but it was emotional. Poor Tess, to have gone through a traumatic experience, heap the guilt on herself, and come home to her mother's disappointment, to feel isolated from society, it's just so sad! One thing that stood out to me was how Hardy said, if it wasn't for society's expectations, this experience wouldn't have been so traumatic for Tess. I agree with him in this, I feel that a lot of our disappointments come from the expectations we adopt from our society and culture. Lets look at teen culture. What is expected of us in some cases- to fit in with a group, to have lots of friends, to look good, to be in a relationships. When we perceive these expectations and try to fill them we feel bad when we fall short. However, its not a nature-driven law that every teenager has to "fit in" that is an expectation we create for ourselves and we shouldn't let these expectations trip us up or make us miserable. We should just try to enjoy life as it was intended.
ReplyDeleteJust as a side note, I recently read an article about a baby buried in an older man's coffin-(I think he was a priest or some other holy man). It is thought that the reasoning behind this was that the baby was not allowed a Christian burial and that he was snuck into the casket in the hopes that by being close to this holy man and participating in a Christian burial it would help him attain salvation. I thought of this as I was reading about Tess's attempts to get a proper burial for Sorrow. I think it emphasizes the importance of a proper burial for Tess. She needs to do things "right" to make amends and to feel secure about her child's safety so that she can move on with her life.
Leah Wytas had trouble trying to post her entries, so I'm passing them along. If anyone else is having trouble, let me know.
ReplyDeleteLeah says:
Post 1
When I finished "Phase the First" I thought the beginning was interesting and a big hook to readers. It starts by introducing you to a man and a parson. The parson calls the man "Sir John" and the man asks him why because his name is Jack Durbeyfield. The parson tells him his family comes from the ancient knightly family of the D'Urbervilles. Finding out that his family is related to a knight is a pleasant surprise for Mr. Durbeyfield. This contributes to the overall plot because it will bring rising action and readers will want to know how this will change the lives of the Durbeyfield family. What is the most surprising to me is how the parson brings the news. He first calls Mr. Durbeyfield by a different name multiple times. "Then what might be your meaning in calling me 'Sir John' these different times" (Hardy 7)? It seems like the parson was testing to see how Mr. Durbeyfield would react and if he understood what he meant. The parson also has second thoughts about telling Mr. Durbeyfield this information but says that a person's curiosity is too strong to hold back. "At first I resolved not to disturb you with such a useless piece of information...However, our impulses are too strong for our judgment sometimes" (Hardy 9). When Mr. Durbeyfield invites the parson to have a drink with him, the parson says he has had enough already noticing Mr. Durbeyfield is drunk. I see the parson as a mysterious character who may be hiding the full truth from the Dubeyfields. I feel like the curiosity that could not be held back was his own. He probably wanted to see what Mr. Durbeyfield would do with the news. Mr. Durbeyfield believes the parson when he explains that his family has fallen from importance and that is why they are struggling. He does not hesitate to spread the news to anyone he meets showing that social status is something he can show off.
Exactly Leah! And I find it so interesting that Jack is so willing to brag about his new status, although it has done nothing to change his current situation.
DeleteThen she adds:
ReplyDeletePost 2
Tess was introduced to me as a selfless character. She offered to help her mother with house work and child care. She also decided to go with her brother to deliver beehives in her father's place. She blames herself when Prince was killed. Tess is unhappy about being sent off to the D'Ubervilles' mansion to manage the poultry farm but decides to go as compensation to her family for what happened. "I felt inclined to sink into the ground with shame" (Hardy 21)! Tess felt embarrassed when she saw her father riding around in a carriage because she thought he looked foolish. This tells me that she thinks it is important for her family to have a good reputation. She tries to be the innocent and good role model representative of her family by willing to do work for others even if it is not her responsibility.
Tess's mother appears to be a child-like character because she has big dreams. One dream she has is that Tess will marry into a wealthy and important family. Tess's mother thought about good matches for Tess almost from the time she was born. "Her mother's intelligence was that of a happy child: Joan Durbeyfield was simply an additional one..." (Hardy 37). Tess's mother sees the D'Urberville news as the solution to all their problems and if their plan succeeds, they will seek some of their fortune. This is probably why she did not feel concerned when Tess told her that she killed Prince. She and the rest of the family did not blame Tess for the misfortune. She also thought the letter asking for Tess to help with the poultry farm meant that they've been accepted by the D'Urberville family. Her kind of thinking is overly optimistic assuming that everything will work out because of the benefits this opportunity will bring to the family. This may make Tess feel worse about herself because she will not want to let her family down. They all have hopes that she will be the one to satisfy their dreams of wealth and social importance. This caused Tess to put their needs before her own allowing her to continue involvement in a situation that makes her uncomfortable. Tess is bothered by Alec when he speeds down hills. She argues with him and attempts to walk home. But she decides to move forward because she could not face her family if she gave up.
I agree that Tess is very selfless and she has the tendency to put her own needs after the needs of others. I wonder how this will impact her later choices.
DeleteSpoiler Alert (i am on page 242)
I read the back cover of the book so I now know Angel will learn of Tess's past. Because of her selflessness, I believe he will attain this information from Tess herself. She might destroy her relationship with him in order to protect him from herself. She doesn't believe herself worthy of him.
So, Tess was able to overcome her anger, sadness, embarrassment, and self-deprecation to act in an ultimately selfless fashion and do right by her baby, the outcome of her tragic ordeal.
DeleteOnly the ending of my comment was posted for some reason. I was explaining how I agree with Leah that Tess is a selfless person because of the especially strong example where she overcomes her aversion to her baby Sorrow to do everything in her power to baptize him and give him a Christian burial.
DeleteAnd finally:
ReplyDeletePost 3
I finished “Phase the Second” and found one strange event. When Sorrow dies, Tess stays calm. “Heap as much anger as you want upon me…but pity the child” (Hardy 93)! She seems to be more concerned about the baby becoming pure even in death. She blames herself for having a child in an impure way and feels that God is punishing her by making him ill. When Sorrow was ill, she baptized him in in the room with her siblings because her father would not allow a parson to come. She was upset about her child not getting a Christian burial and made a cross for his grave. I think she had mixed feelings about Sorrow’s death. She probably named her child Sorrow to reflect on her failed attempt to help her family and the destruction of her innocence. While she may be sad for losing her child, she may also have been set free because if this child lived, she would be reminded of a painful experience. Some of her suffering may have died along with Sorrow and Tess can look at her future with hope. She wants good things to come when she becomes a milkmaid for her mother’s friend. I have read the beginning of “Phase the Third” and am relieved to find out that Tess’s new work is peaceful and she can relax her mind from her troubles. I have also read that Tess discovers Angel as the dairyman’s student. I am interested to see what will happen if they meet again. Tess seems to remember who he is by her first encounter with him but he doesn’t recognize her.
Very well put Leah, she knows the situation wasn't her fault, but cannot help but feel she is missing out on future opportunities such as marriage or her future happiness. She took her future into her hands by leaving Alec on her own terms and facing her family head on. Tess really demonstrates her hope, strength, and selflessness in Phase the Second.
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ReplyDeleteMr. Mac says:
ReplyDeleteGood morning class! Now, as a rule, I don't get involved in the Summer Blog. I'll stop by from time to time to see what's going on, but I'll leave the discussion up to you. (If you have any particular thoughts or questions you'd like to share with me, email me.) But I'm going to make this one exception because in the case of Tess, I'm a first time reader, too.
Now, Tess is one of Hardy's most renowned novels, but I'd place it 4th, at best. My top five:
Far from the Madding Crowd
The Return of the Native
Jude the Obscure
Tess
The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Now, to be fair, it's been a long, long time since I've read Jude or The Mayor, so I could be a little off there.
Here's my comment on Tess (trying not to give anything away). When you get to "Phase the Seventh", you'll see that Hardy has skipped ahead in the story quite a bit. A lot has happened, but he's choosing to let us discover this after the fact, rather than letting us watch it unfold as he has up until this point. It's an interesting change of tactics, and one that I think works very well.
I will be interested to hear what you all have about the novel as a whole, and particularly the ending.
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ReplyDeleteI have read Phase the Third and am partly through Phase the Fourth. I did not take many notes on the former, however I did find significance in the information we received about Angel's past. I found that his father's view of his sons' futures only going in one direction was reflective of society. People often get an idea of what is "normal" by what is common and struggle to escape this limiting viewpoint and to look beyond the norm to find that there is the possibility of an existence outside of that mold. I can see Tess struggling in the future because she did break the mold. People who know about her past may be less accepting of her as a result.
ReplyDeleteHowever, "normal" is a relative word and it changes over time. That is why this is hard to read. Today we would call what happened to Tess rape and we would for the most part look on her with pity, compassion, and sympathy. At that time, however, she faces blame and ridicule so that it is painful for us to watch because we may see this treatment as unfair.
I agree, and maybe your point of normality can even be connected to Tess going off with Alec. When a family was struggling, it was normal for a women to marry 'rich' in order to help their family. Happiness wasn't the highest priority.
DeleteI havn't finished Phase the fifth, however, i am a bit annoyed at Angel. After completely rejecting Tess on moral grounds how can he justify considering running off with Izz even for a second? It really bothers me that he is perfectly fine with his own faults yet unforgiving to those same faults when he sees them in Tess. I suppose that isn't at all unusual but so hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteI have read Phases of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth, and decided they should be discussed together. I do agree, both the Third and the Fourth Phases are quite long and uneventful. Tess took her own life into her hands and finds work at the dairy where she meets Alec, who happens to be the young man at the start of the story. Deeper emotions and beliefs are exposed through Tess, Angel, and both families. The common theme did seem to be emotion and symbolism. The way Tess and Angel interacted was for the sake of those around them, Angel, for his family and Tess for the other maids. Neither wanted to get into a relationship, but they fell in love. At Angel's proposal, Tess is put into a risky position, no: losing the love of her life, or yes: she's not fit to be a wife. Here the foreshadowing becomes obvious and frequent. The letters from Tess's mother beg her to not tell Angel, or she will tell him too late in the engagement. Once married, there was the ghost coach and the rooster crowing at midday. As Tess reveals her secret, she is covered in a dark shadow, and lulled into a false security upon Angel's revelation.
DeleteBy this point, Angel is thrown into confusion of his own making. He knows that if it weren't for his background, he could have been more open. Angel takes after his father in the way that they both do not strictly adhere to social norms. The author Thomas Hardy then breaks the flowing story into two stories: Angel versus Tess. Tess's story focuses how her family reacts (mostly negative), and her emotions: resentment, desperation, and a general upset and troubles take. Angel's story is more positive, perhaps on how he is able to dictate the relationship between himself and Tess: how his family reacts (generally positive), uncertainty, and hopefulness.
Emotion is once again put into play in the form of the weather. When Tess was happy, she worked in the Dairy in the summer, now that Tess is unhappy, it is winter on the farm she works at.
While I am upset with Angel's behavior, the Phase in the Fifth ends on a nice cliffhanger, Tess's reunion with Alec D'urbervilles. The questions I am left with at the end of the section are: What is going to happen between Tess and Angel? Is Alec a true, changed, spiritual man? Will Alec and Tess interact with each other? Will Tess tell Alec of her troubles by him?
Natalie Wyse says:
DeleteRegarding Phases Three, Four, and Five; I really like your interpretations. Angel's past becomes an important factor like Tess'. He had always been glaringly different from those around him (particularly his brothers), and quite proud of that fact. But, Kacey, I don't quite agree with your parallelism between Angel's divergence from society and his family, and Tess' relationship with Alec. While both quarrels are with society, Tess is not fighting the norm, but a sexist notion that women are more responsible for faults in a relationship, and unimportant enough to be condemned for life because of such a thing. Angel also confronts the norm directly when he decides not to become a clergyman. Tess, however, flees the cause of her problem, Alec, and doesn't confront the society that condemns her until she tells Angel, when she feels forced to by the same guilty pressure that the sexist society created in her. In addition, unlike Angel, Tess has no pride in her struggle. And this, I believe, boils down to the way society empowers men but disenfranchises women. He is allowed to move on while she is not, burdened with the guilt rightfully belonging to the men who have wronged her.
It is due to Angel's aforementioned pride in being different that I was sincerely surprised by his condemnation of Tess. Though some elements of sexism had been evident in his demeanor (saying Tess would be a "more desirable wife" because of her farm skills and wanting to educate her to his own beliefs), most was seemingly only a way of appeasing his family and society in general.
When Tess told of her past, she seemed hopeful that Angel, having gone through the same, would be the first to forgive her. This made his condemnation all the more painful, especially as Tess continued to hope and beg for forgiveness as she had never done before. Though it was a shattering moment, I daresay it was an important step on her way to self-forgiveness, which didn't come until much later in life. But it is here that she desires the acceptance of Angel so that he may continue to love her; and years later she realizes that desiring acceptance from Angel means that she desires acceptance from herself. Once Tess sees that fact, she realizes that she is worthy of forgiveness and acceptance and can clearly understand that that fault is not hers, but Angel's.
So, after that very long explanation, I agree wholeheartedly that Angel's actions at the end of this Phase were unacceptable. And because of this, I think the hope that Alec might have changed was all the greater, in the same way that Angel's appearance at the dairy gave Tess hope for a happier life after being wronged.
(Spoilers ahead)
In some ways, Alec and Angel are constantly saving Tess from the other. Alec arrived soon after Tess saw Angel and was a bit preoccupied with the fact that he never danced with her. Once Tess had survived the ordeal of her relationship with Alec, Angel arrived as someone whom she loved truly. But when her love for him nearly drove Tess to suicide, and the separated. She was in dire financial straits until she allowed Alec to help. But her hatred of him grew until Angel provided to her another option. But her love for Angel was as perilous as her hatred for Alec, and due to both of those her demise was met.
I wanted to comment specifically on Angel's sexism despite his pride at being different. Perhaps the hints at this attribute in him were a warning that he wasn't as foward-thinking and accepting as he claimed. For instance, Angel muses that Tess is a "little womanly thing" whose well-being depends wholly on Angel's good or bad fortune. Angel says, "What I am, she is. What I become she must become." Angel does not think of Tess as an independent being, a very common sexist notion at this time. So, in reality, it isn't too hard to accept Angel's reaction to Tess's past.
DeleteI completely agree with Kacey when she commented about Angel being angry for Tess's past when his mistakes are just written off because he is the man in the relationship so that makes it okay. I understand how that's how it always was back then, but I expected something different from Angel seeing how he was so good to Tess when she wasn't sure if she could go through with the marriage.
DeleteAfter finishing Phase the Fifth, I can see more clearly why Angel might have asked Izz to accompany him to Brazil. Angel was still having some reservations about his hasty and "final" judgement of Tess (it is said that if Tess had told Angel about his sleep-walking incident, for example, he may have forgiven her). I believe that asking Izz was an offshoot of the inklings of doubt that remained in Angel's mind. Because Angel asked Izz if Tess truly loved him, it seems that he was trying to justify his actions. However, Izz's affirmation was not enough. I also think that Angel was using Izz as a placeholder for Tess by asking her to Brazil. It seems fitting, as he knew Izz loved her, and he was mourning the apparent loss of his love for Tess. Angel probably changed his mind about inviting Izz when she told him she could not love him more than Tess, imparting a sense of doubt and/or guilt.
DeleteI also wanted to comment on Natalie's observation that Angel and Alec seemed to take turns saving Tess. I also noticed their interchanging roles. For example, Alec originally caused Tess to become an outcast both socially and in her own mind by defiling her. It originally seemed that Angel would be the person to help Tess find self-forgiveness (specifically when she decided to reveal her secret past). However, when Angel decided to outcast Tess, Alec then appeared as the agent for her forgiveness by offering her a way to correct his past offense and supplying her and her family material comforts. Despite all this, at the end of the book Tess realized that no one but herself could grant her forgiveness.
I completely agree Kacey, Angel is quite the hypocrite in this sense. Although Tess should have informed him about Alec earlier I do not believe it was worth leaving Tess for over a year. Especially if Angle hid some things as well from Tess. Again proving how men in this era were shown as superior to women.
DeleteI finally finished Tess- not to say i was anxious to get to the end, but it was a long read. I actually really enjoyed this book, the descriptions, and the hidden aphorisms.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what to say about the book overall so i will point out one theme that i found important throughout the book.
Again and again we see that life is not fair. People are given perfect opportunities to change their lives for the better and they just keep missing them. Its like watching someone throwing a basketball and every time the ball balances on the rim but never makes it into the hoop. This not only makes the reader extremely frustrated- it also makes the book more realistic. I mean nobody's life is perfect, we all make mistakes, and sometimes just one decision can change the course of your entire life. think about Hemingway's The Snows of Mt. Kilimanjaro- the guy spent his entire life gaining the experiences he needed to write a really good book and he dies from a simple little cut before he writes anything. For Tess the most obvious expression of this idea for me is the last paragraph on page 53. Hardy Says, "In the ill-judged execution of the well-judged plan of things... the man to love rarely coincides with the hour of loving. Nature does not often say "See!" to her poor creatures at a time when seeing can lead to happy doing..." This leads to the "If Only"'s
If only Clare had fallen in love with Tess before she met Alec...
If only Tess had stayed with her family...
If only Tess hadn't gotten pregnant...
If only Clare had read Tess's letter to him before the wedding...
If only Angel had realized his love for Tess sooner...
If only Tess hadn't been so obedient and had written him sooner...
If only Tess hadn't gone back home...
If only Tess hadn't killed...
If only...
Feel free to add to the list
DeleteI also noticed that Hardy showed that life and love wasn't fair through Tess's relationship with Angel, perhaps relating to the quote Kacey posted about the "man to love rarely coinciding with the hour of loving." Tess had put Angel on a pedestal and worshipped him completely. She agreed with all his ideals and doctrines simply because he believed them. It seemed like the perfect man, the perfect love. But, Hardy threw a curveball when Angel didn't accept and abandoned Tess. The basketball made it to the rim, but didn't go into the hoop. One has to wonder why Hardy, on the title page, claims that Tess is a pure woman. I think this is because despite her flaws and the constantly changing beliefs and loyalties in this novel, Tess remained completely faithful towards her true love. In other words, she remained pure and steadfast in her devotions. While most everything else in the book did not go as planned, Tess's love for Angel never faltered.
DeleteIf only Tess hadn't killed the family horse...
DeleteIf only Parson Tringham hadn't told Jack Durbeyfield about his ancestors and family history...
DeleteOne question i have is on the significance of Tess's shoes being taken by Mercy Chant. I am sure it has more importance than to make Tess's situation more pitiful than it already was but i am not sure what it is there for. Any thoughts? Maybe to compare her to a homeless person?
ReplyDeleteI think that maybe it was almost a smack in the face to Tess. That Mercy took them, and was criticizing who would ever leave a still good pair of shoes abandoned. She took it away, almost as if Tess didn't deserve them. Tess thought almost nothing of herself, and it was the world almost reminding her that she was dirty, and that she didn't deserve to have nice things. Extra irony: she never did anything wrong.
DeleteI agree completely Cali, and honestly all of this is very powerful especially to a reader. All of these awful situations that Tess endures makes the reader chose her side. Something as simple as her shoes being taken make her more vulnerable than she already was. We feel more for her as she becomes more and more vulnerable and the reader wants to see her start winning as up to this point she has experienced very little "wins" at all.
DeleteI feel that there is some significance also in the relationship between people and nature. The way the engineer's machine was described as almost frightening in comparison to the beautiful countryside. Also, the description of the hunters before Tess reached Flintcomb Ash was rather horrible. People brought suffering to Tess she found respite away from civilization, away from judgement. She was happiest in the when she was riding at night and in the end walking through the woods with her lover.
ReplyDeleteLeah Wytas says:
ReplyDeletePost 1
When I finished "Phase the First" I thought the beginning was interesting and a big hook to readers. It starts by introducing you to a man and a parson. The parson calls the man "Sir John" and the man asks him why because his name is Jack Durbeyfield. The parson tells him his family comes from the ancient knightly family of the D'Urbervilles. Finding out that his family is related to a knight is a pleasant surprise for Mr. Durbeyfield. This contributes to the overall plot because it will bring rising action and readers will want to know how this will change the lives of the Durbeyfield family. What is the most surprising to me is how the parson brings the news. He first calls Mr. Durbeyfield by a different name multiple times. "Then what might be your meaning in calling me 'Sir John' these different times" (Hardy 7)? It seems like the parson was testing to see how Mr. Durbeyfield would react and if he understood what he meant. The parson also has second thoughts about telling Mr. Durbeyfield this information but says that a person's curiosity is too strong to hold back. "At first I resolved not to disturb you with such a useless piece of information...However, our impulses are too strong for our judgment sometimes" (Hardy 9). When Mr. Durbeyfield invites the parson to have a drink with him, the parson says he has had enough already noticing Mr. Durbeyfield is drunk. I see the parson as a mysterious character who may be hiding the full truth from the Dubeyfields. I feel like the curiosity that could not be held back was his own. He probably wanted to see what Mr. Durbeyfield would do with the news. Mr. Durbeyfield believes the parson when he explains that his family has fallen from importance and that is why they are struggling. He does not hesitate to spread the news to anyone he meets showing that social status is something he can show off.
I agree with Leah completely, I felt that the way in which the parson chose to express his knowledge to Mr. Durbeyfield makes him utterly mysterious because he doesn't just tell him, he just calls him Sir John a few times in order to test out whether or not he had any knowledge of the matter. Then once he tells his whole story of how he came across this knowledge, he disappears from the story completely.
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Tess was introduced to me as a selfless character. She offered to help her mother with house work and child care. She also decided to go with her brother to deliver beehives in her father's place. She blames herself when Prince was killed. Tess is unhappy about being sent off to the D'Ubervilles' mansion to manage the poultry farm but decides to go as compensation to her family for what happened. "I felt inclined to sink into the ground with shame" (Hardy 21)! Tess felt embarrassed when she saw her father riding around in a carriage because she thought he looked foolish. This tells me that she thinks it is important for her family to have a good reputation. She tries to be the innocent and good role model representative of her family by willing to do work for others even if it is not her responsibility.
Tess's mother appears to be a child-like character because she has big dreams. One dream she has is that Tess will marry into a wealthy and important family. Tess's mother thought about good matches for Tess almost from the time she was born. "Her mother's intelligence was that of a happy child: Joan Durbeyfield was simply an additional one..." (Hardy 37). Tess's mother sees the D'Urberville news as the solution to all their problems and if their plan succeeds, they will seek some of their fortune. This is probably why she did not feel concerned when Tess told her that she killed Prince. She and the rest of the family did not blame Tess for the misfortune. She also thought the letter asking for Tess to help with the poultry farm meant that they've been accepted by the D'Urberville family. Her kind of thinking is overly optimistic assuming that everything will work out because of the benefits this opportunity will bring to the family. This may make Tess feel worse about herself because she will not want to let her family down. They all have hopes that she will be the one to satisfy their dreams of wealth and social importance. This caused Tess to put their needs before her own allowing her to continue involvement in a situation that makes her uncomfortable. Tess is bothered by Alec when he speeds down hills. She argues with him and attempts to walk home. But she decides to move forward because she could not face her family if she gave up.
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I finished “Phase the Second” and found one strange event. When Sorrow dies, Tess stays calm. “Heap as much anger as you want upon me…but pity the child” (Hardy 93)! She seems to be more concerned about the baby becoming pure even in death. She blames herself for having a child in an impure way and feels that God is punishing her by making him ill. When Sorrow was ill, she baptized him in in the room with her siblings because her father would not allow a parson to come. She was upset about her child not getting a Christian burial and made a cross for his grave. I think she had mixed feelings about Sorrow’s death. She probably named her child Sorrow to reflect on her failed attempt to help her family and the destruction of her innocence. While she may be sad for losing her child, she may also have been set free because if this child lived, she would be reminded of a painful experience. Some of her suffering may have died along with Sorrow and Tess can look at her future with hope. She wants good things to come when she becomes a milkmaid for her mother’s friend. I have read the beginning of “Phase the Third” and am relieved to find out that Tess’s new work is peaceful and she can relax her mind from her troubles. I have also read that Tess discovers Angel as the dairyman’s student. I am interested to see what will happen if they meet again. Tess seems to remember who he is by her first encounter with him but he doesn’t recognize her.
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One significant event that I found in “Phase the Third” was when the milk would not churn to butter. Mrs. Crick, the dairyman’s wife, thinks it’s because someone in their house is in love. Then she asks if the dairyman remembers a maid they had years ago causing him to tell the story of when the last time the milk would not churn to butter. He remembers the churn being damaged in the memory. A man named Jack Dollop who worked at the dairy farm courted a young woman. Her mother got angry when she found out and came after him. Jack hid in the churn but the mother sensed where he was and turned it on with him in it. “And in some way behind her mother walked Jack’s young woman, crying bitterly into her handkercher” (Hardy 134). The story upsets Tess to the point where she leaves the building. I think she was upset by hearing this because she sympathizes with the young woman who was crying. She connected her experience with Alec to what happened between the young woman and Jack Dollop. She probably thinks that if she was that young woman, she would blame herself for the involvement in the situation and causing the other person to be punished for her actions. Strangely, after Tess leaves, the churn begins to form butter. It is almost as if the churn knows how Tess feels and what she has done.
This is just one example of the very obvious warnings that Hardy utilizes to underscore the plight of the characters. Another very obvious one was the crow that appeared after Tess and Angel were married. It was clearly stated that a crow appearing at an unusual time signified bad luck. Like the story of Jack Dollop, the crow incident was used to emphasize Tess's feelings of guilt and suggest an upcoming unhappy ending.
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I just finished “Phase the Fourth” and found a favorite quote. “She knew that they were waiting like wolves just outside the circumscribing light, but she had long spells of power to keep them in hungry subjection there” (Hardy 196). I like this quote because it represents Tess’s struggle to overcome her past. She knows this “scar” of truth will always be in her mind, but if she focuses on the new love she found, it will be forced to the edges of her memory. At this point in the story, Tess decides to move on from her past. She makes this choice after she received a letter from her mother. She sees that her mother is ignoring her accident with Alec and thinks that silence about the past is best. This gives Tess high spirits for the future because she accepts that what happened was not her fault.
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One thing that caught my attention in “Phase the Fifth” was the character of Tess’s friends Marian and Izz. Tess and her friends all love Angel Clare. When Tess was chosen to marry him, the friends were jealous but accept that Angel decided who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. When Tess separates herself from Angel, she gets lonely and greets Marian when they meet. Marian helps Tess get a job as a farm worker. The farmer is the man who insulted Tess and fought with Angel. He thinks he has power over Tess now that she is working for him. He gives Tess more work for her lack of skill and her friends decide to stay and help her. Marian tells Tess that Angel was planning on going to Brazil with Izz thinking that Tess would be upset but Tess feels that she has been neglecting Angel and should write to him more often. Before Tess went to leave on her own journey, her friends helped her get ready. Izz feels relieved that she did not accept Angel’s offer to go to Brazil with him. The actions of Tess’s friends show me that they still support her and would not betray her. “Even Izz hoped she would win, and, though without any particular respect for her own virtue, felt glad that she had been prevented wronging her friend when momentarily tempted by Clare” (Hardy 296). Even though they are disappointed for not being the one for Angel, they want to see Tess happy with him.
In response to Leah's post on Phase, the Fifth, perhaps Hardy showed the selflessness of Izz and Marian to further his purpose of challenging the ideals of his time. Women were often ignored in literature, or shown as useless or in a bad light. By having Izz and Marian be pure, kind-hearted, selfless characters, he openly confronts the stigma of his day.
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At the end of “Phase the Sixth,” Tess’s friends write to Angel saying that there is someone bothering Tess and that he needs to come back for her. “For she is sore put to by an Enemy in the shape of a Friend” (Hardy 365). Tess’s friends have seen a man hanging around and he is interested in Tess. They don’t know what he wants from her but they know it is bringing Tess trouble. I think this quote is the perfect description of Alec D’Uberville. Ever since Tess returned, he has been tempted to continue his forced relationship with her. He feels that the only way he can erase the past is for them to get married. He strikes Tess in her weak spot which is the welfare of her family, especially her siblings. He knows that she cares about them and makes an offer to pull the family out of their financial trouble. His persuasion and persistence in wanting to help Tess makes him almost like a friend. Tess however, does not want to accept any help from him, even if it’s for her family. She knows he is just trying to compensate for what he did so that they can both move on and forget about what happened. She feels that the past cannot be changed but she can move on without having to spend the rest of her life with someone she does not love.
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Finishing “Phase the Seventh,” I thought Tess may have found her happy ending. I was proved wrong when she wondered if she and Angel could be together after they both died. Tess knew that her “dream come true” would not last for long. She knew that she would be punished for killing Alec. What was the most satisfying to me about the ending was that Tess kept her selflessness. She asks Angel to take care of her sister, Liza-Lu, if something happened to her. She thinks that Liza-Lu has all of her good qualities and is pure. It seems like Tess fought for just a moment of happiness and paid for it with her life.
After finishing Tess, its clear to se that the purpose of phases Six and Seven are meant to build tension and drama. Tess is faced with many obstacles: Alec and his returning dark side, Tess's absent husband, poverty, Alec's proposal to marry, the death of Tess's father, and the loss of the family house. Tess is looked to by everyone she meets to solve dire problems. Adding to the situation, unbeknownst to Tess, is the changing attitude of Angel. He falls back in love due to the Brazilian landscape. The harsh conditions showed how pitiful English social norms were. Later revealed in Phase of the Seventh, to save her family, she became involved with the dark Alec. Once Angel finds Tess again, the rest of the story becomes quite strange, and I'm not quite... happy with the ending. I wish the book itself was less wordy, as it would have been an easier read, but I wish the ending was better described. The last chapter was in my opinion rushed, but that may be my prejudiced opinion.
ReplyDeleteMy final thoughts on the book were overall... positive and negative. I loved how descriptive the scenes were. The repeated themes were groundbreaking in the times it was written. Some examples were the conflicts of sin vs. virtue, passion vs. logic, fate vs. conscience, light vs. dark, and emotion vs. justice. I love how Thomas Hardy called out all of these accepted ways of life, and showed how silly they are. My negative thoughts were how wordy the passages were, as well as how many slang terms of the time there were. Both of these cloud the points Thomas makes throughout the novel. I am also not excited by the ending, and how Tess and Angel just gave up. (Especially Angel!)
I agree that it was angel's environment and not just time that was significant in changing his opinion of Tess. I'm thinking of A Midsummer night's Dream how escaping from society and especially being in a wilder more natural environment allowed room for love and passions normally supressed by society. As was mentioned before- we create dissappointment with our expectations.
DeleteI also agree that the ending was abrupt. I didn't need more but with the whole book being much more drawn out, it did seem rather short. This may have been a good thing though because it shows how most of our lives it seems we have all the time in the world so we live as if that were the case. However, when we realize life is fleeting we rush to do everything we can before it's over.
Upon beginning 'Phase the first' of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, I was immediately drawn to the long passages of description continued throughout its entirety. It was clear to me the author had a select vision in his head as he set the scene. His somewhat complex descriptions gave beauty to an otherwise plain village. I started off by seeing Mr. Durbeyfield as a simple, easy man. It was odd to me how accepting he was of the news of his ancestors, given to him by the parson. Had it been me in his position, I would have taken it with a grain of salt. It did alert me to the fact that he and his family were probably seen as just a standard family, and news that special was enough to 'heighten their rank'. I was glad the author described the group of girls walking as cheerful, for I wasn't sure if I wanted to be taken into a sullen community. When Tess felt embarrassed as the ladies saw her pleased father mounted on a carriage, I felt a connection to her. To me, her red face portrayed her as naive, like a teenager. I could easily understand her mind at that particular moment. Later, I instantly began to match Angel and Tess as a couple. It felt like typical young love when he regrets not dancing with her, and she no longer desires to dance after his departure. I expect his return later in the novel, and they will easily develop a relationship. Chapter three had me puzzled when everyone who set out to fetch Mr. Durbeyfield did not return. I thought something traumatic had happened (or maybe hoped, just to stir up drama). There is reoccurring talk of astrology and superstition in this phase, which must have been common at this time. Tess' parents, more so her mother, seemed strung on the idea of her marrying to acquire the money they much needed. It was a sad moment when Prince died, since I've always seen animal deaths equally tragic as humans. When Alec and Tess first make each others acquaintance, she is not so subtle in asking for help. It was uncomfortable hearing her try to hint at her family's monetary problems. Once again the idea of superstition appears as Tess describes the flowers and strawberries given to her by Alec as an 'ill omen.' I'm wondering how Tess' self esteem and confidence will change throughout the novel. In my opinion, I see her as lacking assertiveness. When the Durbeyfields receive the letter (with what Tess sees as masculine handwriting) from Mrs. d'Urberville. I wondered if she was real, or a trick from Alec. Alec's lust and inability to give up his want for Tess annoyed me. I would much rather see her with Angel. My current question, as having just completed phase one, is whether or not Alec will really be of assistance to Tess' family.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Tess is not very assertive and i feel like her submissiveness is a character flaw of sorts that makes certain relationships threatening because she submits herself to the will of those around her. Her parents for example.She is a "good girl" and does what she is told disreguarding personal cost.
DeleteI too noticed how Tess didn't advocate for herself as much as she should have. Even when she did advocate for herself it didn't last long and would eventually give in. For example when Angel first found her at Sandbourne she denied him and said it was too late and that she wished to never see him again. I finally though Tess was beginning to really understand she can't let men walk all over her. But was soon disappointed when she followed him not long after.
DeleteBut, I think it's more than just her submission when it comes to men. In the third phase she seems to detach herself from the normal activities of girls her age because she feels she isn't worthy and that she brings then down. The same goes with Angel, as much as he makes her happy she feels the need to push him away from herself and her past. I'm not sure that as the book progresses that she's still submissive just detached because after all she's been through it feels, to her, like that way of life includes less guilt and pain on others. Guilt has been something she's been dealing with since the beginning, it got her into this mess. She probably would have refused to claim kinship if she didn't feel guilty about killing Prince maybe then she would have never met Alec. It all gets very into fate. Going down that road it seems foreshadowed that she will have a very sad one.
DeleteUpon finishing phase two, the story really starts revolving around Tess's mind. Her family is rarely mentioned, most likely so the reader can fully step into her shoes. This phase was definitely uneventful and short compared to the previous phase, but we do learn about the death of Tess's son. I predict that Tess's depression and feelings of being alone will probably reoccur at the end of the story. I was confused at the part with the man Tess meets. He writes the bible versus, but why? I didn't understand what Tess thought about him, but I probably just read it too fast. This phase shifts Tess's personality, and now we see her as a more complex character. We learn Alec was a known heart breaker. I hope that Tess really recovers from her loss and meets Angel soon.
ReplyDeleteI believe the part with the man writing the bible versus is more symbolic than it is realistic. What are the odds that Tess leaves the man that quite literally stole her virginity from her, and on her way back she crosses paths with a man writing the commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery"? Personally I found this section of the book a bit too ironic. Does it make sense? Not really. But at the very least, it gets the point across.
DeleteIt was meant to be a blunt world. That if you committed sin, you would forever be punished for it. So yes, Hardy was very blunt with that detail, but it was almost like the universe was against Tess, and I found that she was doomed to stay there.
DeleteI finished phase three completely stuck on Tess's self-consciousness. When she recommended Angel to go for one of the other girls, it was really clear she was unable to move on from the past. There was a little bit of Greek mythology in one chapter when Angel refers to Tess. Between that, the astrology, and superstition, it seems that the characters in this village believe that they don't always have control, and there is higher forces controlling them. I found the broken churn part funny but random. They connected a broken churn to two people in love? I've noticed Angel is seriously opposite Tess in some ways. He willingly went against his father and the whole college scenario.
ReplyDeleteI loved the broken churn bit too! I think the author was basically saying that sometimes love is difficult. A broken churn doesn't quite run smoothly, sometimes how love doesn't quite run smoothly either, especially when the two counterparts in love don't quite match up.
DeleteI just finished "Phase the first" of Tess of the d"Urbervilles. At the beginning of the story, I was a bit unsure at whether or not I would come to like this book. The lengthy and descriptive paragraphs were a bit hard to adjust to. But I am very intrigued by Tess's character. After reading how the young girls of the time acted, I became interested in Tess, as she was almost the polar opposite of these other girls. She seemed to have a certain strength that they lacked. Tess's father is ridiculous to me. He finds out that he comes from royalty from one man and then he lets this new knowledge go to his head. Two seconds later, he is ordering around some town's boy? Tess's mom on the other hand is unbelievably careless. She lets her daughter go off with a boy who neither of them know very well and then she starts to worry AFTER her daughter leaves. Some can blame her actions on desperation, saying that she put her emotions aside because she knew that Tess's leave was the only way her family could recover from the financial deficit. But what kind of mother lets her daughter go to live with a strange man? And Alec confuses me. I could tell he was going to have bad intentions because of how the descriptions in the book change to dark and gloomy images every time he is introduced. He seems to be very fond of Tess but she won't give him the time of day. I found his gesture of giving Tess flowers and strawberries a bit unsettling and charming at the same time. After Alec basically forces Tess to kiss him in the carriage, I immediately lost respect for him as a character and transitioned myself to #TEAMANGEL (we should get this trending ASAP. haha) Even though Alec's bad intentions were foreshadowed by his extreme persistent nature with Tess, I was completely and utterly shocked at the ending of Part 1. I'm so curious to see how Tess will respond to this horrific event.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement with Tess's strength, but also disagree. I see Tess as more self-reflective than the other girls, but she also seems 'weak' in a way. Later in the phrases she can't really move on from her past, which I would connect to weakness.
DeleteMeant to say phases, not phrases!
DeleteYes, I see what you mean by that. (Her self reflectiveness) I think I've changed my mind. I've observed that she puts others' needs ahead of her own which changes my idea of how I originally saw Tess. Though she has strong character, I don't think that necessarily means she is one.
DeleteI have to disagree with Azaria's initial comment that Tess is a strong character because at first she exhibits many weaknesses. Tess did not have the strength of judgement to differentiate between the actions that were her fault and those that were not. For example, Tess blamed herself for her rape, although the act itself was not her fault. However, one could make an argument that Tess's apparent weaknesses are due to her innocence because she was not aware of the dangers of some men. But, Tess did show an increase in strength when she took initiative and moved to the dairy farm for her own benefit. Tess's ability here to recognize a good thing for herself shows a departure from her lack of self esteem and judgment that most likely caused her to self-blame. This book seems to be a story of Tess growing into womanhood, so I wouldn't be surprised if Tess increased in strength throughout the book as she becomes more adult.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the peacefulness I felt that the dairy had. It was so fitting that Angel's dad mentioned not being able to convert Alec. A theme I've noticed reoccurring throughout Tess is that happiness is often sacrificed for what one may seem as a 'greater good.' (When Tess goes off with Alec to help the family, when it is suggested Angel marry Mercy Chant because she is a 'better girl' than Tess, etc.) I've also noticed the phrase 'pooh' is commonly used, and every time I read it it I think of how even ornate language has its breaks. When Angel describes Tess's beauty as she wakes up, that was my favorite part. I didn't so much like it when he said that he knows 'negative is preface to affirmative.' It almost sounded cocky. Where Tess's confidence lacks, Angel's shows.
ReplyDeleteI just finished Phase the Second and I'm both happy and sad for Tess. Tess seems to be rather submissive throughout the story, but I was pleasantly surprised when she took some action in her life and moved away from Alec and on to a different life for herself. I was almost convinced that Tess was going to fulfill her familial duty and marry Alec. I find the role of fate is so damming and careless in this story. The author describes Tess and her situation as a "passing thought." Almost as if he isn't giving any validation to Tess's tragedy. It is like he is insinuating that it could have been anyone. This reminds me of the theme of existentialism in The Stranger. There is a particular dissociation between Tess and the people around her. Especially between Tess and her mother. After being raped, Tess confronts her mother about why she never warned her of the dangers of men. And her mom replies with the idea that men are men and this brutality is a part of their nature. Women get raped. So it goes.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way after reading Phase the Second. It is so unfortunate that after all that has changed in the world since Tess's time, rape culture is still prevalent. It amazes and terrifies me that it has been over a century since this novel was written and the issues Hardy addressed continue to be issues today.
DeleteI agree. It is frustrating to read about characters that are so accepting of rape as part of everyday life. That these things just happen because "pretty women are to be desired by men and if she were plainer she would have been safe". Her beauty should have never equaled any kind of asking for it and I think it's awful that this is an issue that is still argued. This book is over a hundred years old and yet it still rings true to current events. Also, I just found it sickening that the sin of Alec's was carried onto Tess and the baby while Alec just rode off into the sunset towards London. Even as her baby died Tess couldn't even give him a real baptism and Christian burial to protect him the only way she knew of. I also noticed that the books hints to mental illness on Tess's part with the bleeds and stubble on her wrists and her wishing of finding herself and her baby behind the church.
DeleteI also thought at this point in the story that Tess was weakened, but also gained strength. Obviously just the fact that she got raped and taken advantage of is bad enough, but she was scarred from this moment. At church she would hear people whispering and she assumed they were making fun of her. Her self-esteem was so tattered and she always blamed herself. Katie makes a great point about the subtle references of mental illness. Tess mentioned she wanted to find her baby behind the church, meaning to die and get buried with her child. These suicidal thoughts set a depressing mood on the story. However, Tess also found some strength in her. She took action and moved away from Alec in hopes to find a new life. Tess being raped set this story into action. It began Tess's journey and therefore I believe, although sickening, it was an key event of the book
DeleteAfter reading Phase the First, Phase the Second, and part of Phase the Third, I recognized many symbols pertaining to Tess's youth. For example, Tess was wearing a pink ribbon which contrasted with her womanly figure that was also described at this time. Perhaps this was Hardy's way of showing that Tess is in between childhood and womanhood. Also, Tess is often shown wearing white, which is usually a symbol for purity. The symbols denoting innocence seem somewhat ironic because Tess was more adult than her foolish and status-driven family. I also felt like the part where Tess was riding behind the dangerous horse Tib on a steep slope forshadowed the perilous path Tess was on with Alec as she engaged with him. I noticed that Alec was very manipulative in his attempts to win over Tess. Alec exploited Tess's sense of duty to her family or her family's economic dependency on him to persuade her to kiss him, etc. In other words, Tess couldn't very well be overly cross or completely refuse Alec without endangering her family's needs. The gifts that Alec gave to Tess's family furthered Tess's sense of indebtedness. When Car's mother exclaimed that Tess was, "Out of the frying pan and into the fire" it showed that the townspeople were well-aware of Alec's troublemaking ways as she left the ridicule of the revelers to join Alec on her way back to the D'Urberville estate. Additionally, I found a note of religious skepticism in Hardy when, after Tess was raped, he pleadingly questioned the whereabouts of her guardian angel and Providence. It seems as if Hardy were questioning the existence of God because of His allowal of atrocities such as rape.
ReplyDeleteIn Phase the Second and Phase the Third Hardy used geographical symbolism in the form of the two vastly different landscapes to show that Tess had entered a better period in her life. The description of her new surroundings on the dairy farm is full of imagery of life and vitality, compared to the gloomy, sluggish land of her home. I also felt that the artisan's warning to the general public, "THY DAMNATION SLUMBERETH NOT" forshadowed Tess's pregnancy, as a baby would not allow Tess to forget her violation. Tess showed further signs of increased maturity as she gained self-awareness contemplated her own mortality at the end of Phase the Second. Finally, i felt that Alec differed from Tess in that he had the strength of will to disobey his family's wishes and pursue his own interests instead of becoming a parson. In contrast, in her young age Tess was not able to stand up to her family when she did not want to go to the D'Urberville estate and claim kinship.
I love that you pointed out the religious skepticism, because this was a small section that can easily be overlooked or brushed off by our generation due to growing up in the age tolerance and acceptance. However, in Hardy's time, religious skepticism would not have been acceptable. No wonder Hardy was considered such a scandalous writer for his day! This is yet another controversial topic that Hardy brought to light.
DeleteI began reading the novel early in the summer and I got about half way through, but for blogging purposes and a better understanding of the book I have decided to reread it. After finishing the Phase the First, I have fallen in love with Tess's character again. I admire her for her refusal to play along with Alec's games. Any woman of the time period would have pounced on the opportunity to court such a charming, rich, young gentleman (or so he seemed in the beginning of the novel). Tess refused to accept her own mother's advice on the issue of Alec.
ReplyDeleteWhile on the topic of Joan, Tess's mother, many may see her as trying to ship Tess off simply for money purposes, but you also must understand her state of mind. She is a poor woman with more children than she can handle. She is forced to work very hard and live under circumstances that aren't exactly pristine. She honestly believed that the best thing for her daughter was to send her away to get married and live a happier and richer life. As the daughter of an overbearing mother, I do understand Tess's frustration with her mother meddling in her personal relationships. On the other hand, I also understand Joan wanting a better life for her daughter. After all, what more can a mother want than a fairy tale ending for her little girl?
Although I understand Joan's point of view, I absolutely do not agree with her. I wanted Tess to turn on her heels the second Alec came into the picture. I was immediately repulsed by Alec upon meeting him. His cockiness and entitled attitude are two character flaws that happen to be my pet peeve, as I have personally encountered quite a few "Alec"s in my life.
Reading the last few pages of Phase the First still made my stomach turn after reading it a second time. I am absolutely sickened by Alec, but I am also frustrated by Tess. I would never blame the victim of such an offense, because Alec's despicable actions were in no way Tess's fault. However, I wish Tess had run back home after the first few times Alec had forced himself upon her... My heart breaks for Tess and the destruction of her innocence.
I agree about the fairy tale ending. Although Joan did send her off without knowing Alec, I could really feel her motherly side. She might have seemed not to care to some, but I also thought she really wanted a picture-perfect ending for Tess.
DeleteI was actually astonished that Angel was not accepting of Tess's past, especially with something so out of her control. I began to lose my appreciation of him during phase five. She accepted his, and he couldn't accept hers? The part where Angel sees Mercy Chant was extremely odd. He really did sound crazy, and I was glad she was bewildered at him. Angel further proved his own demise when he asked Izz to Brazil. I liked the part when Tess sees the pheasants. When she compared her misery to theirs, I'd hoped it would cheer her up.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Angel was very hypocritical in not accepting Tess's past, although she accepted his. Angel argued that the Tess he loved was someone in the image of the girl standing in front of him, and was only seeking self-preservation. But didn't Angel also admit that he didn't want to tell Tess about his past because he didn't want to endanger their marriage? Tess put Angel up on a pedestal, but Hardy clearly shows here that no love-and no person-is perfect.
DeleteI agree with you both. But in a way I feel like both Angel and Tess put each other on a pedestal. But Tess was willing to accept Angel's fall from grace much better than he was willing to accept hers. This situation reinforces the double standard between men and women during this time period, that even exist to a certain extent today.
DeleteI was also surprised and disappointed of Angel's response to Tess' confession of her past. I thought after she accepted his, he would be open to hers. Especially after Angel admitted that he didn't tell Tess because he didn't want to risk destroying their marriage. It angered me that Tess was willing to forgive his ugly past and he denied her forgiveness. Especially because Tess had no control over getting raped (it was against her will), while it was Angel's fault that he once had a fling with the woman from London. He should have been more accepting because it was Alec's wrongdoing not hers. If Angel wasn't so narrow-minded he'd understand and comfort Tess.
DeleteThe ending of Tess was completely unexpected. I thought after Tess left Alec, that would be the end of him, but I was certainly surprised. For him to ask to marry her, that was the most surprising. I read the part of his murder with my mouth agape. Her strength picked up finally at the end of the novel. However, it seemed a little too shocking to me how suddenly crazed she became. Overall, the novel was okay to me. It did feel slow at times to me and the length didn't help that. I loved the climactic ending, and I really enjoyed the way the author started the novel, but I thought it would be more about the Durbeyfield's royalty than it was. I didn't much like Tess and in the end I disliked Angel even more. I liked having read about the bad omens. The beautiful scenery was certainly one of the best aspects.
ReplyDeleteYes Melissa!! I completely agree. I didn't really like any of the characters that were in this book. I felt that as soon as I started to like a character they did something I didn't like or agree on. Although that is very realistic.
DeleteNatalie Wyse says:
ReplyDeleteThis comment contains some MAJOR SPOILERS. Do not read this if you haven't finished the book, I beg of you.
I completely agree with your perspective on perspective here, Mr. MacArthur. The change of perspective to various outside observers, such as Tess' mother (an outside observer in that she has been mainly uninvolved and not privy to most of the happenings in Tess' life), the landlady where Tess and Alec had been staying, and even Angel (his life has been so long removed from Tess' that he can hardly be called a key player in recent events). This radical change, I believe, makes the reader realize Tess' character in a clearer way. From the perspective offered in earlier stages, the hard work she puts in seems just to be a natural necessity, and not much special is evident. But her mother, Alec, and Angel all see how stubborn and proud Tess is. The façade that is created by her remarriage is also highlighted by the perspective of her landlady; and the crime she commits is made all the more salient by the perspective of the landlady. Whereas her earlier "sins" (which, in my opinion, is an arguable label) are experienced directly by the reader and therefore the situation is not as fully realizable as when a more objective source reports on the event. In other words, we as readers has a great tendency to trust Tess when she blames herself for the horse's death. However, we are left to judge for ourselves who is to blame for Alec's death, and whether Tess' action was justified.
The perspective hangs also represents a trust Hardy has placed in us as readers to understand the characters. He has finally given us the privilege of an alternate perspective because at this point it could be expected that we have a sufficient understanding of the way Tess' mind works, and the relationships between her and the men she has been involved with.
I agree that Hardy was wise to use this tactic. Ultimately, it serves to ground the reader in some sort of reality before the dramatic finale of the novel. First of all, it very clearly explains why Tess must be killed without the messiness of trying to compete with the emotional motives she had for her crime. Secondly, without such a perspective change, I believe it would be difficult to reach the ending without feeling torn away from Tess' character. Remaining in Tess' head until the last scene would make the ending seem more... Well, final. But in reality the other characters' lives continue on having been affected by Tess. And Tess herself is quite obviously not about to be forgotten by Angel and 'Liza Lu.
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ReplyDeleteI finished Phase the Third, Phase the Fourth, and the very beginning of Phase the Fifth. The abundance of natural imagery and symbolism continued. For example, the hole in the clouds above the dairy while Tess listened to Angel's harp music suggested a reprieve there from the surrounding misery she had endured. Hardy then touched on more issues pertaining to his time: he noted the increasing views of modernism, but also criticized the new ideals as being merely new definitions of philosophy subject to change. Additionally, Tess showed more adult characteristics in that she contemplated her own demise. However, Tess still felt very helpless (which can be considered child-like) because she did not believe she could change her destiny by learning about history, but that she was doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Overall, we are introduced to a much darker Tess in the sections following her violation by Alec. Furthermore, Hardy discussed yet another controversial topic of his time by having Angel not appreciate old families and criticize how they felt they did not need to work because they had "paid their dues." Hardy also connected his earlier description of Tess's belief that souls can leave their bodies when he described a similar phenomena with the phosphorescence on Tess's face. Hardy added to his religious and social criticism at the end of Phase the Third when he wrote that the dairymaids' infatuation with Angel lacked "everything to justify its existence in the eye of civilization" although it lacked "nothing in the eye of Nature." Hardy is asserting that nature or higher power allows for inter-class marriage, and only the social conventions of man prevent it.
ReplyDeleteIn Phase the Fourth, Hardy used Angel to preach social transcendence. Angel realized that common people were worth just as much as the aristocratic, and that, in fact, common people usually lead more fulfilling lives. When Hardy wrote of how Angel's brothers wore different styles of glasses depending on the current fashion, I believe he was alluding to his preceding comment of how modernism is merely a changing definition according to fad. In other words, Angel's brothers are limited mentally because they live according to fad and do not see the larger social picture. More natural symbolism was included when the vale that was once clear was described as being full of "sappiness and humidity," meaning that Tess's relationship with Angel had become more complicated. Furthermore, the news of Jack Dollop's unsavory situation with a woman with whom they had both been dishonest warned against Tess keeping the secret of her past from Angel. Hardy continued his pattern of referring to his past assertions when he described a lamp at the railway station as being a "poor enough terrestrial star," alluding to Tess's conversation with her brother that Earth was a blighted star. During Tess and Angel's betrothal (specifically while they are walking), brightness is used to represent bliss and love. However, the shadows stretching ahead of the walking figures of Tess and Angel represents the trouble ahead. As discussed in earlier responses, Hardy used very obvious foreshadowing with the crow, compounded with the legend of the D'Urberville coach to imply bad fortune in the future of Tess and Angel. Finally, sinister imagery was used at the end of the phase to suggest Angel's bad reaction and Tess's misery with the sinister "wink" of Tess's new jewels and use of powerful vocabulary like "fire" and "red."
At the beginning of Phase the Fifth, I found it ironic that Angel let out a laugh as "ghastly as a laugh in hell" because this image is in direct contrast with Angel's name, perhaps underscoring the inherent hypocrisy not only in Angel's name but in his inability to accept Tess's past despite her forgiveness of him.
After reading “Phase the First” and “Phase the Second” I feel sorry for Tess. Nothing so far has been going her way and she has a ton of pressure on her. When the story starts we know right away she is the oldest of the family with many younger brothers and sisters making her more of a second mother. Then when she is responsible for the death of the horse she puts more pressure on herself then the rest of her family does. Next, she is sent off to work for the family and (hopefully for her family) fall in love with Alec and marry rich just like her mother wants for her. Now Tess has the pressure of working but also trying to avoid Alec’s affection for her without making him angry. After he rapes her and she leaves to go home, she now has the pressure on her of disappointing her family because she did not fall in love and is not married. Tess also now has Sorrow to care for all on her own when she seems to still be recovering from being raped. When Sorrow gets ill and dies she quickly baptizes him to hopefully get him to a better afterlife. Throughout the story so far she seems to have a lot of pressure on her and takes all of it without asking for help and by keeping her emotions bottled up inside her.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am part way through “Phase the Fifth” and I think Tess showed a lot of bravery when telling Angel about her past. She never had to do it; Angel never asked and whenever Tess did try to tell him, he replied that it could wait until after they were married. But she decided she could not be married to him and not share her past. When he freaked out and didn’t forgive her, I felt very sorry for her and very mad at him. Tess had forgiven Angel about his past but he was unable to forgive her about hers. Seeing how her past wasn’t her fault. Tess never loved Alec and never wanted to be raped or have his child. She was the victim of the situation and because of that, her own husband isn’t sure if he loves her, or the old version of Tess.
ReplyDeleteWhen Tess goes home and sees her family for the first time the two things that stuck out to me is when Tess tells her mother why her husband left her, her mother replies, “‘O you little fool-you little fool!’” (Hardy 250). It’s hard to think back then you were considered a fool to tell your husband about your past. Another thing that stuck out to me is how her parents didn’t feel bad for her or do anything like a parent at all. They were angry that now their oldest daughter is home while still married.
Angel now wants to leave and not see Tess until he returns but I hope Tess doesn’t do anything too crazy seeing how she almost attempted suicide but didn’t go through with it only because it would hurt Angel’s reputation.
I completely agree with you, Brea! As I continue to read phase the fifth, I was completely astonished by the reaction of Tess's mother and father. For a mother to call her own father a fool for something like this is awful enough, but then her father makes it worse by saying he doesn't know what to tell everyone that knew of the marriage as he didn't want to hurt his own family's reputation. I realize that at the time marriage was viewed differently than it is today, and divorces then were not as common as today but her separation from Angel was not Tess's fault. She told Clare what had happened with Alec, which was clearly a situation out of her control, and he responded poorly to it. Her parents should have realized that this was not their daughter’s fault and should have consoled her rather than make her feel guilty.
DeleteI finished the rest of Phase the Fifth, Phase the Sixth, and Phase the Seventh. Because Angel abandoned Tess it begs the question: did Angel ever truly love Tess? Wouldn't true love have transcended the social and religious ideals of the time? However, the ending proves that Angel's love never truly died, but was heavily clouded by social norms. Angel's hypocrisy was again highlighted when Hardy suggested that (similar his belief that Tess had changed) Angel had become a different person. Hardy says, "she was appalled by the determination revealed in the gentle depths of the man she had married[.]" I believe this coincides with a theme in the book that everything is transient or subject to change. Like modernism, even the seemingly truest of loves do not remain steady. As I remarked in an earlier post, however, Tess's love for Angel transcended all the temporary elements in the story as she remained loyal to him during the entirety of their estrangement, making her pure despite her "sins." In Phase the Fifth there was once again a reference to Angel being the opposite of his namesake, most likely to underscore the change in him. Despite Angel's value of purity he whispered in Mercy Chant's ears the "most heterodox ideas he could think of." Later on I felt that the pigeons that lay writhing in pain on the ground served to represent the anguish and long-suffering that Tess endured due to Angel's abandonment, and also as social commentary by Hardy against hunting and animal cruelty. More natural imagery and symbolism were utilized when Tess arrived at the dreary, fallow, and wintry landscape of Flintcomb-Ash, one of the places where she suffered the most both physically (through the arduous labor) and emotionally. Additionally, I have to disagree with Marian's statement that she had lost Angel while Tess hadn't. Marian could not have lost Angel because he had never reciprocated their love.
ReplyDeleteI have to publish this response in pieces because it is too long.
ReplyDeleteTo continue along the same lines as one of my earlier responses that Angel and Alec have interchanging roles in being an agent for forgiveness for Tess, I similarly noticed that Alec takes the place of Angel in the beginning of Phase the Sixth by being in the graces of Mr. Clare religiously, and even being offered to go to religious college (which Angel did not attend at the wishes of his father because of his unorthodox ambitions). Angel, in return, is often described using terms to suggest that he is now hellish or heterodox (I have posted about this previously), taking the place of the evil personage of Alec D'Urberville. Hardy once again shows that all doctrines are subject to change and that nothing works out perfectly by having Alec fall from his religious zeal back into his former self. Alec projects his weaknesses on Tess by saying she is a temptress. Just like how I questioned Angel's love for Tess because of it's sudden change, one also has to wonder if Alec was ever truly a religious man because of his sudden abandonment of it once he reengaged with Tess. Furthermore, Tess's relentless working on the machine at Flintcomb-Ash despite the lack of breaks reflects Tess's undying devotion to Angel despite his abandonment. Like the interchanging roles of Alec and Angel, Mr. and Mrs. Durbeyfield also changed roles in their illnesses. Hardy profoundly states his theme of constant change when he said, "So do flux and reflux-the rhythm of change-alternate and persist in everything under the sky." The spider that appeared on the window pane on which Tess was leaning shortly after this passage resembled Tess herself. Tess was placed in a misplaced in a corner where flies never came when she was raped by Alec, giving her an unfair advantage in her social and love life. Also, like the spider, Tess "starved" or suffered because of the cards she was dealt in life. Towards the end of Phase the Sixth, Tess again shows her increasing independence and sense of self-worth when she writes a critical letter to Angel, suggesting a step towards self-forgiveness.
I really liked how you connected that changing of roles between Alec and Angel and Mr. and Mrs. Durbeyfeild. It was something I subconsciously noticed but I like how you worded it.
DeleteAs Hardy explains the move out of the Durbeyfield home and the unaware new owners (to the change that had occurred and the previous life that had existed there), he again develops his theme of change. This time the focus was on the change from childhood to adulthood as far as Tess was concerned with the household. When Tess killed Alec, she finally forgave herself for her "sins" by realizing that they were not her fault, and taking action against the true perpetrator instead of against herself. Leading up to the end of the book, there is much dark imagery, suggesting a less than perfect or happy ending. For instance, "[the] moon had now sunk, [and] the night grew as dark as a cave. [All] around was open loneliness and black solitude over which a stiff breeze blew." Lastly, I found that the significance of the ending of the book taking place at Stonehenge was not by accident. Stonehenge is described as a heathen monument for human sacrifices to the sun. As Tess is lying on one of the stones she claims that she is ready to die and that Angel will be happier with 'Liza Lu, who is a purer version of herself (Angel only found fault with Tess's "lack of purity"). It seems to me that Tess was sacrificing herself to the sun (which commonly represents happiness in this book) or the happiness of Angel by lying out in the open at Stonehenge where she could easily be caught. However, Tess also does something for herself here, which is unusual in her typically selfless manner: she welcomes her own death to prevent further harm to herself by having Angel stop loving her. Tess has realized that happiness is not permanent, and that even Angel's apparent re-acceptance of her is subject to change. Tess has truly become an adult at the end of the book by realizing that she is innocent and taking charge of her fate.
ReplyDeleteI very much liked this book despite it's length and wordiness. In fact, I found that this added to its character of being a 19th century novel. The rich language seemed fitting in the landscape of Wessex. I also very much appreciated Hardy's numerous challenges of social norms, including those of purity, religion, and class. Hardy achieved these challenges through textured themes represented by incredible amounts of imagery and symbolism, mainly natural. Hardy taught us that nothing stays the same, nothing is perfect, and that intent holds more meaning than action. Overall, the novel was a strong advocate for change, which is, of course, inevitable.
I decided to comment on the book after I finished it so I could give a more accurate depiction of my interpretation of it as a whole. Although I am quickly regretting waiting until I finished the book because there is so much to comment on in this book. First I am giving my thoughts on Tess.
ReplyDeleteTess as we come to know quite well due to the author’s descriptive writing style is rather indecisive. In the beginning of the book, she refused to go to Trantridge Cross. She didn't want to leave her family and live with people she just met. She also knew her mothers true intentions for sending her away (to be married to her cousin). She was not fond of this at all. She later agreed as she felt guilty for having been the reason their family horse was killed. We see Tess change her mind again towards the middle of the book when she starts to realize she likes Angel Clare. He brings up marriage and she refuses to even consider it. Some days later she considers it and then comes to a conclusion that she will marry him even though she made a promise to herself that she would never marry. ? Only the next day she tells Angel she can't, yet again! I believe her indecisiveness is from her low self-esteem. Tess is always saying things like "I should not loathe and hate myself for my weakness as I do now!" (Hardy 65)
Due to the era of which this book was written in it shows the mistreatment of women. Tess is subjected to this. Showing how she is always the victim in situations. The author hints at this on many occasions. “Her one desire, so long resisted, to make herself his, to call him her lord, her own-then, if necessary to die.” (Hardy 178) The fact that it says “to call him her lord” further demonstrates how men were shown as some sort of God and that they were of a higher class than women. On page 170 Clare says “since you will probably have to leave at Christmas, it is in every way desirable and convenient that I should carry you off then as my property.” In this time, marriage basically meant the male owned the female now. He was hers. Because of this it created a dependency on men. Women thought they couldn’t live without a man. “I’ll always be ugly now, because Angel is not here, and I have nobody to take care of me.” (Hardy 233)
Tess has her faults but she also has her strengths. Tess is a very caring and selfless person. She makes a lot of sacrifices in this book to benefit other people. For example, when she discovered Angel wanted to marry her she tried to persuade him to marry one of the other milkmaids because she thought they deserved Angel more than she did. “They are better women than I.” (Hardy 122) Towards the end of the book, (although this seems strange to us in this day and age) when Tess knew she didn’t have much longer until she was caught for the murder of Alec she told Angel she wanted him to marry he sister Liza-Lu. “She is so good and simple and pure. O, Angel-I wish you would marry her if you lose me, as you will do shortly.” (Hardy 326).
I might sound crazy for saying this but in some ways I find Alec a better character than Angel. I am in no way justifying Alec for raping Tess but in my opinion I think his love for her was so strong and he was so lonely. He did want the best for Tess and demonstrated that quite often as he never gave up on Tess. He kept looking for her after their encounter in Angels home town. Angel did love Tess but I think he more liked the idea of having a wife and someone who could help him with the farm. Alec pointed out to Tess that a real husband should never abandon his wife or make her work for herself. (this is my opinion came off as condescending) and I admired how Tess wanted to work for herself and not take the money Angel gave her.
ReplyDeletePlease feel free to give your input about Alec. I could be completely off and am interested to see what others have to say about my interpretation!
Alec and Angel are both humans, they are both flawed. In fact, I think one of the major points of this book is that no one and nothing is perfect. Not many things in this book work out as intended, like Angel and Tess's marriage. No character did not disappoint the expectations of another: Angel did not accept Tess, Alec did not remain a changed man. The only character who remained faithful at heart for the entirety of the book was Tess herself. It's hard to weigh one character against another when they both had some good and bad attributes about them, some selfish and unselfish motives. In the end, however, I think Angel was ultimately better than Alec. Like Kacey said, Alec's actions of repentance had overall selfish motives, while Angel corrected his wrongdoing against Tess.
DeleteI like what you said about each character because it made me think of both of them in a better sense. Throughout the whole book I only noticed their faults and as Shaina pointed out, humans do make mistakes. The one problem I do still have with Alec is I'm not 100% sure he did everything just out of love for Tess. The way I see him, is he is a guy we would describe now a days as having more fun trying to get a girl instead of having her. I think his actions represented how he wanted control over Tess in every way he could.
DeleteI agree with Angela in that I honestly kind of feel that Alec seems to be a better guy than Angel. Although Angel never physically raped Tess, he toyed with her emotions to the point where she wanted to die. She felt like she betrayed him but in all honesty I feel like she should've felt that he betrayed her. He stopped caring for her because of something that was out of her control and made her already terrible tragedy even more heartbreaking. He left her to fend for herself, and although Alec initially took advantage of her I feel that he tried to do some good to make up for it. He was there for the family because he knew she would of wanted that. So even though he wasn't a good guy, he was better, in some sense at least, than Angel.
DeleteBoth Alec and Angel had their faults, but the way they went about accepting them were different. Alec was a scumbag and he knew it. He told Tess that what he did was wrong and that he wanted to make things right with her. His whole "changed man facade" was incredibly fake, but he was still willing to come to terms with what he did. As messed up as he was, he was just as forthcoming and honest to counter his bad behavior. Angel on the other hand, found out something he didn't like about Tess and ran away like a child. Even though the fault she committed was very similar to his own. Instead of trying to work things out with the woman he loved, he fled because he could not put his differences aside. So like Naomi said, Alec violated Tess physically and Angel violated her emotionally. But Alec was more willing to come to terms with his involvement in Tess's downfall.
DeleteI found myself thinking the same thing Angela. Alec never gave up on his love for Tess, no matter how screwed up that actually was. Alec claimed that he would always be there for her and that he would always be there to take care of her, but as soon as things were hard for him and his reputation was on the line, he bailed. Alec was continuously more dedicated to Tess in his own sick way. Angel loved in a sweet way, but it corrupted quite easily in my opinion. Angel also took painstakingly long to realize that he still was in love with Tess, but it was too late for them.
DeleteI guess i can have some respect for alec in the sence that he tried to fix his mistake in a way. However this was more a selfish act than an act of repentance. He wanted to make the guilt go away and to feel better about his mistake and he wanted to get Tess back. For him it was a win win. For Tess it meant sacrificing her happiness for survival. Alec seemed to lock Tess away providingfor her physically but not emotionally. If he really loved her ( and i know this sounds dramatic) he would let her go, maybe provide for her from a distance. I am not saying Angel was any better though.
ReplyDeleteYes I completely agree. Thank you for adding some insight to this topic. (Both Kacey and Shaina) I agree that you can't really compare Alec or Angel as a better character because they both had wrong doings. This changed my mind.
DeleteI don't know if I agree with you Kacey. You made a good point that he was trying to make up for his guilt of what he has done to Tess, but I think that in his mind he had made up for it. He was actually really ready to provide for Tess. Tess was obviously doing it for survival, but I think that Alec actually truly cared about Tess, no matter the demented way he showed it.
DeleteAmanda Steinhilber says:
ReplyDeletePhase the second was a surprising look at what Tess became after what Alec did. She became depressed and isolated for a long time. Strangely, the death of her child Sorrow seemed to shake her out of this depressed emotional fog. In this freeing moment, Tess is prompted to become young again, and possibly try to "regain" her lost purity. She wants to be nobody but simple farm girl Tess Durbeyfield again.
In Phase the third, Tess's plight is now one of love. She loves Angel, and he loves her. But she blames herself so much for having a child out of wedlock that she will never allow Angel to make a move. She doesn't believe that she's worthy of any type of love, or marriage in general.
This type of thinking only sets her up for more disappointments. She is constantly wracked by guilt, and thus may never be able to move forward in her life. Possibly if she tells Angel everything, and he still loves and accepts her, she may finally forgive herself. But I don't believe that will likely happen.
With the other two milkmaid's deaths in phase the fourth, Tess and Angel's marriage seems to be already doomed. I am surprised that Angel has the same sin as Tess, because he doesn't seem that ashamed of it. It doesn't torture him as it does Tess. And I am even more surprised that Tess has found the courage to tell him about Alec.
In phase the fifth, Angel's predicament is that he doesn't want Tess anymore because she did the same thing he did. He did exactly the same thing as Tess, except he did it by choice. This really speaks to the time this book was written, because Angel's sin would have been one of minor importance, while a woman doing the same thing would ruin her. In the end he decides he can't live with her, and makes up his mind to move to Brazil. Both returning home, Tess confesses to her mother that the reason her short marriage failed is that she told the truth. All Angel's mother cares about is that Tess is pure and had never had another lover, which is exactly his problem with her. It seems that most people value Tess's virgin status more than her love for Angel, or her faith, or her good intentions.
During phase the sixth, both Tess and Angel seem to have given up hope that they could ever live in harmony together. Angel even looks to see if he could live with another girl, whom he knows loves him. When he realizes that no one but Tess will do, he becomes even more despondent and leaves for Brazil. Tess, on the other hand, has become a wanderer. She ends up at a barren, depressed farm with another maid from her original farm. Prompted by questions about her absent husband, Tess almost goes to ask her father in law, but loses her nerve. It only spells trouble that Alec shows up, right when Tess is feeling most vulnerable.
Phase the seventh was a building up for Tess's downfall. She is constantly tempted by Alec, and her hardships are causing her to doubt Angel. I believe that her father's death and being kicked out of her childhood home will be the last straw. I think she will marry Alec D'Urberville, and then Angel will come back from Brazil to find her already married
Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a story of "almosts." Tess was almost happy with Angel twice, Alec was almost a good person before he met Tess again, ect. The only completed actions were evil ones. The rape of Tess, Angel leaving, and the death of both Alec and Tess. This gives a very negative view of both religion, morality, and destiny. No matter how good of a person she was, or what she did, Tess could never escape the fact that she was doomed. I found this a very time consuming and in-depth read.
After finishing the book there are many things I would like to comment on. For starters, I think this was a very well written book and although there were some slow parts, when Alec came back into Tess’s life I found myself very interested on what would happen next. I think Hardy did a very good job having action without going overboard.
ReplyDeleteI also think Hardy did a good job of letting us see many sides of different characters. We see Tess go from an innocent child to having to be strong enough to leave Alec after he raped her, give birth, and then bury her baby after trying to baptize it. Next, we saw her keeping to herself to letting herself love Angel and agreeing to marry him. Then, we witnessed a depressed side turn to anger for Angel then turn to, what I would call, hopeless when she finally gives in to Alec. We really got to witness Tess grow up and mature thought the story.
I also enjoyed getting to see how different Alec and Angel ended up being very different but also so similar. Not going into details, they both had faults referring to their love for Tess but in the end I do think both of them loved her. Although, I do think Angel wanted complete control over Tess, I am happy he changed for the better. I am not entirely convinced it wasn’t all just to get Tess back.
Another point I want to make is, after Tess killed Alec she went to find Angel. After she tells Angel she did it says, “A pitiful white smile lit her face as she spoke” (Hardy 372). After reading that line it made me think how all of these events really messed up her life. The innocent girl in the beginning would never have even thought about killing Alec. But in the end, we see her do it and be almost delighted about it. It shows how much Alec raping her and then stalking her and Angel leaving her really destroyed her and turned her into a new person.
The last point I would like to make is how at the end it foreshadows that Angel will marry Liza-Lou. I think that he is doing the right thing for honoring Tess’s wishes and is still going to look out for the family.
I read this over once more and I meant to write Alec during the third sentence on the third paragraph. So sorry!
DeleteOne point I forgot to mention above is that Tess killing Alec was foreshadowed in the Fifth Phase when Tess tells Angel and he said it would be different if Alec was dead. When Tess started to be more suicidal and Alec was coming back into her life, I thought something more would happen. Especially when Tess hit him with the glove. After that I was just waiting to see if she would snap and take matters into her own hands
ReplyDeleteSo far, I like how Hardy is weaving the details about setting and the past into the story rather than taking a whole bunch of separate paragraphs that break up the flow of the story. For example, when Durbyfield is telling the lad to run errands for him after talking to the Parson, Hardy mentions the daisies that Durbyfield is laying in as part of the story, rather than taking a break from the story to tell about where Durbyfield is sitting. He continues in this manner and it makes the story flow well, and doesn't make boring patches of straight description. I also was very interested when the parson deduced that Durbyfield was from the noble line of d'Urbervilles, just by seeing him in the town a couple of times. I'm curious to see if they meet again, or ifor Durbyfield explores his family's past on his own.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing the book, I have developed a deep hatred for fate. There are so many "If only this happened instead" moments in Tess's life that I simply cannot address all of them. The spiteful hand of fate had a tendency to rearrange the pieces in Tess's puzzle of a life just as she was putting it back together again.
ReplyDeleteOver the course of the novel, the people and events in Tess's life eroded her character, so it is not surprising that she is such a different person by the end of her life. Alec took her purity, Sorrow's death took her happiness, Angel took her spirituality and faith, Angel's parents took any pride she may have in her family, lustful men took her confidence in her beauty, and so on... Tess was left empty, and the emptiness drove her mad.
Although I did know Tess would be much different by the end of the novel, I must admit I never expected the innocent young girl in the white dress to end up brutally murdering her second husband. Is it wrong to say I felt no pity for Alec's death?
I agree with Angela and Kacey about Angel being no better than Alec. In fact, I detested them both rather equally. Alec may have "changed", but he cannot reverse what he did to Tess or make up for it by suddenly turning to religion to ensure salvation. Everything Alec did was selfish. Even asking for Tess to come back to him was selfish, because he was trying to make things right to clear his own conscience.
Angel was a coward and a hypocrite. He removed himself from the church and promised Tess to love her under any circumstances, but when he finds out about her past he turns on his heels and runs away, quite literally. If he was so against the church and all of their beliefs, then why did Tess's virginity matter? He gave up on his love for her when he found out that, God forbid, she was less than perfect.
As Shaina mentioned, one theme of the novel was that nobody is perfect. There were very few characters in this book that I actually liked, because each of them had a severe character flaw. I believe there is only one character that I liked throughout the entire book, and he wasn't even a big character. It was Mr. Durbyfield.
His character flaw was that he was a bit of a clown. In the beginning of the novel when he discovered he came from nobility, he caught himself a carriage and rode off into town announcing his heritage. He was goofy and positive, unlike every other character in the novel.
As well written as the novel was, I must admit that I didn't like it much. It came with a strong message that I believe was important to address in Hardy's time, but it put me in a bad mood every time I read due to the tragedy of Tess's life. I guess I just wish the novel had a happy ending, but at least it was realistic. Many times, life doesn't come with a happy ending.
I completely understand your feelings toward fate. It seemed Tess was stuck throughout the entire novel in a state of conflict. It was either Alec, Angel, her family, or herself that caused Tess to suffer; leaving her "empty" as you said. I love how you explained what each character took from Tess, and I agree with how you characterized them.
DeleteI too also have developed a dislike for fate. But I also believe that people have a role in their fate, and Tess' actions were what dammed her in the end. Her tendency to put others before herself, resulted in her downfall at the end. I also disliked how Tess was so undeniably forgiving and loyal to the people who betrayed her. At the end she did not want to die because she was done fighting for herself, but rather because she disappointed her husband and did not feel worthy of his love.
DeleteI agree with everything you have said Olivia, except for the last about Tess's father. Sure he was goofy, but he was in a fantasy land. He had such pride when he found out he came from nobility that he would brag about it, and This is what caused him to find the relatives, which includes Alec. He sent his daughter away to them, and I think that he was really the one that started the whole chain of events. I think that his main character flaw was his pride, which he couldn't let go of,
DeleteNow that I look at your comments Azaria and Cali, I must say you've shed new light on my view of the novel. You're absolutely right Azaria, in the end it truly was fate combined with Tess's actions that ruined her, not just one or the other. And Cali, now the one character I liked has been corrupted in my mind! But, I must admit, you are right. I still enjoy his goofy character, but now I see him as the starting point of Tess's downfall. If only he hadn't been such a prideful goon...
DeleteI just completed Phase the Third and Phase The Fourth, and though I am happy that Tess is finally beginning to appreciate life and move on from her past hardships, I can't help but feel apprehensive because as we all know, fate has never been kind to Tess. I likes the author's addition of Angel having a secret past life as well because it took some tension off of the relationship between he and Tess. I find it ironic that Tess was so worried about how Angel would perceive her if he found out about her past indiscretions, but all along Angel had that same concern regarding himself.
ReplyDeleteIt also adds tension though once we learn he doesn't accept her past.
DeleteNatalie Wyse says:
ReplyDeleteI want to discuss what I consider to be one of the most important aspects of Tess as a novel, the use of contrast by Thomas Hardy. He accentuates the contrasts, throughout the book, between male and female, nature and society, religion and atheism, and inner and outer beauty.
The contrast between male and female is mainly displayed through the novel’s feminist themes. Clearly, the women in Tess of the d’Urbervilles face a very different situation compared to the men. For instance, Tess and her mother do most of the work in their household while Mr. Durbeyfield enjoys the luxury he considers his, due to his lineage. He allows the women to wait on him, not in an oppressive way, but in an entitled way. Meanwhile, the women of the house are eager to please Mr. Durbeyfield. Mrs. Durbeyfield even makes a point of volunteering Tess to work for Alec and his mother. The difference is in both social position and mentality when it comes to the contrast between men and women.
Hardy also uses the contrast in manner to create male-female relationships and interactions that advance the plot. His male characters like Alec and Angel are much more forward and ambitious, while Tess and the other milkmaids are more passive and dainty. Thus, when things go wrong, there is a note of ambiguity as to who is to blame (in their eyes of course – from the perspective of a more egalitarian age, the men seem to be the ones who have wronged Tess) because; though Alec and Angel actually pressured Tess into a relationship and into a marriage, respectively; Tess did not actively stop them. In combination with the privilege felt by men and the passivity felt by women, it follows that Tess would accept some blame. It is this inconsistency created by society that I believe Hardy wants to call out.
The comparison of nature and society isolates this construct as a whole. Nature is present on the Dairy, where Tess and Angel have the greatest moments of their relationship. However, when marriage comes into the equation, problems arise fast. The aforementioned disparities between men and women become stronger once they are married, and this leads to the destruction of their relationship as Angel sees Tess’ “sin” as unforgivable and deals with it by simply leaving.
Another comparison of nature and society comes at the end of the novel (spoiler alert). When Tess kills Alec, it is a natural action. He has clearly wronged her and she wants revenge (although obviously killing him isn’t justified). She has no concern for society’s laws and no concern for the view society has of her as a woman when she commits this act. She is actually able to live with herself having done this, which is in strange contrast to her reaction to “sinning” at the beginning of the book. She has grown enough personally to not accept as much blame. However, then end to her guiltlessness comes when society deems that she must also die, and accepts blame for leaving Angel on his own. This is a natural guilt, however, because she feels so much strong love for Angel. So, although society punishes her, Tess has stopped punishing herself for what she doesn’t really consider worth punishing.
Natalie continues:
ReplyDeleteThe religion and atheism comparison is similar to that between society and nature. Religious characters follow a strict path that focuses on God. For instance, what kept Angel from going to college was his father’s belief that an education shouldn’t be wasted on someone not going to preach; otherwise, Angel’s father was quite proud of him. This seemingly arbitrary measure of worth was of great consequence to Angel. Additionally, the lack of forgiveness by society and religion is brought to the surface when Tess sees a man painting “Thy damnation slumbereth not” and is reminded of her past. This contributes in part to the depression she settles into through much of the book. Finally, a positive connotation is given to religion when it reforms Alec enough to keep him from causing harm and to prevent his own guilt. As a man, he is able to use religion to forgive himself (something Tess is unable to do); however, his forgiveness is not internal because he had never seen the wrong in his actions in the first place. Religion in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, like society, greatly favors some people over others.
Finally, the difference between inner and outer beauty is the most relevant factor in Tess’ life. As a woman she is often only judged by the former, which is very uncomfortable to her since she herself seeks someone who possesses the latter. When she meets Alec, he sees only her outer beauty before he decides that he wants a relationship with her. She quickly picks up on his lack of inner beauty and wants the opposite of what he does, which creates the initial conflict of Tess’ lovelife. However, Angel has both inner and outer beauty, and recognizes both in Tess as well. This is why their relationship is so good for both of them, and why they are able to eventually reconcile with the complications they face. Tess’ inner beauty also explains the last scene in the book (spoiler follows), in which Angel and ‘Liza Lu stand together. There is not a great implication of romance, and this further supports Angel’s love for Tess’ personality; if Angel’s love for Tess was based on external beauty it would transfer easily to ‘Liza Lu, but it doesn’t, at least not immediately.
In conclusion, Hardy uses contrasts to bring to light the unfair treatment of some people by society, particularly women. Tess is a person who has been wronged many times, yet society refuses to forgive her.
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ReplyDeleteNatalie Wyse says:
ReplyDeleteI want to discuss what I consider to be one of the most important aspects of Tess as a novel, the use of contrast by Thomas Hardy. He accentuates the contrasts, throughout the book, between male and female, nature and society, religion and atheism, and inner and outer beauty.
The contrast between male and female is mainly displayed through the novel’s feminist themes. Clearly, the women in Tess of the d’Urbervilles face a very different situation compared to the men. For instance, Tess and her mother do most of the work in their household while Mr. Durbeyfield enjoys the luxury he considers his, due to his lineage. He allows the women to wait on him, not in an oppressive way, but in an entitled way. Meanwhile, the women of the house are eager to please Mr. Durbeyfield. Mrs. Durbeyfield even makes a point of volunteering Tess to work for Alec and his mother. The difference is in both social position and mentality when it comes to the contrast between men and women.
Hardy also uses the contrast in manner to create male-female relationships and interactions that advance the plot. His male characters like Alec and Angel are much more forward and ambitious, while Tess and the other milkmaids are more passive and dainty. Thus, when things go wrong, there is a note of ambiguity as to who is to blame (in their eyes of course – from the perspective of a more egalitarian age, the men seem to be the ones who have wronged Tess) because; though Alec and Angel actually pressured Tess into a relationship and into a marriage, respectively; Tess did not actively stop them. In combination with the privilege felt by men and the passivity felt by women, it follows that Tess would accept some blame. It is this inconsistency created by society that I believe Hardy wants to call out.
The comparison of nature and society isolates this construct as a whole. Nature is present on the Dairy, where Tess and Angel have the greatest moments of their relationship. However, when marriage comes into the equation, problems arise fast. The aforementioned disparities between men and women become stronger once they are married, and this leads to the destruction of their relationship as Angel sees Tess’ “sin” as unforgivable and deals with it by simply leaving.
Another comparison of nature and society comes at the end of the novel (spoiler alert). When Tess kills Alec, it is a natural action. He has clearly wronged her and she wants revenge (although obviously killing him isn’t justified). She has no concern for society’s laws and no concern for the view society has of her as a woman when she commits this act. She is actually able to live with herself having done this, which is in strange contrast to her reaction to “sinning” at the beginning of the book. She has grown enough personally to not accept as much blame. However, then end to her guiltlessness comes when society deems that she must also die, and accepts blame for leaving Angel on his own. This is a natural guilt, however, because she feels so much strong love for Angel. So, although society punishes her, Tess has stopped punishing herself for what she doesn’t really consider worth punishing.
Agreed! The comparison of male and female is at the very root of this book, and perhaps the most appalling part is that for all the grief Tess received for being raped Alec was able to move on and become a preacher. The society in which they live in seems to hold male above female and place blame on the females in the biblical sense as they blame Eve.
DeleteFrom the start of phase one I made a few observations about how Hardy characterized each individual in the story. Mrs. Durbeyfield is superstitious making me question her confidence in faith, (in this society at the time I thought nearly everyone was loyal to a form of Christianity). My first impression of Mr. Durbeyfield was unclear, he came off as extremely eager for a sense of pride. To be fair he was juggling a poverty-stricken family with the news of his own health complications when he heard of his ancestors. Tess appeared the most "normal" of her family at this point, I liked the description of her on page 9, "Tess Durbeyfield at this time of her life was a mere vessel of emotion untinctured by experience". I immediately recognized that Tess would soon face changes in her life and maturity. The last line in chapter four increased my previous assumption, "[h]er face was dry and pale, as though she regarded herself in the light of a murderess"; this jumped out to me as a foreshadowing to violence. I disliked Alec from the moment he was introduced, he is arrogant and made Tess uncomfortable. However, Alec does not try to hide his flaws, which interested me because most men attempt to be the type of person their girl prefers. Unfortunately for Tess I was not surprised by what occurred at the end of phase one, I emphasize with her greatly. Because this act occurred at the beginning of the book I am curious to know what dilemma is to come, and if the boy Tess connected with from a distance at the dance will make a reappearance.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am well into phase the third I feel although I have a better perception of Tess. It is impossible to fully understand her, our experience as growing girls contrast drastically. I can, however, relate to Tess’s evolved sensitivity of feeling unworthy. When Tess entered the story, she was wearing a red headband, standing out from her friends. Yet by the time Tess returned home with her baby, she was no longer the young girl with large innocent eyes. As stated on page 87 Tess is “…somewhat changed—the same, but not the same; at the present stage of her existence living as a stranger and an alien here, though it was no strange land that she was in”. As Tess journeyed to work at the Talbothays Dairy, I could not help but connect a passage describing a river to how Tess saw herself. “The river had stolen from the higher tracts and brought in particles to the vale all this horizontal land; and now, exhausted, aged, and attenuated, lay serpentining along through the midst of its former spoils” (103-104). I am enjoying Hardy’s details, his word choices allow me to visualize the world around Tess. Getting back to Tess’s shame, I wonder if Angel’s determination will help or hurt her in the end. Tess left her home in an attempt to escape her misery, and I do not think she is ready to be romantically involved. Angel helped me note the importance of names in this story, he seems heavenly in his good looks and charm. It makes me wonder what significance the other names have, does anyone have thoughts? In addition, Angel may be his name but for some reason he has not won me over, he seems too good to be true. I hope that life improves for Tess, and this sounds chessey but I want her to find what she loves about herself before she finds love in another person.
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ReplyDeleteAs I was reading I couldn't help but notice the stark similarities between the d'uberville family and the usher family in Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. Both families seem doomed for misfortune. The Ushers are dwindling down in numbers and of the few remaining seem to suffer from multiple illnesses both mental and physical while the d'ubervilles are also almost completely wiped out have a horrible legend of murder hanging over their heads and in Tess's case possible mental illness. The creepy way Tess greets Angel after stabbing Alec in which she exhibits no remorse over the death and thinks everything has now been righted to me suggests she doesn't have all her marbles. Particularly in the text where it says, "... And his horror at her impulse was mixed with amazement at the strength of her affection for himself, and got the strangest of its quality, which had apparently extinguished her moral sense altogether. Unable to realize the gravity of her conduct she seemed at last content; and he looked at her as she lay upon his shoulder, weeping with happiness, and wondered what obscure strain in the d'Uberville blood had led to this aberration..."(448). She is weirdly crazed and happy at the thought that the big problem in their relationship was killed off and thinks that everything will be okay, but it's doubtful.
ReplyDeleteBefore this point she could have gone back to Angel whether Alec was dead or not; he was willing and ready to forgive her. Yet, she lives only for her love or to worship Angel. She repeatedly tells Alec that she believes what Angel says because he knows better. Maybe love has blinded her logic or she simply does not care, but I do think that there is some sort of mental unbalance. Most likely caused by her rape, depression, loss of a child, and abandonment by a new found love. I would say an ordeal like that is enough to make anyone crazy.
After reading Phase I and Phase II of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, I was interested in the changes that Tess undergoes. At the start of the novel, Tess is described as an innocent and beautiful girl in her twelfth year. She plays the role of an older sister, often keeping care of her siblings (and at times her parents). She describes herself as mentally older than her mother. We begin to see Tess change on the ride to Trantridge, when she leaves the carriage, uncomfortable with Mr. D’Urberville’s driving. In contrast to the obedient and motherly girl we saw at the beginning, Tess will not allow Mr. D’Urberville to get his way. She must adapt herself to the new lifestyle. The author ends the first phase by foreshadowing: “An immeasurable social chasm was to divide our heroine’s personality thereafter from that previous self of hers who stepped from her mother’s door to try her fortune at Trantridge poultry-farm” (page 91). The second phase also alludes to this change, as it is called “Maiden No More”. After Tess’s traumatizing experience at Mrs. D’Urberville’s farm, Tess struggles to regain the humor and light the other girls so naturally express. We learn that Tess has a sickly son, Sorrow, who succumbs to illness. In fear that her child will not rest peacefully, Tess desperately asks the Vicar to perform a proper burial. After much hesitation, he agrees. Tess recounts the dates of the year in which her life events had happened. She was bothered by the fact that one date remained unknown; her death. “Almost at a leap Tess thus changed from simple girl to complex woman” (page 122). I think the author best described Tess’s path to finding her destiny in a quote by Roger Ascham. “By experience,” he writes, “we find out a short way by a long wandering” (page 121).
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am only about 250 pages in, I have found Hardy's writing style to be excessive in some cases and somewhat lacking in others. For example, he may go into lengthy detail when Tess first began her new occupation milking cows at the Crick's farm on seemingly unnecessary details but when Tess had a child who quickly succumbed to illness, the description of that event was merely a couple pages. Now, I'm not sure as to whether I sped over the section where Alec took advantage of Tess and left her to bear a child under his name but it wasn't until the very start of Phase the Fifth where I was made aware of this very important event in the story which will shape the future for Tess. When I first read the section where Tess baptized her son and named him Sorrow, followed by his death shortly after I was unsure whether the child was even Tess's as Hardy seemed to quickly transition to another part of the story. It appears to me that Hardy is rather wordy in some areas where he doesn't necessarily have to be and quite quick to move on when some clarification and lingering may be required.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you Josh. Hardy definitely has a great way with words but the way he divides up the detail in the book has frequently left me wondering why major events in Tess's life were hardly elaborated on while other portions, such as Angel's pining for Tess to marry him, were dragged out at such length.
DeleteJosh, I completely agree with you. I thought Hardy was an incredible writer and every one of his descriptions were crystal clear. However, many uninteresting, unimportant parts were drawn out. It was difficult to get hooked into the book right from the start because of the excessive time spent in detail of Tess's job milking cows at the Crick's farm. The story focused on Tess milking cows longer than the most jaw dropping parts of the book. I thought Tess getting raped, Tess having a child, and Tess killing Alec were described in a quick manner. This surprised me because Hardy was so creative with his writing and he didn't choose to elaborate on the thickest parts of the story. However, although these parts seemed shorter, they weren't rushed. I think part of the reason the parts seemed so quick is because we were more intrigued by these events. For example, when Tess killed Alec it all happened so quickly. This was the only problem I had with Hardy's style. As long as he'd balanced his detail on certain events the story would be more captivating and easier to read.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I found this book to be tastefully written, I also found that in at least the beginning phase I could not at all stay engaged in the story due to an almost overpowering amount of detail in just the setting. I personally felt that although beautifully written and eloquently articulated, the abundance of background information on the landscape alone made me almost forget what Thomas Hardy was originally talking about. Though this got a little better over time and I cannot say that once it did the story wasn't completely riveting. Tess Durbeyfield's series of (for a lack of better words) misfortunate events, pulled at my heart. This was specially so, in watching Tess and Angel Clare fall in love only to have Tess's past destroy her future with him. If that had been where the story ended I would've been very upset.
ReplyDeleteThe most heartbreaking moment for me throughout Tess of the D’Urbervilles came when reading the words "It is not me but another woman like me that he loved, he says" (184). When haring that line I felt the pain in Tess's heart. Her life has been an abundance of misfortune; her father’s sickness, her mother’s need for help with so many children and so many household responsibilities, her killing of the horse, and her parents sending her away, alone, to claim kin of the D’Urbervilles in the district known as The Chase only to be taken advantage of by her "cuz" Alexander D’Urberville. That is all a lot for a young girl (or anyone) to have to go through. I felt that she deserved to be happy and now that she has told the truth of her past relating to D’Urberville, her marriage has fallen to shambles. Her husband no longer feels the same way about her and although that wasn't entirely unexpected I was not ready for it. I wished Clare would've understood that it wasn't her fault. She had been taken advantage of. She did everything in her power to avoid and push away D’Urberville to whom she had no feelings for at all and therefor his pursue of her was inappropriate, disgusting, and heinous.
I completely agree that it was difficult to engage in the story at first due to the over-illustration of the scenery. Although beautifully written, the description was quite unnecessary and almost distracting.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean Naomi, I felt at some parts I had to really force myself to stay focused on the story which overall took away from my enjoyment of the book. Also, at some points it kept me from following some of the major story lines which forced me to go back and reread which interrupted the flow of the plot.
DeleteDitto
DeleteWhen I read on I discovered so many more tragedies in which Tess had to face, all while remaining so faithful to her crumbled marriage. Not only did she look away from any man who complimented her through her separation from her husband but she also chose to bandage her face in order to hide any trace of beauty. She was so devoted to Clare that she would do almost anything to get him back. Anything accept write him, or contact him, because she knew he had not wanted that, and so throughout all her troubles, and pain, she kept to his wishes and didn't write. Then one day after numerous harassments from D’Urberville she wrote her "dear" husband, begging him to come home, or to let her come to him, but she got no response. And that struck me because I always felt that he didn't even deserve her love anymore. He neglected her for a part of her past which had been completely out of her control and the first thing he did once separated from his wife was turn to Izz Huett whom he saw on the road to her home. He asked her to come alone with him to Brazil, and although he never went through with it, it was only because she informed him that she did not love him more than Tess, "nobody could love'ee more than Tess did! ... She would have laid down her life for'ee.."(217). With hearing this Clare returned Izz to her home but he did not return to his wife or even write her. He let her continue to feel unworthy and unwanted while he ventured on alone to brazil.
ReplyDeleteOnce Tess finally wrote to Clare, he was renewed in the idea of their love and ready to have her back... but she had finally given up on him, which she had every right to do. Clare neglected Tess for over a year and throughout all of her troubles she remained so devoted and loyal to him. But enough became enough. D’Urberville was there for her family when they needed help so desperately, and he was there for her, in the absence of her husband, all the while telling her he would never return. So she gave up hope on Clare completely, and when he finally walked through her door, she did not expect it. But seeing him come back for her lead to the murder of D’Urberville through Tess's consumed love for Clare. She wanted him so badly and she was outraged with D’Urberville for telling her he would not be coming back. This scene was a huge plot twist for me because although I did see Clare coming back in the near future I never thought that Tess would murder D’Urberville... Tess always seemed so honorable and righteous through every situation even after her misfortunate encounter with D’Urberville when she was younger. On another note, I found it very confusing that Clare would not take her back for over a year because D’Urberville took advantage of her as a child but when she committed a murder he had no doubt on his loving her..
Although it was after a murder that they finally found piece and spent what little time they had together on the run, I was happy that Tess got to be happy for a little section of her life.
I finished Tess a few days ago and have been contemplating how to word my reaction. I must admit that overall I do not particularly like any character in the book. My preference did not keep me from appreciating the story, and I tried to keep in mind this took place in a very different time period. With that being said, I feel as if the ending would not have completed Tess's story rightfully any other way. Personally I am not a fan of Angel (what exactly was he even doing in Brazil for so long?!) but at least Tess died with a sense of self worth; it was clear she only could have felt that with Angel's validation. Alec d'Urberville was always a jerk in my opinion, I believe he resumed his pursuing of Tess because of his own ego. Tess endured as much of Alec's grip as she could for the sake of her family, however she finally did something for herself when she stabbed him. I wondered what would cause Tess to finally reach her breaking point, and from the moment Angel finally appeared at her doorstep I knew chaos was brewing. I was relieved when Tess and Angel escaped Sandbourne, but I had a feeling it was not going to last. At the time of Tess's arrest the world seemed tranquil, I looked up the symbolic significance of Stonehenge and read about its meaning of unification. This discovery led me to understand Tess's peace in her story's ending because she was unified with Angel. As sorrowful as it may seem, I could not see Tess and Angel recovering from their past and I think the ending suited their drama. My ultimate thoughts include how complex love is and confusing religion was throughout the book. Also, Hardy's style was laborious to read at times, but I certainly understand why this book is a classic and it's proof people have enjoyed reading twisted love stories way before Twilight.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there was no hope for Angel and Tess, and although it's a terrible ending, it could not have ended any other way. I'm glad someone agrees with me about not particularly liking any of the characters! They're all quite annoying in some way aren't they? Also, I love the connection to Twilight. In a funny way, there are actually many similarities between Bella and Tess... What an odd comparison that would be!
DeleteDuring Phase the First I really noticed that this whole story was formed by a series of strange coincidences, all starting with Mr. Durbeyfield's encounter with a man in the street. Mr. Durbeyfield seems to be a very simple and sometimes lazy man. After finding out his heritage, he starting to believe that he was no longer lower class, although the news really did nothing to change his status. The youngest brother who appears at the May Day celebration seemed to catch Tess's eye, and I'm sure that's not the last time he's mentioned in the story. Tess seems to be a very timid girl at first, and she lets her parents push her around. Her mother pressures Tess to go live with the D'Urbervilles, against Tess's wishes. Alec obviously makes Tess very uncomfortable, and I had a bad feeling about him from the moment he was first introduced. However, Tess starts to stand up for herself as Alec pushes her limits on the way to Trantridge. More and more unfortunate coincidences start to occur until the very end of Phase the First when Alec takes advantage of Tess.
ReplyDeleteI finished the novel about a week ago now, and I have a few different thoughts on it. To start, I will say that it was incredibly masterfully written. Hardy's use of the English language left me feeling, at times, like I was reading a poem rather than a novel, and I believe that it is not a bad approach to attack the piece with this in mind. His imagery is among the best I've ever read, and he manages to tie the world of the visible with the world of emotion so incredibly well; the latter of which is typically incapable of being put onto paper, unless attempted by only the best of writers. My favorite example of this comes on page 378 of my copy, "The drops of logic Tess had let fall into the sea of this enthusiasm served to chill its effervescence to stagnation. He said to himself, as he pondered again and again over the crystallized phrases that she had handed on to him, 'That clever fellow little thought that, by telling her those things, he might be paving my way back to her!'". Hardy took a simple idea, and turned it into something that was not only beautifully written, but also conveyed the point more efficiently than most people could manage to do.
ReplyDeleteWith all the praise I give to Hardy on that front, though, there were aspects of the novel that I did not find appealing. The coincidence driven story never left me anxious to see what tragic event was to befall Tess next. Rather, the reader knows that something horrible is likely to follow, and therefore may lose a piece of the empathetic connection towards Tess that was so clearly desired by Hardy. If some good were to occasionally come to Tess, I feel that it would be easier to relate to her, thereby making it possible to empathize with her. It's understandable that Hardy was trying to play the devil's advocate and display the cruel, iron fists of fate, but he did seem to go a little overboard at times.
I enjoyed Hardy's style, but the lack of a riveting story and a sense of distance from the characters hindered me from believing it was a great novel.
I absolutely agree with you on all aspects of this post, especially about the constant expectation of tragedy. I personally had a depressed attitude towards the book, thinking "Whats the point of continuing the book if I know its all going to end horribly?" Every time I picked up the book I knew there was no hope and it could only get worse from where I last put it down. There should be a disclaimer on the book. Something to the effect of "WARNING: This novel may turn you into a pessimist".
DeleteI enjoyed the foreshadowing that Hardy employed early in the novel and the method which he used to tie it back to the story later on. When Angel was first introduced it was said that he looked back on the scene he had just left where the girls were dancing and he saw a lone figure looking out at him and could almost feel the disappointment from the one pretty girl he did not get around to dancing with. Hardy later brings Tess and Angel back together and they end up falling in love for one another. By inserting this little seemingly unimportant passage, Hardy paves the way for the rest of the story to unfold. I did not notice the importance of that scene until Tess and Angel met up again at the Crick's farm and fell for each other leading toward the conclusion and the final tragedy to befall Tess. Also, when Tess gets sent off to live with her cousin Alec and she is forced to endure horrible treatment from him it sets the stage for him to reenter her life and once again treat her horribly until she finally takes drastic measures to escape his taunting and cruelty. I truly appreciated Hardy's foreshadowing overall, though I must point out it did make the story line somewhat redundant when I reflect on the story.
ReplyDeleteMy major complaint with this novel was the heavy focus on inputting loads of description which ended up taking away from my enjoyment of the book because I often found myself struggling to follow Hardy. However, I did enjoy the way Hardy played out the trying and disastrous life of Tess, it helped me to keep my head in the book and continue reading long passages at a time. Perhaps I do not yet possess the patience required to fully appreciate this novel or whether I'm correct in my thinking that the excessive use of description only served to bog down the true story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Josh, I had some trouble getting to like this story especially in the very beginning when I wasn't sure what was going on. I thought the excessive use of description was distracting and at times I would find myself zoning out during these long descriptive paragraphs and come to end of a page forgetting what I just read. For me Hardys very descriptive style was lost on me and that combined with a slow start doesn't have me too connected to the book. However, I am only at the beginning and hopefully the plot will thicken a bit so I can become more involved with the book. I look forward to how Tess reacts to Alec, my first impression of him is not very good.
DeleteI couldn't agree more. Although the description added quite a bit of background and gave a more complete picture, at some points it really took away from the plot and the progression. I understand Hardy's focus on drawing out Tess's horrible situation, which added an emphasis on it, but progression was halted so many times for description, and that lost me at many points.
DeleteI couldn't agree more. Although the description added quite a bit of background and gave a more complete picture, at some points it really took away from the plot and the progression. I understand Hardy's focus on drawing out Tess's horrible situation, which added an emphasis on it, but progression was halted so many times for description, and that lost me at many points.
DeleteI finished Tess yesterday, and that gave me some time to think about the story while while coming up with a response to it. What I found interesting is how much Tess is like her father. They both cling desperately to titles that didn't work out for them. John Durbeyfield clings to his title as one of the ancestors of the D'Urbervilles, despite it being almost worthless and he is mentioned several times throughout the book as Sir John because of his need to cling to this grand title. Much like her father, Tess is also holding on to her marriage as desperately as John is holding onto the D'Urbervilles. After she marries Angel and he finds out what she did and leaves for most of the book, she still try's to hold onto the marriage as if its the only thing she has left in the world. Even though it gives her nothing, like how the D'Urbervilles name gives john nothing, she still try's to hold onto the idea of being happily married and that her husband is just away for awhile. This similarity between the two interested me greatly after reading Tess and even though the story was a bit slow-paced it still managed to interest me until the very last page.
ReplyDeleteWhen at first analyzing Alec's character, I questioned as to whether or not he was a better man than Angel, for Angel left Tess and rejected her when she opened up herself to him and told him of the terrible incident with Alec. Then, I considered their treatment to Tess and I knew for sure that Angel was the better man, if not by much. Alec never truly respected the type of woman she was and took advantage of her. Even when he reentered Tess's life and promised he was a changed man and was intent on ridding himself of the sin he brought upon himself, he still tormented her every step and taunted her where it hurt her the most by saying that Angel would never come back to her and that he didn't love her. He wore away at her faith and strength until she could bear it no more and broke down and married him. Angel at least moved away from Tess when he heard of her bad past to prevent him from harming her emotionally or mentally, even though that did come to bring all sorts of mental anguish to Tess, he could not have predicted that in his confused state. Alec was a horrible tormentor to Tess but Angel was loving and accepting although it took him awhile to remember that he was.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't it also be said that Angel was a horrible tormentor to Tess as well? He left her and no matter how much she wrote to him, he would never write back. Tess still deeply loved him, and the emotionally scarring that Angel caused to Tess by not writing back was huge in her choice to rejoin Alec. Tess would do what she had to do to survive, and it was made clear to her that Angel would not be there fro her. Her best option for survival was to be with Alec.
DeleteAs I read phase the first, there were many statements and passages that caught my attention. One in particular was after Prince died. At the end of chapter 4, during the funeral for the horse, Hardy chose to use the words “The bread-winner had been taken away from them; what would they do” (Hardy 44). Using the phrase ‘bread-winner’ to describe a horse really stood out to me and showed me the poor situation the family is in. With John Durbeyfield often getting drunk and his wife spending all her time doing tasks around the house, we realize that the author was right to use this term to describe Prince. The statement “Mrs. d’Uberville’s handwriting seemed rather masculine” (Hardy 59), clued readers in to the fact that it was likely Alec who wrote the letter to get Tess to come and assist at their house. This makes me think that Alec is among the same mindset of Tess’s mother – that his inviting Tess to their house will lead to a relationship between the Tess and Alec. Another statement that stood out was when time Alec tried to kiss Tess and Hardy described it as a “kiss of mastery” (Hardy 69). This statement made me think that this relationship, if you can call it that, was doomed from the very start. Tess has proved to be quite the independent girl and because of that, I don’t see her ending up in a relationship where she feels controlled.
ReplyDeleteHannah Kirk says:
ReplyDeleteIn phase the first, I found the beginning to be very intriguing with a big hook that fascinated me into wanting to read more. The author’s poetic style kept me in tuned to what was going on, preventing me from blankly reading the words. The language of the book, and the word choice, gives the events a peaceful note. I also liked the author’s use of symbols with colors. For example, when Tess is at Mayday, she and fellow females of her age, are dressed in all white and surrounded by white things, to represent the purity and their virginity. It was at this festival, that Tess first meets Angel Clare, but he decides to dance with another young lady, which he will later come to regret. The novel begins with describing a large and rich landscape, providing a setting to the novel that will use symbolism throughout the rest of the story. In addition, Tess dreams of finding a noble man to take her away, however, she physically and literally accidently kills her horse, named Prince. I noticed that Hardy uses many techniques to generate much suspense and to give subtle hints of foreshadowing. The phase concludes with Alec driving recklessly with Tess, and him getting angry with her when she refuses his advances. They then get lost in the woods, where Alec rapes her. Hardy also shows many coincidences throughout the first phase of situations that has not defined reasoning for. Tess tends to blame many of the bad things that happen in her life on herself, and therefore feels an overwhelming about of guilt.
In Phase the Second, Tess leaves working at the mansion, and she refuses to be Alec’s wife or lover. She falls into a deep depression, and does not leave her house during the daytime, because people whisper about her. She delivers her baby, conceived with Alec, but soon the baby falls ill and Tess is worried that the baby will die without a proper christening. So, she christens her baby, named Sorrow, herself and later buries him in the corner of the churchyard with a small cross. She then decides to leave town, and takes a job as a milkmaid. It seems that this phase was used primarily as a transitioning phase from Tess being a disgrace to her starting a new life, where nobody known about her past. She also seems to be in self-conflict regarding her battling her guilt with her family, her disappointment that she feels in herself, and the shame that society has put on her, although what happened was not her fault. However, Tess is very selfless and she does everything often in her power to try to recover from her awful actions and to move on with her life, trying to pay her family back for all the wrong she did by them.
And also:
ReplyDeleteIn Phase the Third, Tess begins her work immediately at the dairy. However, one day she notices a man, son of a clergyman, by the name of Angel Care. He seems familiar to her, but she cannot pin where she knows him. Many of the girls at the dairy seem to have a crush on him, but he has his eye set on Tess, although she stays away, shamed of her secret. Hardy now uses the landscape to symbolize that this is a happy point in Tess’s life. Everything seems lighter and happier, she is finally getting control over her emotions and her romance is growing with Angel. Her life seems to be finally returning back to normal. She makes it noted that she rather not learn from books, but from real life experiences, and I think that very noble of Tess, she is very set on finding her own independence after going through such a hard time. I this phase Angel is really introduced and some of his background is talked about, as we realizer that he and Tess have similar qualities and goals, such as they both seek independence form their families. Angel, as his name makes it very easy to figure out, represents the good in life and everything that Tess needs in her life and in a romantic partner, and someone to save her from her past and Alec.
In Phase the Fourth, Angel goes to visit his family, of whom he grew away from, as he did not want to go to college, and found it more important and better to become a farmer. He learns that his father saved the money that was suppose to go to sending Angel to college, and he gives it to his son allowing him to buy land. Angel also purposes to Tess, but she denies because she does not feel worthy of him and she is cautious of the difference in social status. His family, additionally, does not see Tess as being a suitable wife for Angel, and believes that it is more important to marry because of social status, rather than love. However, Angel ignores the views of his family, and they get married on Christmas. But it was not until after marriage that Tess tells Angel about her past with Alec. I find that Tess without a doubt has confidence issues, with her not thinking that she is good enough for Angel, and she feels that what happened in her past would forever haunt her and everything she does.
And furthermore she says:
ReplyDeleteIn Phase the Fifth, we see the aftermath of Tess telling Angel about her past with Alec. Angel is completely distraught but her confession. One night, in his sleep, he puts Tess in a coffin, an action that he will not remember in the morning. I think this is another example of symbolism that Hardy uses. I think that by having Angel put Tess in the coffin, he is showing that Tess is dead to Angel, and because it was done in his sleep that is meant to show is subconscious. Tess offers to drown herself for her actions, but Angel simply tells her to leave, and she does. In this phase, Tess also shows another example of putting other’s needs before her own because though she was in dire need of money, she gave everything she had to her family when they reached out to her and asked for money to fix their cottage. Tess also thinks of herself unworthy of Angel’s help so she does not dip into the money that he left for her, rather she lived in poverty. I think Hardy uses symbolism once again, because Tess started to dress poorly in order to keep men away, but I believe that is also used to symbolize that her emotional state and life is decreasing. Lastly, in this phase, Alec makes the transition from being a sexual predator to a preacher, which is a turn in events that I could not even fathom before reading it.
In Phase the Sixth, Alec claims that he has to save Tess’s soul, so he takes her to a statue that she later learns is an object of ill omen. But, Tess does not believe in Alec’s intentions, for she only believes he converted to save his chances into getting into heaven after all that he had done to her. This proves to be correct, as Alec continues on and asks to marry her, of which she has to deny due to her loyalty to Angel though he is in away. In this phase, I believe that situation with Alec was used to heighten the drama and build the suspense as to what could happen in the future and do some foreshadowing. All Alec does is tempt Tess and test her ability to resist evil. He makes her doubt herself, which she already did very frequently. I think that Tess and Alec are similar in the sense that they both have fallen in some light and they are looking for forgiveness. Later in the phase, I think Tess fights an internal conflict between keeping her integrity and staying loyal to Angel, and the longer she is away from Angel the closer she is falling to Alec.
And finally wraps it up with:
ReplyDeleteIn Phase the Seventh, Angel begins to feel guilty for the way he had treated Tess, and seeing how she lived in poverty. So, he sets out to find her. However, when he does, he see that she is dressed in nice clothing, another example of symbolism, opposite of being dressed in poor clothing. Thinking he was never going to return to her, she finally gave into Alec’s wishes. However, the suspense built and we find out that Alec was murdered, stabbed to death. Initially I did not think that Tess would be capable of such an action, therefore I thought that Angel had did it out of a fit of anger towards him taking his wife, and I was shocked when I realized it was Tess, and that moment on, it was easy to see that the only possible ending for this novel would be with Tess’s death. I think that with the murder of Alec, it can symbolize the conclusion of all Tess’s pain, seeming that he was the main root of it all, and it was the end of the evil in her life. Tess was even realized when she was caught because it would mean that she was not going to be alive much longer. I think that throughout this entire novel, she was looking for a reason to die, whether that is because of having a baby out of wedlock, or because of Angel finding out, she was willing to die if it meant the right thing, and I do believe hat was because she believed that she was not worth living anymore. So she was happy and finally at ease that her life was about to come to an end. I think that Hardy’s narration choices in this phase was interesting to how the reader would perceive what happened, because much of Tess’s struggle was though Angel’s perspective so he did not have all the information as to what was happening, and even he doubted that it was Tess who murdered Alec. Tess was so overwhelmed with guilt and shame that death was the only solution to her finally being at rest.
When I was beginning to read Tess, I found that I really got into the book quite quickly. Tess was independent and she had a fire about her that I really enjoyed. I find that I enjoy books more when I can relate to them on a personal level and I see similarities between Tess and myself. That being said, it makes me all the more emotionally attached to her and when you realize that her story is just one tragedy after another, you get nervous for what will go wrong next. You want so desperately for her to be happy, but you realize that it is something that she will never really have. When Alec stole from her the one thing that she would never be able to get back, I was stunned. He stole her innocence and he stole from her ever being able to not feel dirty or wrong. The thing that hit me the most is that her mother knew that this would happen or had a very strong idea and she never warned Tess. Joan saw how much Alec wanted her daughter, and all she cared about was that her daughter could be marrying onto money and power. She didn't think to warn Tess what this man could do to her that would scar her forever.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Cali, I was shocked to read when Tess had her whole life changed because Alec took advantage of her, in fact I reread it to make sure I read it correctly. She will never be the same after this. I also was amazed to read that her mother had predicted this happening. To think a women would be okay allowing, in fact encouraging, her daughter to go with a man who she thought would take advantage of her is astonishing. As Tess says later on in the book, she was just a kid when this happened, she didn't know what to expect when she went to the d'Ubervilles and therefore her mother should have given some warning.
DeleteAs time went on with the book, it got harder and harder for me to read it. Once the incident with Alec happened, I knew that this would never turn into anything positive. I mean the book is written to be a tragedy. Hardy does a very good job creating Tess’s character, and I comment him for that. At the dairy I was happy for Tess. She finally felt some sort of happiness, which was very rare for her. However, the courting dance that Tess and Angel go through goes on for just too long. It was a constant back and forth for about 25 pages of Tess just turning Angel down, only for her to finally say yes in the end. We know that from reading so far, things will eventually go wrong for Tess, and they definitely did. I couldn’t help myself but be absolutely furious with Angel. He had already had an affair with a woman that he didn’t really love and once he learns that Tess was raped, he can’t even look at the woman he loves when it wasn’t any of her own fault. Angel is worse that Alec in that way. Alec never stopped loving Tess, but Angel could turn his back and run away as soon as he was scared.
ReplyDeleteI also thought of an interesting parallel between the names of both Alec and Angel. Alec's full name is Alexander. Alexander the Great was a famous conqueror. Alec conquered and destroyed Tess. Angel is meant to be pure, and literally angelic. Angel was Tess's savior from her sadness from the loss of Sorrow. Angel didn't turn out to be a very good character, however in the end, he did try to save Tess again from the evil that she faced.
ReplyDeleteAs I read phases 2, 3 and 4 and the first chapter of the 5th phase of this novel, I found it veering from what I had originally thought after reading phase the first. I thought that after her experience with Alec would make her want to stay in the comfort of her own home. I realize that phase the first ended with a sentence saying Tess “stepped from her mother’s door to try her fortune at Trantridge poultry-farm” (Hardy 91). I thought that this would be for a very short period of time and then Tess would stay doing chores in the Durbeyfield’s home.
ReplyDeleteDuring these phases, it was clear that Tess was a changed woman. She says at least twice “I wish I had never been born” (Hardy 96, 229). This attitude is clearly a result of her being raped by Alec. You can also tell she feels as she doesn’t have value. This is why she doesn’t let Angel get close to her and refuses to marry him. Not only is she fearful because of the way her first relationship turned out, she also feels she is not worthy enough for Angel.
With the introduction of Angel in these phases, I wasn’t sure how to feel about him. When Hardy first described him, I found it interesting that he was so different from the rest of his family, he was the only one to have not gotten a degree and has chosen he wants to be a farmer. As time goes on, I began to like Angel as he did small actions to aid Tess such as make sure the cows she liked to milk went to her on a daily basis. The novel continues in this way, with Tess growing to like Angel more and more but she continues to feel like she isn’t good enough for him. It was during Angel’s brief return to his house that I started to think Angel wanted to marry Tess just to have a wife that he knew would be able to farm with him. This is when I began to dislike him. As phase the fourth comes to a close and the two exchange their secrets, Tess was willing to forgive Angel, but then we find out he does not do the same for Tess’s secret. She had said she wanted to tell Angel of Alec before they were officially married and Angel made no effort to reveal his secrets before. To me, this shows Angel as a hypocrite as Tess was willing to forgive so quickly, but he was not. I am interested to see if this relationship ends completely or continues in a different, more distant way than before.
After finishing phase the first, I feel so bad for Tess. The poor girl was forced out of her home by her mother to go essentially be married to some lost ancestor in hopes to become rich. She is a very shy girl it seems, and she is not very happy to be shipped off. Alec d'Urberville clearly loves her and I think that he genuinely cares about her. She is scared of him though, I think, and that prevents her from seeing him as he really is and how he really dies care about her. She just sees him as the man who showed up at get house wearing a diamond ring to tell her parents that he was willing to take her away. I think that how he rescued her from the brawl after the barn party was kind of him, because he went to look out for her, and he really wants to spend time getting to know her and he wants her to like him, but he doesn't want to force her or scare her. I'm also curious to see if the third brother from the dance at the beginning of the book comes back as he was enchanted by Tess.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading both Tess and Moon for the Misbegotten, I can say with confidence that I enjoyed the former much more. Regarding the novel as a whole, Hardy's story-building and character development are unrivaled in eloquence. Also, his ability to consider and balance the denotations and subtle connotations of language helps to incite incredibly detailed and vivid imagery in the reader's mind. And while I'm not usually the type of person to enjoy a plot predicated upon the trials and tribulations of love, I found myself turning the pages of this book without any encumbrance. My single complaint is with the somewhat predictable nature of the story. I was never really surprised by what terrible or unfortunate event/coincidence happened next in Tess's life. This predictability may have also stemmed from Hardy's possible overuse of foreshadowing. For example, when Tess and Angel were conversing about her previous relationship with Alec, Angel repeatedly mentions that if Alec were dead things might be different between them. When I read this I immediately considered the probable event of Alec's death. However, it didn't cross my mind that it might be the submissive and timid Tess that eventually ends his life. So while in retrospect the story does seem rather predictable, it doesn't diminish the quality of it to the point of cliche.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Mitch about the predictability of Tess. While I found Hardy's usage of foreshadowing to be masterful it took away slightly from the wonder of where he would take the story next. The reader always knows that even when things seem to be looking up for Tess like while at Talbothays Dairy there is just more tragedy around the corner. Maybe that's a matter of personal preference on my part but I thought the predictability of the story's upcoming tragedies made me much less invested in Tess as a character as I had very little hope for her.
DeleteAfter reading the first half of the book (phases 1,2,3 and 4) I have came to several realizations about the characters and the events that transpired. First of all I agree with Josh about Hardy's style of writing. Hardy does have an interesting way of writing and it's very unique, however some parts of the story need more clarification than others. I assumed the baby was Tess's but I wasn't sure until later on in the book. Alec was a very interesting character and I believe that he is a foil to Tess. Tess constantly is putting others needs before her own as demonstrated by going to Tantridge to help out her family even though she doesn't want to go. However, Alec is selfish and will put his needs before anyone else's. He raped Tess because that was what he wanted and gave no thought to how his actions would affect her life. Also, Tess is tentative and pure, she is not swept off her feet by Alec as most girls would be if they were in her situation. She had the option to marry a charming, wealthy man but realized that there was something mysterious and bad about him so she rejected him. In contrast, Alec is cocky and tainted. He believes that he can seduce any girl and make her fall in love with him, so he does't understand why Tess doesn't fall for him as so many others have. Alec shows how corrupt he is when he rapes Tess and then doesn't even appear to feel bad for what he did as shown by when he laughs as he apologized to Tess. Although Tess is a weak character, I believe she has strong character and moral values. I especially saw this when she worked so hard to give Sorrow a baptism and proper burial. I was frustrated with phase three and parts of phase four because they were so long, drawn out, and uneventful. My impression of Angel is good so far but all the bad omens such as the rooster's crow suggest that something bad will happen in the future and I do not see a happy ending for Angel or Tess.
ReplyDeleteI finished the book (phases 5,6,7) and was truly amazed by the amount of literary elements that Hardy used throughout the story. There was a lot of foreshadowing and symbolism such as the very beginning when Tess meets Angel at the women's club-walking and you sense that you will see Angel again. However, I think even with Hardy's great writing style this book was just ok because of the slow advancement of the plot and the lack of action throughout the story. If Hardy had been less wordy and gotten to the point faster, than the book would have been much easier to read and would be much more effective. One thing that shocked me was the fact that Angel left Tess when he found out that she had been raped. How could Angel leave her and put her in so much pain when he too admitted that he had a fling when he was younger and depressed. Tess is the one that had the right to be mad at Angel because Angel's act was by choice while what happened to Tess was done by force and against her will. I realized then that Angel might be sexist. Both he and Tess had a similarly bad experience but Angel believes what Tess did was worse. Also, now that he knows she is no longer a virgin he believes that she is a different person than when he met her. This is shown when he said, "I repeat the woman I have been loving is not you" and Tess replies "but who?" and to that Angel retorts, "Another woman in your shape." This is entirely untrue because Tess met Angel after she encountered Alec so she is the same person as when they fell in love. I was shocked by the ending, for Tess had been a weak character throughout the book and then suddenly in anger she became strong, and for the first time selfish, when she stabbed Alec. Alec finally paid for his wrongdoings at the ultimate price and it's a shame that Tess had to be hanged because she finally found happiness for the first time in a long time. The role of fate in this book is evident throughout and there are so many what if moments in the book. Tess was very unlucky and I feel that Murphy's law applies directly to her. As with Moon for the Misbegotten, this book had a very realistic ending and although I wish Tess hadn't been caught, I'm glad there wasn't a cliche ending like you find in many novels nowadays.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading many of the posts above about whether Alec or Angel loved Tess more I came to the conclusion that Angel loves Tess more. It simply came down to their actions, and what Alec did showed he didn't love Tess. Alec certainly lusted for Tess but he definitely didn't love her because if he did he never would have put Tess through so much pain by raping her. Alec was cruel and certainly didn't love nor respect Tess. Angel on the other hand truly did love Tess. I think that because of his upbringing around the church, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Tess wasn't pure like he had initially thought she was. I think his departure was done out of confusion and was a result of the beliefs that his family had instilled upon him. Angel almost decides to turn around and go back to Tess, but then decides against it and I think this shows he was startled and unsure how to proceed after learning about Tess's past. His action was cruel to Tess and maybe even more cruel than what Alec had done but Angel meant no harm for Tess and did not mean to put Tess through the pain that she had to endure after Angel leaves her. Angel comes back for Tess after he forgives her and wanted to live with Tess again and treat her well which is more than Alec can say. Alec just wanted Tess back so he could seduce her and this is demonstrated when Alec changes back into his old self from the Christian man that he had converted to.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Alec did not love Tess so much as he just coveted her for his own possession. His reasons for relentlessly pursuing her were entirely selfish. Hardy makes this painfully obvious by Tess's efforts to avoid his presence and her subsequent revulsion when he manages to trap her in conversation. Angel's love for Tess is only ever in question when he finds out she is not pure like he had thought. Like you said, AJ, I think this is at least forgivable due to his extremely conservative and religious upbringing. Even though he left her for a period of time, he provided her with ample resources in the interim and said to ask his parents if she were to ever need anything. Then when Angel does return, it's clear that he cares for her well-being and happiness -- something which Alec never did.
DeleteI have just finished the phase of the third and I find it funny how different Alec and Angel are. The two are complete opposites. Alec is little more than a commoner who is trying to act like he is high-class by changing his last name to D'Urberville. On the other hand Angel actually does come from a noble, high-class family but is actually pursuing a career into agriculture rather than following his family into the church. The two are also different in the way they treat Tess. Alec would desperately throw himself at Tess demanding she kiss him or else he would throw a fit. He displays no chauvinistic qualities and even takes advantage of Tess while she is asleep. Angel is a true gentlemen, more laid back in his approach. He would line up Tess's favorite cows for milking, which was actually against the rules . Also, when Tess and her friends made the trip to the church Angel offered to carry across all the girls. So far I like Angel, and Tess seems the happiest she has been with him. However, given Tess's tragic past I can't picture the two riding off into the sunset without some disaster striking.
ReplyDeleteEven though the book got harder to read as I went on, I can definitely say that I respect and admire Tess's strength to survive. She was a very selfless character. She took care of her family and her loved ones before herself. She gave the other dairymaids a chance to be with Angel, and it wasn't her fault that he only wanted her. She accepted that her husband left her, even though she was devastated, she kept going. She did hard work to live. She wouldn't accept money from Alec or the family of her husband. I think she felt like she had something to prove to the world. She believed that she sinned and she had to make up for it by living uncomfortably for the rest of her life. Rejoining Alec was a survival move. He had what she needed. She would have made herself love him if she needed to. However, her character had many flaws as well. I found her whining about her situation a lot. She pitied herself and her condition. I admire Hardy for making a main character that can make me simultaneously feel compassionate for her at one moment and then make me annoyed at her the next.
ReplyDeleteSo apparently my entire reply got deleted for no reason…. Let's try this again.
DeleteI'd like to comment on what you said about Tess accepting her fate and working through it. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. Obviously, both women had children born out of wedlock, but their similarities go beyond that. Both women were smothered in disdain from the people around them, but managed to keep their dignity and pride intact. They both understood that there was no point in giving up, and therefore kept their heads held high. Tess had to provide for her family at home, while Hester had to take care of her daughter. I think that acceptance played a large role in how they acted, otherwise they may have wallowed in the unfairness handed to them, and faded away without a story left to have been told.
I totally agree Andy.
DeleteI also feel that the ending was the only was that this story would be complete. You cannot have a tragic story without a sad ending . However, Tess died knowing that Angel really loved her and that he would take care of her sister and family. I almost didn't understand what was happening at the end but the black smoke signals an execution. I was at first outraged that someone who tragedy struck at every turn couldn't get her happy ending, but given her life, there was no other way for it to really end.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing the book I looked back at the actions of Angel and Alec and have come to the conclusion that I don't like either of them, and Alec nor Angel deserved Tess. Alec clearly never truly loved Tess and all of his actions seemed like a ruse to try to get Tess to fall in love with him. The way he switches so swiftly from a pious preacher back to the man he was indicates he's doing whatever he can to get Tess to marry him. At the end he even bribes her with his wealth. Angel was clearly a better man than Alec and may have even loved her at the end, but I still believe that he was undeserving of Tess. I didn't think it was fair that Angel was horrified of the fact that Tess was raped by Alec and blamed her for what happened. Upon learning of Tess' troubled past he looked at Tess as if she was dead to him. Ironically, Angel had romantic dealings in his past with an older woman. I don't think its right that Angel is holding Tess accountable for something that clearly wasn't her fault when he has had his own scandals in his past.
ReplyDeleteAs I've continued reading the book and completed Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4, I noticed how although Angel seems like a much nicer alternative to Alec, he seemed to deny Tess's true self. Tess continually seemed hesitant about marrying Alec, and was always asking him to give her more time. She also told him that she had "faults and blunders" to confess to him before they got married, but he insisted on waiting until after the wedding. The relationship between Angel and Tess, although better than the one between her and Alec, is still very unhealthy. Also, the fact that he could not accept her past while she accepted his past encounters with a woman in London seems very selfish.
ReplyDeleteNina I agree with your comment about Angel being judgmental of Tess. It seems like with Angel, Tess has to work on their relationship, whereas with Alec, he put in all the work, making it seem effortless to us. Angel really does demand something from Tess, and she is ever eager to oblige.
DeleteDespite what many people have said regarding the ending of Tess, I feel as though it was actually one of the least tragic parts of the novel (I know, that's not a very hard claim to make with the overall depressing nature of this book). Even thought the novel closes with the death of Tess after she's caught by the authorities I didn't feel the ending was overly depressing. In a way it almost shined a new light on Tess's story and inspired new hope for things to come. Toward the end, Angel and Tess are truly happy together as Tess says that she feels as though they are the only two people in the world at Stonehenge. Even when Tess is taken away she is relieved as she feels could could not be worthy of Angel. As sad as this is to think about for the reader, Tess is content as she is put to death and plans are made for Angel to marry Liza-Lu. Though it is sad how things had to end for Tess, the scene of Angel and Liza-Lu joining hands gives new hope for Tess's family down the road.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Ever since Alec raped Tess, the story was very depressing. Tess was left helpless, with her life in shambles. Her death relieves her of the pain that she had to go through. Also, on the note of Angels marrying of Liza-Lu, this is more hopeful than if Tess had stayed with Angel. Tess's mental state was in such a horrible position since the end of phase 1, and understandably so, that the ending is no less sad than most of the story.
DeleteThe most important line of the whole novel in my opinion is "Nobody blamed Tess as she blamed herself" (24). Ironically, this line shows up before many of the major life-changing events in Tess's life occurred. It refers specifically to her failure to stay alert while delivering goods with Abraham on Prince, but this line continues to hold true throughout the remainder of the novel. Even for numerous events that clearly were not Tess's fault like her rape, Sorrow's death, Angel's departure, and so on she puts herself on the chopping block and lives in despair and remorse. Tess's excessive self-pity was an enormous theme and that quote from page 24 highlights it early on and continues to stay relevant.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Luke. Throughout the book Tess is always pitying herself for something that happened that she couldn't control. She never attempted to move on from these events, instead she blamed herself for all of them and never fully recovered.
DeleteI believe that yes Tess pitied her situation for the entirety of the book, but she also had the strength to keep moving. she accepted the blame that no one wanted to take upon themselves. She survived no matter what happened to her. Even in death her memory and love would live on with Angel and her younger sister.
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ReplyDeleteEmily Kravies says:
ReplyDelete1. I thought that the ending of the book was extremely fitting for how the story went along, and I think any other ending would have been almost inappropriate. All throughout the story (after being raped by Alec) she talks as though she does not deserve to be alive, much less anyone's wife. She says many times how things would be easier for her and others if she no longer existed, and after Angel left her, that only amplified. Although Angel did return and he came back out of forgiveness and ready to love her again, I don't think Tess forgave herself enough to allow Angel to continue to love her. I think when she killed Alec it was because she knew that she would be correctly punished for the murder. When they stop in the woods and the council comes to take her, she is ready and cooperative, feeling that this is exactly what is supposed to happen almost. I think that if Tess had survived in the end it would have been alluding to Tess's unhappiness, rather than her wish to be dead throughout the whole story finally coming true.
2. I agree with Chris, and I do not believe that Angel or Alec loved Tess. I think they were fascinated by her beauty and innocence and both of them wanted to be the one to "own" her, but that is, in my opinion, not true love. Alec ruined everything for Tess, and if he had not, in the beginning raped her, many of Tess's problems throughout the story would cease to exist. Also, when Angel leaves Tess, Alec makes his way back to Tess and gives her no choice but to go back to him, as he offers to support her whole family if she agrees to stay with him. Someone who really cared for another would see that their family was in need of help and offer, on grounds of being a good person, not to gain anything from it. Alec is not that type of person. There isn't much to say for Angel either, because although he claims to love her more than anyone or anything else, he treats her as if her rape was worse than his confession, which was him also being un pure. Although this book is very sexist on its views of the difference in the treatment of men and women, I believe that Angel's confession was worse and should have allowed him more of the blame. Angel leaving for over a year also makes it hard to believe that he really could love her because how could you stay away from someone you love for so long?
3. I think this was a tragic story with a happy ending. The whole story is tragic for Tess seeing as event after event seems to happen to her to make her life go more downhill. All starting with her accidental killing of Prince, her falling asleep at that point in time had such an impact on her family and her life that looking back on it from the end of the story, it's sad to think about. After that she is forced to go make money elsewhere as she has killed her family horse and this is where she is introduced to Alec, whom from the start I knew would be an undesirable character, because even though he is described as attractive and charming, Tess has a natural dislike towards him, usually for a particular reason. After he rapes her and she knows that she is no longer pure, she realizes that she is pregnant and then ends up losing said child. It seems that when Tess goes to the dairy farm something good is about to happen by the way they describe the place, and when Angel is introduced I knew he would be a big part. If Tess hadn't told him of her secret, it's hard to say whether the guilt of hiding it all would kill her anyway, but either way, she ends up dying, and it seems that that's all she's wanted the whole time.
Matt Vatteroni says:
ReplyDeleteThroughout the semester in Honors English with Mrs. Morrison she would constantly tell us "Life sucks and then you die" in response to American literature being dreary and depressing at times. That line is a perfect fit for this British novel. As with the play, I questioned Angel's love for Tess, but I never questioned Tess and her love for Angel. She was willing to forgive him for the affair he once had, but it took him years to forgive her for being taken advantage of. I understand that the times and customs were different, but while Tess blames everything on herself, he didn't have to put all blame on her as well. The end of the novel was the most and least depressing part. On one hand Tess is finally free from all the terrible things that happen to her but on the other hand it could have easily been avoided if Angel had never run off to Brazil. That blame should be put on him.
Monica Dave says:
ReplyDeletePhase the First
The first scene in the book that captured my attention was at the May Day festival with the three brothers. Tess seemed to take a liking to the third brother, and I believe that the eye contact they held upon his leaving was foreshadowing something in the future. I sincerely hope that Tess and him will meet again, although it is a sort of hopeless romantic wish. I hoped this would happen even more after I found out that Tess was going to be set up with a “gentleman.” I am pleasantly surprised by the guilt Tess feels over the death of Prince. The whole situation made me like Tess’s character more, and even sympathize for her. Upon meeting Alec’s character for the first time, I was uneasy. This was due to the fact that he claimed his mother was ill and he also said some unkind words after Tess left. I was left believing something was up his sleeve, which proved to be right as her ride to Tantridge was unpleasant. I admired Tess’s stubborn choice to walk on foot. It was upsetting to find out the nature of Mrs. d’Urberville and Tess’s job. Mrs. d’Urberville seemed harsh and ungrateful as she commanded Tess. With the task of whistling, I felt better about Alec as a person, even though Tess still had her doubts. Alec did save Tess from the drunk people at the fair, so I believed he had good intentions. That unfortunately didn’t last long, though, and Tess’s misgivings were completely just. I cannot help but hate Alec after what he did.
Post #2
Phase the Second
I have begun to notice a lot of foreshadowing. I want to note a specific occurrence in chapter twelve. “…her eyes flashing as the latent spirit (of which he was to see more some day) awoke in her.” This serves its purpose in placing questions in my head. I want to know why Alec will see her spirit awakening again, and I wonder when it’ll be. There are many other instances of foreshadowing that keep me on my toes. As for the story, I found Tess’s mother to be greedy and taking advantage of Tess. I’m sure that if she told Tess her thoughts on Alec, Tess wouldn’t have wanted to go in the first place. It’s upsetting to know how affected Tess is by what Alec did to her, but she has to face it alone. I don’t blame her for slipping into depression, especially because she had to carry a child. The grief is never ending as her child, who makes her a bit happier and gives her purpose, dies. I could feel her sadness and urgency when she was baptizing the baby desperately. From here, I want things to get better for Tess. She has lost faith in herself, and I wonder if possibly things will get better at the new milkmaid job? I really hope so.
Alex Boyer says:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Tess of the d’Ubervilles, I was left questioning why Tess, after lamenting the loss of Angel for years, would turn him away and retreat into the arms of the person she hates the most, Alec. When Angel returns from Brazil and seeks out Tess, she tells him to go away, that she has moved on and it is too late for him. Why didn’t she go away with Angel, where she might have found happiness; and instead stays (albeit briefly) with Alec? However, she almost immediately regrets her decision, leading her to kill Alec, and ultimately leading to her death. My only thought it that she knew that she and her family would be materially taken care of and provisioned as necessary if she stayed with Alec, where her future was more uncertain with Angel. Thoughts?
I found it interesting that Tess was not married off to Alec after it was found that he got her pregnant. In this time period and with parents like hers, to me it seems that they would have tried to marry the two. It would have helped Tess’s family, giving them money and other property, which the parents would have liked. Alec would have probably agreed to it, with his infatuation for her being satisfied. For her parents to respect the fact that she didn’t want anything to do with Alec I think is an unusual call for the time.
Michaela Davies says:
ReplyDelete1. In Tess there were ample amounts scenery description and at times it seemed unnecessary. However, after several phases I noticed a pattern. When something good was about to happen to Tess, Hardy generally described the scene with positive adjectives and when something bad was going to happen he would describe the scene with negative. This was sometimes a method of foreshadowing which I found to be unique to Hardy’s writing. “The evening sun was now ugly to her like a great inflamed wound in the sky. Only a solitary cracked voice of a reed sparrow greeted her from the bushes by the river in a sad machine made tone resembling that of a past friend whose friendship she had outworn” (Hardy 165). In Chapter 21 Hardy uses this method, although not to foreshadow anything, just to set the mood of Tess’s anguish. Tess left the dairy farm briefly because she was upset by a story the dairyman was telling the girls. He told them of a girl who split up her marriage because of a secret she kept. At this time Tess feared this would happen to her and Angel. “The aged and lichened brick gables breathed forth ‘stay!’ The windows smiled, the door coaxed and beckoned, the creeper blushes confederacy. A personality within it was so far-reaching in her influence as to spread into and make the bricks, mortar, and whole overhanging sky throb with a burning sensibility” (Hardy 190). This paragraph, in chapter 25, describes the dairy farm as such an optimistic place in Angles eyes. Just by the description of the surrounding nature of the dairy farm, the reader can gather it being a serene place of a refuge in a world of cruelty for Angel Clare and others alike.
2. While reading Tess, it was easy to skim past some sections where Hardy was describing scenery or some of the milking scenes, however there was something in particular that I noticed about Tess. She seemed to have a way with the cows and could milk them better than the others. Her relationship with the cows and how some reacted to her touch versus others was interesting. Now a days milking cows is done by machines and advanced technology, therefore we don’t seem to have an appreciation for certain people’s specific talent for this. “Tess, like her compeers, soon discovered which of the cows had a preference for her style of manipulation, and her fingers having become delicate from the long domiciliary imprisonments to which she had subjected herself at the intervals during the last two or three years, she would have been glad to meet the milchers’ views in this respect. Out of the whole ninety-five, there were eight in particular- Dumpling, Fancy Lofty, Mist, Old pretty, young Pretty, Tidy and Loud- who though the teats of one or two were as hard as carrots… ” (Hardy 135). I found these scenes so peaceful and to be such a reflection of the times. “It was Dairyman Crick’s rule to insist on breaking down these partialities and aversion by constant interchange, since otherwise, in the event of a milkman or maid going away from the dairy, he was laved in a difficulty. The milkman or maid going away from the dairy was placed in a difficulty” (Hardy 150). Mr. Crick seemed to have no appreciation for fondness of a cow to the certain touch of a hand.
Michaela continues:
Delete3. While reading Tess, one passage particularly stood out to me. In chapter 41 soon after Tess had told Angel of her past and was in the middle of her depression, Hardy described a scene where Tess found many pheasants dying lying about a grassy plain. Most of them were suffering but the “lucky ones”, as Tess describes them, were dead. “Under the trees several pheasants lay about, their rich plumage dabbled with blood; some were dead, some feebly twitching a wing, some starting up at the sky, some pulsating quickly, some contorted, some stretched out- all of them writhing in agony, except the fortunate ones whose tortures had ended during the night by the inability of nature to bear more” (Hardy 326). Tess later concludes that they had been killed for a shooting party. The suffering of these birds clearly pained her heart. I feel that this whole section was a symbol of Tess’s suffering. She would rather be dead like some of those pheasants then suffer and writhe in agony with a broken heart. This was a very powerful and memorable passage for me.
Ahmelia Clark has this to say:
ReplyDeleteI know my entry may be better off unsaid but I hated this book, and I know many people said they loved it towards the end but I couldn't even make it there without jumping around. I'm aware I should not be admitting this but I could not and did not read the book fully through. I jumped around and skimmed and scammed through the book because no matter how hard I tried I could not push myself to read the entire book. Tess is a very whinny character and after Alec raped her she only got worse which is understandable but I felt as though she should've almost regained strength and stood up for herself after that. Both Alec and Angel were using Tess selfishly and Tess allowed them too in a way. I could not relate to any charterers in this book which is why I think it was so hard for me to be intuned in the reading. As I skipped and jumped around in this book I read some very interesting parts, I will say that, the little bit of love Angel had felt for Tess was something I admired before he found out she wasn't as innocent as he thought. Tess was weak but still I respect how she fought to live even though she constantly talked about dying. That is why the ending was something I feel needed to happen, Tess went through so much throughout this book it was almost like Thomas Hardy gave Tess the happy ending she wanted all along.
I must say that when I first started reading this book I found it very hard to become engaged in the story because of the extensive amount of description used to set the scenes. I know that many people had talked bout this before but I felt the need to bring it up yet again because for me it was one of the main reasons why I did not enjoy this novel. As I am writing this I am noticing that Ahmelia also said that she disliked the novel, and I think it must only be the two of us who feel that way. Although Hardy's writing style is very admirable for it's poetic qualities, it was not something that I felt was enjoyable to read. I had a hard time getting through this book because I felt that it dragged on and on about small details when it could have easily have just jumped to the point. I noticed this throughout almost all of the phases and for this reason I will say that I enjoyed A Moon for the Misbegotten much more.
ReplyDeleteWhile looking at the effect fate can have on a book, this can be a very good example. Tess meets these two men, one by chance and the other by a means of misfortune, that being she feels horrible at having "killed" their means of livelihood and wished to make reparations. she then goes to the D'Urbervilles house in order to see if she can get work, in which she meets Alex. From then on, fate seemed to hate her, for every decison she seems to make sinks her deeper into the rabbit hole, from her meeting Angel and falling in love to this eventually falling apart, it seems that fate would have it out for this poor girl. After I finished reading this book, I compared Tess's ride with fate to be akin to a whirlpool in which everything Tess did to try to get out of it only drew her closer to the middle and then evenually drowned.
ReplyDeleteThis post is in addition to what I said above this (because I can never seem to gather all my thoughts at once).
ReplyDeleteI have always had a dislike for books where the main character struggles through life and blames their self for everything and then they just end up dying. I realize that Tess dying was meant to be since she was such a tragic character and it was foreshadowed by her will to die, however I still was unhappy that it ended the way it did. Throughout the whole novel I could never really relate to Tess (or any of the characters for that matter) however I still did feel bad for Tess because she had become so depressed after the situation with Alec and then having the baby but having to bury it soon after she attempts to christen it. I also realize that ideas were very different in the time period that this novel takes place, but you can't help but feel bad that she and everyone else blames her for Alec raping her, and for the fact that she has to hide this from Angel in fear of him hating her for it even though it wasn't her fault. It was also upsetting that she constantly felt unworthy of everything, including Angel's love.
With this being said, I still do feel that the book would not have been complete without the tragic ending, regardless of if I was a fan of it or not. I do not believe that you could have such a tragic character without a tragic downfall and death to end everything.
When I finished the book I wondered who the better man in this novel was, or if there was one to begin with. Both of the main male character love interests have both their ups and their downs. Alec, in the beginning, is a man from a wealthy family with absolutely no restraint on what he wants. Due to this nature of his, he leaves Tess with a child and she doesn't see him again. Tess not seeing Alec again is not entirely his fault, but his entitled nature pushed her away as to never want to see him again. Towards the end of the book we find that Alec has changed,and due to a trick of fate, he has changed because of the Lifestyle of Mr. Clare, which is the very lifestlye Angel wanted to get away from, now we see that Alec has been filled with regret over these years at what he did to Tess and wanting to make it right. So in the end, his character developed to be a more mature member of the clergy. Angel on the other hand, is introduced to us as the intellectual dairy apprentice. He wanted to learn more about the world and falls for Tess after many conversations with her. However, after they get married and Tess revealed that she has already had a child and begs for punishment, he leaves her to go to Africa and see the world. This leaves Tess trying to fend for herself. While Angel might've been in the right for a little while, he leaves her for far to long a time and considers not coming back. I don't think there was a character in this book that stood out to me as being particularly good or evil. I think that they were all uniquely human, making irrational decisions that seemed right for them and their honor which would not allow them to abandon the decision.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like this book at all. Tess went through as much torture as one could endure in a life time. Between working hard to keep her family surviving when the family doesn't care, to being raped by a horrible man, to bouncing from job to job trying to help herself and her family, there isn't much joy from her. And when it finally comes in the form of Angel, it ends quickly due to the series of misfortunes in her life. She then goes back to being upset. Then by the time her love comes back to her, her father has died, her family hates her and she married the same monster that raped her in the beginning of the book. When she kills Alec and runs away with Angel, she again only has a few minutes of bliss and happiness before it is cut short and Tess is executed. There is little to be happy about in this book. Tess herself is a very fragile person and from her point of view, everyone is out to get her and I mean everyone. The farm girls are competing with her for Angel; her parents are angry with her for not supporting them and when she needs help the most they call her the shame of their family and cut her off. Even a stranger from the town where she was raped haunts her throughout the book constantly reminding her of what happened to her and making her even more depressed. Tess reminded me of Sansa Stark from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and the TV show Game of Thrones. Both characters have had a lot of misfortunes happen to them between shame, death and being forced into marriages that neither want. They both experience copious amounts of betrayal, grief and pain that no young girl should have to go through in their lives. It was a very depressing book and was one of my least favorite books that I have read in school.
ReplyDeleteI have reached the end of the second section of “Tess”, which seems like a good place to stop and reflect. Although at first I was less than excited to read this book since it’s a genre that I don’t typically read, I have grown to like it. I enjoy the colorful and almost poetic style in which it’s written. Passages like, “The atmosphere beneath is languorous, and is so tinged with azure that what the artists call the middle distance partakes also of that hue, while the horizon beyond is of the deepest ultramarine” (12) paint a vivid picture in your mind and make the frequent descriptions of scenery enjoyable rather than repetitive.
ReplyDeleteOne theme I’ve noticed in the story is that small, seemingly insignificant decisions or situations can snowball into bigger and bigger problems. Because Tess’s father got drunk on the night he was supposed to deliver the bees, Tess had to go instead. Because they waited so long to decide that Tess and her brother would go, it was dark and they were both tired. This led to the loss of the family horse, which made Tess feel guilty enough to claim kinship to the D’Urbervilles even though she felt uncomfortable doing so. It reminded me of a quote by Benjamin Franklin: “For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, for the want of a shoe the horse was lost, for the want of a horse the rider was lost, for the want of a rider the battle was lost, for the want of a battle the kingdom was lost, and all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.” This illustrates how a small inconvenience, like being too drunk to drive, or lacking a nail, can create a ripple effect with larger and more far-reaching consequences.
Now that I have finished reading the novel, I look at it as a decent story written with too much description. I am of the same opinion as other people's posts that I have read that Hardy used too many words to describe events, which made this book a tough one to get through. The story line itself was okay, but in my opinion there was too many coincidences that all had to happen for the story to be the way it was. Some of these 'right place at the right time' moments include Angel running into Izz, Angel's brother walking by Tess and her overhearing the conversation pertaining to her, Tess finding Marian in an unfamiliar town, and Alec d'Urberville saying he learned from Angel's father (just to name a few because there are so many). All of these instances had to happen to help the story unfold in the manner that it did, but to me there were a few too many of these, which resulted in a somewhat unrealistic story in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the ending of the story itself, I have mixed feelings about that as well. I did not believe that this story was going to have a 'happily ever after' ending, nor did it deserve it because of Angel leaving Tess. This being said, I thought that Hardy was cruel in having Tess kill Alec. I think a more suitable ending, though sad, would be to have Tess and Angel part ways for good and for Tess to continue the life she had been living (helping out at different farms).
I waited until the end of the book to post all of my reflections. The following is on the 1st and 2nd phases.
ReplyDelete1st phase:
From the beginning, there was an obvious difference between Tess and the rest of her family. Her parents, and even some siblings, seemed to be jaded by life, and always looking for a way to gain an advantage. Tess, on the other hand, is very emotionally driven and naive. This is an early sign that Tess will be taken advantage of. When Tess meets Alec for the first time, it is obvious that he really only wants to take advantage of her, and while she realizes this to an extent, she lacks the confidence to refuse to interact with him anymore. Now, almost forced by her mother to go back to the estate, Tess is set up for disaster, and it ensues when Alec rapes her.
Phase 2:
Alec has not only taken Tess's confidence and innocence, he has also ruined her life at home. Her family and everyone in her community seems to care more about the gossip that Tess's situation creates, rather than finding out how they can help her. Additionally, I think that the death of Tess's baby symbolizes the death that she feels inside since Alec raped her.
Phase 3:
ReplyDeleteUntil Angel comes along, all men in the story so far have mistreated Tess. The first being her father, who cares more about using her as a tool to make money and gain an advantage rather than her as a person. And the second is obviously Alec for the horrible things that he did to her. With the introduction of Angel, this pattern is broken. It looks like Angel will work to instill confidence in Tess, as he sees her as an image of purity and innocence. I did find the butter churning situation a little bit strange. While I understand the correlation between the difficulty of churning butter and someone on the farm being in love, I don't see how this could actually be a realistic occurrence. Regardless though, Tess seems to be frightened by her growing love for Angel due to her past.
Phase 4:
When it is mentioned that Angel's father was unable to convert Alec to faith, I saw a very vivid foreshadowing of conflict involving Alec. Additionally, I was surprised that Tess's reluctance to marry Angel was turned around only when she told him of her lineage, not her past. This didn't seem substantial enough for her to overcome her inhibitions about marriage without sharing her past, which was the major barrier.
Phase 5: Angel is a hypocrite. He forgets his past, which was his conscious choice to partake in, to disown Tess over something that she had no control over. It is ridiculous that he can't accept Tess for who she is, especially considering that this aspect of her past was such a horrible thing that she obviously didn't want to bring upon herself. Tess's parents are also very selfish in ridiculing her for sharing her past, when they can't even grasp the magnitude of living with what Tess has to live with. Twice now, men have done horrible things to Tess.
ReplyDeletePhase 6:
I think that Tess is too loyal to Angel considering that he left her, but she is absolutely right to stay as far away from Alec as possible. It doesn't appear that Alec has really changed either, rather it seems like he just wants to be perceived differently, especially by Tess. When Angel finally regrets what he did to Tess though, he seems much more genuine than Alec is in his schemes to lure Tess back. Overall, it is still surprising how loyal Tess is to Angel, but that she wants to forget him at the same time.
Phase 7:
I am surprised that Joan gave Angel Tess's location when she knew that Tess was with Alec who would make her and the family much richer. Joan changes a little bit in this interaction and cares about Tess as a person, whereas earlier in the story she really only cared about what Tess could do for her. That being said, I am shocked that Tess went back to Alec after what he did to her, no matter the monetary benefit for her and her family. Regardless, things got shocking when Tess killed Alec. I did not see this coming out of her at all, as she really showed no capacity for violence. I think she finally, and understandably, snapped. Things end in a depressing mess, quite similarly to Tess's life since the end of Phase 1.
Overall, it was a shock to go from reading A Moon for the Misbegotten to reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Where A Moon for the Misbegotten is entirely dialogue driven, and lacks quite a bit of description due to the fact that it is a play, the story line is given to the reader is a much more black and white way. The spoken word fills everything in. As for Tess, getting into it after reading A Moon for the Misbegotten was very difficult, as so much of the story is built through description, not dialogue. This is a much more drawn out process, and can lose effectiveness for me at times. Overall, I prefer a straightforward, dialogue driven novel, over one that develops and progresses slowly by the use of description, like Tess.
ReplyDeleteOne of the more disturbing and highly discussed moments of Tess was when Alec raped Tess in Chapter 11. I wanted to point it out for a couple of reasons. One has to do with foreshadowing, and one is about it being a turning point. As for foreshadowing, I noticed aspects of Alec's character, especially in chapters 7 and 8, that may have been shown to foreshadow the rape. In chapter 7, I did not hesitate to take a mental note of Mrs. Durbeyfield's concern for Tess's well-being with Alec. Maternal instinct and intuition is very strong, and she worried that Alec might exploit Tess. In chapter 8, Alec drives at a fast pace, and forces Tess to hold on to him, even though she would have preferred that he slow down. He finally does slows down, but she is forced to kiss him. This too foreshadow's the rape. In addition when she wipes the kiss away, he is very angry that she won't embrace his attempts at a relationship, further foreshadowing his evil personality coming out later on. I also want to mention the rape as a turning point for Tess. As with many rape victims, Tess becomes depressed for some time and pities herself. This is significant because it changes the course of her actions, and this keeps the plot on track. Thomas Hardy wrote this book very well, and it had a very logical progression that was manageable to follow.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing Tess, I tried to think of any examples of symbolism. I was able to think back to Tess's time with Angel at Talbothay's dairy. I took into consideration her occupation and her relationship with Angel and was able to connect the two by way of the butter of the dairy. From the time she arrives at the dairy through chapter 20, the butter that is being produced is good quality and not much goes wrong. After that, however, there are problems with churning the butter, and there are even complaints from customers. I thought this was reflective of Tess's relationship with Angel because they grow in love and are at their happiest in chapter 20, but they begin to stumble a bit, and Tess doubts her worthiness of Angel. I'm not sure if Hardy intended this symbolism, but if he did, that was very clever and a useful tool.
ReplyDeleteAs with any story, I like to reflect on the ending. Karma caught up with Alec, and Tess stabbed him. I was surprised she had that in her. I was more surprised that Tess ended up dying as well, though. Having read A Moon for the Misbegotten prior to Tess, I had a love story mindset. I thought Angel and Tess might have found a way to escape the search party and "live happily ever after", but this was not the case. I thought it was interesting that Tess felt relieved to be caught. Most people would be distressed, but I suppose she was glad that all the madness in her life would be put to death with her. Some final thoughts I had pertained to Angel. I wonder how he proceeded in life in the long run now that Tess was gone. In any event, Tess was a well written story, and I enjoyed it for the most part.
ReplyDeleteDelaney Cronin says:
ReplyDeleteI found this novel to be very long and in depth. Hardy was very thorough in the development of many of the main characters in this storyline. There were many instances in which the characters of both Angel and Alec conflicted with those of Tess’s. Tess’s family at the start of the novel discovered that their family was of noble lineage and although their family name held no value or property, this discovery gave their family a new idea that they were bound for great things to happen to them in the future. Tess’s mother found great importance in the idea of fate and how their family had a set future that would happen. Therefore, the constant theme throughout the novel was that Tess’s fate was both inevitable and unavoidable.
Like Angela stated on the blog, I believe that Alec’s love for Tess was truer and also more unconditional. I disagree though that Alec was a better man than Angel and this is why I think that Hardy chose for Tess to kill Alec at the end. It gave her a sense of relief and it was a message to the reader that he was more of a negative source in Tess’s life. He trapped her with him by pregnancy and rape and he also was these things were the main reasons for Angel’s leaving Tess. Angel despite not loving Tess as much, did not prove to be a worse person than Alec. He just didn’t love her as truly.
Coincidence played a huge part in this book and it almost always hurt Tess. From the very beginning, when Mr. Durbeyfield happens to bump into a parson who informs him that he is a descendant from the once famous and powerful d'Urbervilles, chance has a role in Tess's life. This discovery led Tess's mother to suggest she go to a family with the name of d'Urbervilles, who had recently taken up the name. Tess felt she had to go because she accidentally killed their horse, Prince. Chance continues to have a role when Alec d'Urberville is driving her home one night from a fair and they get lost. Alec then rapes her when she falls asleep. Another example comes when Tess happens to be seen by Alec years later, while he is preaching. This renews his interest in her and he continues to tempt her while Angel is still away.
ReplyDeleteThe constant part that coincidence played in the novel and how it continually worked against Tess made it hard for me to sympathize with her. I felt like something bad was always happening to her, and that there was no point in me rooting for her. I think if Thomas Hardy had at least allowed some good things to happen to Tess I would have found it easier to be on her side.
Right from the beginning I realized this was going to be a tough read. I consider myself a pretty good reader but after finishing this book I completely changed my opinion on myself. Although I was bored at times and never truly was able to get into this book, I do understand how it is a renowned book
ReplyDeleteHardy's masterful use of description began on the first page and never took a break. He painted a beautiful picture of the town and the people in it. His use of details, while tough to get through, really showed the thought he put into each and every setting and character. I was a little disappointed that the Alec taking advantage of her and the subsequent baby's death was mostly glossed over, as I found that to be one of the more compelling points of the story.
I was also a little annoyed by Angel's excursion. While I can understand him being upset, I think it was a little hypocritical of him to expect forgiveness from Tess but not return the favor. What he did was far worse than what Tess did, especially considering the fact that what happened to her was involuntary, while he intentionally had an affair with the older woman from London.
Overall I didn't hate the book, but its lack of action and overuse of detail did make it hard to enjoy at time. however, I respect Thomas Hardy and his writing style, especially the fact that he was willing to write such scandalous things at a time where bringing up affairs and having bastard children as a hush hush affair.
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ReplyDeleteI thought that the contrast between the two main male characters in the book, Alec and Angel, and how it played out was very interesting. Alec is the first of the two to be introduced and from the beginning I didn't really like him. He tried to seduce Tess and continued making her feel uncomfortable even though she was clearly not interested. My disdain for him continued growing because of his actions, including when he raped her. When Tess met Angel, the contrast between him and Alec was immediately clear. Angel was relatively quite and very polite. When it became clear that he had feelings for Tess he courted her respectfully. When she at first refused him, he persisted, but he never did anything to hurt her. I immediately liked Angel and was hoping that Tess would forget the past and marry him.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my view of Angel changed after his response to Tess telling him that she had been raped by Alec d'Urberville. Even though Angel had just admitted that he had had an affair, he became almost disgusted with her. He then was happy to part ways with her. He left her for an entire year. The more Tess struggled the more I disliked him. I didn't think it was fair of him to leave her alone like that just after they got married. Especially since he had committed the same offense as she and she had forgiven him.
When Alec came back into the picture, it first appeared as if he had changed, because he converted to Christianity. I wasn't totally convinced he had changed because he wasn't trustworthy, and I soon saw I was right when he threw away his beliefs and continued to pursue Tess. Although it was wrong for him to do this because she was already married, it was clear that he really cared for her, and wanted what was best for her. I began to respect him because he wanted to look after Tess and her family and he thought it was wrong of Angel to leave Tess.
In the end, even though Angel came back, I thought of it as too little, too late, because Tess had already gone back to Alec. At this point I didn't really like either Alec or Angel. I felt that they had both wronged Tess and had many faults.
One scene that particularly stood out to me was when Angel carried Tess in the middle of the night, while he was sleepwalking. It took place after Angel had stopped showing affection for Tess because of her confessing what had happened between her and Alec. He came into her room and picked her up and said, "My wife - dead, dead!" He even carried her to a coffin and placed her in it. I think that to him, the Tess that he thought he married was dead. Angel had an idealistic view of Tess as extremely pure, and when he found out that she wasn't, that image was shattered. I think this scene shows the extent to which Angel had this idealized view of Tess. In his sleep he acted as if she hadn't done anything wrong. It was simply that she had died because that is what it felt like to him. Because of this, he could still love her.
ReplyDeleteMy first note about this book came on page 3, with the line, "If an offense come out of the truth, better it is that the offense come than that truth be concealed." Looking back, this statement hold a lot of meaning for this book, given Tess's actions. This statement implies that had Tess told Angel about her past, he would have taken a different course of action with her. As the book progresses, we come to the section where Tess drifts off in the carriage and Prince dies. Abraham says, "'Tis because we be on a blighted star[world], and not a sound one, isn't it Tess?" (42). This quote is significant because it introduces the idea of fate, a theme seen frequently later in the novel. Tess accuses fate for her circumstances. In addition, this phase introduces the idea of omens, when Tess sees a thorn at the d'Urberville residence. This symbol is repeated at the dairy later on with the crows right before the wedding. For Tess, these omens symbolize destruction and misfortune. On the night that Tess was raped, the author writes, "Where was Tess's guardian angel?" (91). Again, this emphasizes the importance of religion, divine work, and superstition to Tess. Here, the author also foreshadows by hinting that Tess's personality will change dramatically from that of "her mother's maid" (91). The second phase, named Maiden No More, echos this. It tells us of Tess's change and the start of a new chapter of Tess's life. The author does not hold back when choosing an appropriate name for the child. Sorrow is probably full of just that, being a sickly, illegitimate child. "By experience, we find out a short way by a long wandering" (121). This quote stuck out to me because it describes Tess's journey through life and finding herself. She had to experience many horrible things before finding out (albeit too late) happiness. In this phase, Tess also spends some time contemplating the details of her death and funeral (122). I doubt she would have expected her life to end the way it did.
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