Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the main reason why Tess accepts the job tending fowls at the d'Urberville estate?
What is the main reason why Tess accepts the job tending fowls at the d'Urberville estate?
Why does Tess return home after working at the d'Urberville estate?
Why does Tess return home after working at the d'Urberville estate?
What is the name of the child that Tess gives birth to at her family home?
What is the name of the child that Tess gives birth to at her family home?
Where does Tess find a job as a milkmaid after leaving her family home?
Where does Tess find a job as a milkmaid after leaving her family home?
Signup and view all the answers
Who is Alec d'Urberville in relation to Mrs. d'Urberville?
Who is Alec d'Urberville in relation to Mrs. d'Urberville?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the initial reason for sending Tess to the d'Urberville mansion?
What is the initial reason for sending Tess to the d'Urberville mansion?
Signup and view all the answers
Who does Tess meet and fall in love with during her time at Talbothays?
Who does Tess meet and fall in love with during her time at Talbothays?
Signup and view all the answers
What does Angel confess to Tess after their wedding?
What does Angel confess to Tess after their wedding?
Signup and view all the answers
Why does Tess refuse Alec's offer of help when her family is evicted?
Why does Tess refuse Alec's offer of help when her family is evicted?
Signup and view all the answers
Where does Angel find Tess when he decides to forgive her?
Where does Angel find Tess when he decides to forgive her?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the outcome of Tess's encounter with Alec d’Urberville after he has turned religious?
What is the outcome of Tess's encounter with Alec d’Urberville after he has turned religious?
Signup and view all the answers
Where do Tess and Angel hide out for a few days after fleeing following Alec's death?
Where do Tess and Angel hide out for a few days after fleeing following Alec's death?
Signup and view all the answers
What event signals Tess's execution to Angel and Liza-Lu?
What event signals Tess's execution to Angel and Liza-Lu?
Signup and view all the answers
Why does Tess go to jail?
Why does Tess go to jail?
Signup and view all the answers
How does Angel react when he finds out that Tess has murdered Alec?
How does Angel react when he finds out that Tess has murdered Alec?
Signup and view all the answers
What dominates the lives of Tess and her family in Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
What dominates the lives of Tess and her family in Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Signup and view all the answers
Who may be considered a devout Christian in the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Who may be considered a devout Christian in the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the moral atmosphere of the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles according to the text?
What is the moral atmosphere of the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles according to the text?
Signup and view all the answers
What does Christianity offer in terms of compensation for unhappiness according to the text?
What does Christianity offer in terms of compensation for unhappiness according to the text?
Signup and view all the answers
Where does Tess have her final rest at the end of Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Where does Tess have her final rest at the end of Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Signup and view all the answers
Who preaches heavenly justice for earthly sinners in Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Who preaches heavenly justice for earthly sinners in Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Signup and view all the answers
What does Christianity teach about compensation for unhappiness in this life according to the text?
What does Christianity teach about compensation for unhappiness in this life according to the text?
Signup and view all the answers
What type of gods are depicted in Tess of the d’Urbervilles according to the text?
What type of gods are depicted in Tess of the d’Urbervilles according to the text?
Signup and view all the answers
What do pre-Christian rituals at the opening of the novel remind readers of in Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
What do pre-Christian rituals at the opening of the novel remind readers of in Tess of the d’Urbervilles?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the narrator imply by putting 'Justice' in quotation marks in the statement at the end of the novel?
What does the narrator imply by putting 'Justice' in quotation marks in the statement at the end of the novel?
Signup and view all the answers
How does the novel portray the changing ideas of social class in Victorian England?
How does the novel portray the changing ideas of social class in Victorian England?
Signup and view all the answers
What distinguishes the Durbeyfields from the traditional evaluation of class by blood alone in the novel?
What distinguishes the Durbeyfields from the traditional evaluation of class by blood alone in the novel?
Signup and view all the answers
How does Angel Clare differ from traditional aristocrats in the novel?
How does Angel Clare differ from traditional aristocrats in the novel?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the most significant example of male domination over a female in 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles'?
What is the most significant example of male domination over a female in 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles'?
Signup and view all the answers
In what way does Angel Clare unknowingly dominate Tess?
In what way does Angel Clare unknowingly dominate Tess?
Signup and view all the answers
How does the pattern of male domination over women change near the end of the novel?
How does the pattern of male domination over women change near the end of the novel?
Signup and view all the answers
Which character demonstrates unconscious male domination over women through unhealthy obsessions?
Which character demonstrates unconscious male domination over women through unhealthy obsessions?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspect of Tess and Angel's relationship reflects unhealthy male domination?
What aspect of Tess and Angel's relationship reflects unhealthy male domination?
Signup and view all the answers
How does Tess challenge the pattern of male domination near the end of the novel?
How does Tess challenge the pattern of male domination near the end of the novel?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
The Story of Tess Durbeyfield
- Tess's father, John Durbeyfield, learns that he is a descendant of an ancient noble family, the d'Urbervilles.
- Tess briefly exchanges glances with a young man at the May Day dance.
- Tess's family decides to send her to the d'Urberville mansion, where they hope Mrs. d'Urberville will make her fortune.
Tess's Life at the d'Urberville Estate
- Tess gets a job tending fowls on the d'Urberville estate, procured by Alec d'Urberville, Mrs. d'Urberville's son.
- Tess spends several months resisting Alec's attempts to seduce her.
- Alec takes advantage of Tess one night after a fair, resulting in her pregnancy.
Tess's Return Home and Meeting Angel Clare
- Tess returns home to give birth to Alec's child, whom she christens Sorrow.
- Sorrow dies soon after birth, and Tess spends a miserable year at home.
- Tess decides to seek work elsewhere and becomes a milkmaid at the Talbothays Dairy.
- At Talbothays, Tess enjoys a period of contentment and happiness.
- She befriends fellow milkmaids Izz, Retty, and Marian and meets Angel Clare, who turns out to be the man from the May Day dance.
- Tess and Angel slowly fall in love, and she eventually accepts his proposal of marriage.
Tess's Marriage and Consequences
- After their wedding, Angel and Tess both confess their past indiscretions.
- Tess tells Angel about her history with Alec, and Angel forgives her but also expects her to forgive him for his past affair.
- Angel gives Tess some money and boards a ship bound for Brazil, leaving Tess behind.
Tess's Struggles and Alec's Return
- Tess struggles to find work and takes a job at an unpleasant farm.
- She tries to visit Angel's family but overhears his brothers discussing Angel's poor marriage, so she leaves.
- Tess hears a wandering preacher speak and discovers that he is Alec d'Urberville, who has been converted to Christianity.
- Alec begs Tess never to tempt him again, then later begs her to marry him, having turned his back on his religious ways.
The Climax of the Story
- Tess learns of her mother's illness and returns home to take care of her.
- Her mother recovers, but her father unexpectedly dies soon after.
- When the family is evicted from their home, Alec offers help, but Tess refuses.
- Angel decides to forgive Tess and finds her at an expensive boardinghouse called The Herons.
- Tess tells Angel he has come too late, and she has gone back to Alec d'Urberville.
The Tragic End
- Tess goes upstairs and stabs Alec to death.
- When the landlady finds Alec's body, Tess has already fled to find Angel.
- Angel agrees to help Tess, and they hide out in an empty mansion for a few days.
- They travel, eventually arriving at Stonehenge, where Tess is arrested and sent to jail.
- A black flag is raised over the prison, signaling Tess's execution.
Themes of the Novel
The Injustice of Existence
- Unfairness dominates the lives of Tess and her family, reflecting a general aspect of human existence in the novel.
- Christianity offers little solace of heavenly justice for unhappiness suffered in this life.
Changing Ideas of Social Class in Victorian England
- The novel presents complex pictures of both the importance of social class and the difficulty of defining class in any simple way.
- Definitions of class have changed, with cash mattering more than lineage in Victorian England.
Men Dominating Women
- The novel highlights the way men can dominate women, exerting power over them linked primarily to their maleness.
- Examples include Alec's abuse of Tess, Angel's idealized picture of Tess, and the unhealthy obsession of Retty and Marian with Angel.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the summary of Thomas Hardy's classic novel 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', where the poor peddler John Durbeyfield's daughter, Tess, becomes entangled in a web of unfortunate events. Follow Tess's journey as she navigates relationships and societal expectations in this tragic tale.
