Analysis the character of Tess in the novel “Tess of the DUrbervilles”

Tess of the DUrbervilles Analysis

Thomas Hardy is one of the brightest representative of English realism at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Tess is the centre character of this novel. Hardy presents her with sympathy and kindness. Tess is depicted as the daughter of nature. She is a beautiful, loyal young woman living with her needy family in the village of Marlott. Tess has a keen sense of responsibility and is committed to doing the best she can for her family, although her inexperience and lack of wise parenting lead to her downfall.

At the beginning of the novel when his father discovered their connection with the aristocrat family. He sent Tess to the D'urbervilles to claim their nobility. Tess's mother wanted to be a lady so that she could marry a nobleman, but all their hopes went in vain. Again, when their family horse Prince died, Tess had to go to the D'urbervilles for work. In the D'urbervilles family, she was placed to work in the poultry farm. Her cousin Alec seduced her in the chase, where Tess couldn't protest him. Tess was a victim of misfortune and D'URBERVILLES family was a trap to lead her to the damnation.

Tess became pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Then we can see the motherly character of Tess. Due to poverty, she couldn't give proper treatment to the child. At last, that child died. Tess herself baptized her child and named her as “Sorrow".

Later, to serve her family, Tess went to work at Talbothays farm as the milkmaid. There she met Angel whom she loved wholeheartedly. She was loyal to Angel. At her wedding night, she confessed to her one. This incident revealed Tess's true love and devotion towards Angel.
After Angel left her, Tess worked hard to survive. At that time Alec again came to her life. He wanted Tess to be his mistress. Tess was bound to do that as her family was in severe poverty. When she knew that Angel came to know about her present condition, she became impatient. She stabbed Alec and escape.

This time Angel accepted her and both of them escaped together. Happiness touched Tess only for a few hours. Then she was caught and hanged. Before leaving, Tess requested Angel to marry her younger sister Liza-Lu and thus at her last time also she was thinking about her poor family.

A social class distinction can also be seen in “Tess of the D'URBERVILLES. Tess's family has been described as the lower class poor family. In part, Tess represents the changing role of the agricultural workers in England in the late nineteenth century.
Fate plays a vital role in the novel Tess of the D'URBERVILLES. Hardy indicates as an inevitable force whose course no one can change. The characters of this novel are only puppets in the hand of fate. Fate doesn't let her be happy. Tess passes her life in pursuit of happiness which doesn't come to her. She becomes only the victim of fate and fate takes revenge on her as she tries to change her destiny.