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bibliotequeish 's review for:
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy
I did not like Far from the Madding Crowd.
And I read this after reading Far from the Madding Crowd, so I was a little apprehensive, I thought maybe I just wont like any of Thomas Hardy's books.
But then I read Tess... ahhh Tess. Nothing will infuriate you more than Tess.
This book is a hard reminder of the unfairness women have had to endure.
This may contain some ranting spoilers.
It starts with Tess's drunk father - the first man to fail her.
Unable to make the journey to the market (drunk) Tess must go on alone. She falls asleep and gets into an accident. This forces her into the radar of Alec d'Ubervilles, someone she can trust because he is her "kin" right? Nope and nope.
At this point Hardy will dance around the fact that Alec assaults Tess. Her parents almost rejoice, because surely this means he wants to marry her right? (nope)
Tess births and buries her child and runs from her past to a milk farm, where she meets for the second (first) time Angel Clare.
Angel and Tess fall in love, ashamed of her past she pushes Angel away.
NOW- in today's day and age, a woman knows that she has nothing to be ashamed of if a man takes advantage of her. BUT in Hardy's day, Tess is helpless and burdened that Angel will learn the truth of her past with Alec.
Angel convincing Tess that he will love her no matter what, marries her and urges her to open up to him, and she does... aaaaand he leaves.
How DARE she. Angel has morals, he could never take up with a woman like Tess... to prove this, he propositions another woman.
‘I have separated from my wife for personal, not voyaging, reasons. I may never live with her again. I may not be able to love you; but—will you go with me instead of her?’
‘You truly wish me to go?’
‘I do. I have been badly used enough to wish for relief. And you at least love me disinterestedly.’
‘Yes—I will go,’ said Izz, after a pause.
‘You will? You know what it means, Izz?’
‘It means that I shall live with you for the time you are over there—that’s good enough for me.’
Its only after she reveals to Alec how much Tess loves him that he decides to go to Brazil alone.
Tess, wanting to reach out to Angels family travels to Emminster, where she hears her brother in law talking about Angels "unfortunate" marriage. Ashamed she runs away, right into Alec... who found Jesus.
Innocent Alec makes "witch of Babylon" Tess promise that she wont tempt him ever again. But soon decides that Jesus isn't for him and starts stalking Tess.
After the death of her father and the destitution of her family, Tess, for the betterment of those she loves, agrees to be Alec's mistress. Convinced that Angel will never return.
But then he does, and surprise he wants Tess back.
...
I wont completely ruin the book, so I will end it there.
Hardy's depiction of women and morals is a tough pill to swallow, but unfortunately that's how it was. Men were faultless and women bore the brunt of societies hypocrisy. A man and woman could be guilty of the same thing, but only one was truly guilty.
And I read this after reading Far from the Madding Crowd, so I was a little apprehensive, I thought maybe I just wont like any of Thomas Hardy's books.
But then I read Tess... ahhh Tess. Nothing will infuriate you more than Tess.
This book is a hard reminder of the unfairness women have had to endure.
This may contain some ranting spoilers.
It starts with Tess's drunk father - the first man to fail her.
Unable to make the journey to the market (drunk) Tess must go on alone. She falls asleep and gets into an accident. This forces her into the radar of Alec d'Ubervilles, someone she can trust because he is her "kin" right? Nope and nope.
At this point Hardy will dance around the fact that Alec assaults Tess. Her parents almost rejoice, because surely this means he wants to marry her right? (nope)
Tess births and buries her child and runs from her past to a milk farm, where she meets for the second (first) time Angel Clare.
Angel and Tess fall in love, ashamed of her past she pushes Angel away.
NOW- in today's day and age, a woman knows that she has nothing to be ashamed of if a man takes advantage of her. BUT in Hardy's day, Tess is helpless and burdened that Angel will learn the truth of her past with Alec.
Angel convincing Tess that he will love her no matter what, marries her and urges her to open up to him, and she does... aaaaand he leaves.
How DARE she. Angel has morals, he could never take up with a woman like Tess... to prove this, he propositions another woman.
‘I have separated from my wife for personal, not voyaging, reasons. I may never live with her again. I may not be able to love you; but—will you go with me instead of her?’
‘You truly wish me to go?’
‘I do. I have been badly used enough to wish for relief. And you at least love me disinterestedly.’
‘Yes—I will go,’ said Izz, after a pause.
‘You will? You know what it means, Izz?’
‘It means that I shall live with you for the time you are over there—that’s good enough for me.’
Its only after she reveals to Alec how much Tess loves him that he decides to go to Brazil alone.
Tess, wanting to reach out to Angels family travels to Emminster, where she hears her brother in law talking about Angels "unfortunate" marriage. Ashamed she runs away, right into Alec... who found Jesus.
Innocent Alec makes "witch of Babylon" Tess promise that she wont tempt him ever again. But soon decides that Jesus isn't for him and starts stalking Tess.
After the death of her father and the destitution of her family, Tess, for the betterment of those she loves, agrees to be Alec's mistress. Convinced that Angel will never return.
But then he does, and surprise he wants Tess back.
...
I wont completely ruin the book, so I will end it there.
Hardy's depiction of women and morals is a tough pill to swallow, but unfortunately that's how it was. Men were faultless and women bore the brunt of societies hypocrisy. A man and woman could be guilty of the same thing, but only one was truly guilty.