Prose: TD- Chpt 11-15 Flashcards
11- How is the horst ride different from the first time?
The hrose goes slower, which Hardy does to show the Alec has conditioned the horse to suit her.
11- What are Alec’s actions in this chapter, and how does Hardy use this to show his personality?
-he is forceful with his questioning
-he takes advantage of her by wrapping his arms around her waist
-he is playing victim
-decieves her
11- How does the chapter end and what events occur that are crucial to the plot but could be passed over?
The chapter ends with Alec raping Tess. This event isn’t described at all, and Hardy only infers it, which could show how he was making sure the book could be intially published when he wrote it in the Victorian era. Hardy also argues some people would say it’s justice for the victims of whom Tess’ ansectors probably would’ve raped, however, Hardy himself disagrees with this, by saying it doesn’t “Mend the matter”. It is very elusive and blames fate, it also mentions a guardian angel, which critiques religion as they didn’t intervene.
12- What does the basket of her things represent at the beginning of the chapter?
it represents the traumatic events she has suffered.
12- how is the “yellow luminosity” a biblical reference and how is it ironic?
it references a halo, like the angels, and it an ongoing irony about the fact that Hardy is critiquing religion through setting and his characters, but then also bringing these references into the novel.
12- how is the road described, and why is this important?
the road is described as being white, which is important as the colour connotes innocence and purity.
12- What changes in Alec and Tess’ relationship in this chapter?
They have a power struggle,
Alec: “You didn’t come for love of me, that I’ll swear”
Tess: “Tis quite true. If I had gone for love o’ you, if I had ever really loved ‘ee, if I loved you still, I should not so loathe and hate myself for my weakness as I do now!”
12- How is Tess described when Alec goes in to kiss her?
she “remained like a marble term”
12- How does Tess feel about the statements being spray painted onto the building?
She is horrified and feels quite affected as they hit home quite bit for her.
12- How does Joan react when Tess comes back from Tantridge when her and Alec haven’t got married?
she says “Tis nater, after all, and what please God.”, which is ironic as this is religious language and shows they care about God, which is untrue and the pub is their religion, so when did they begin caring about what pleases God.
13- What does Tess do that seems like a last resort?
Goes to Church on a Sunday morning
14- what does Hardy say about the field in late August?
It was “[that] a saner religion had never prevailed under the sky”
14- How does Tess conceal her identity in the farming field and what does this show?
She wears a pink cotton jacket, which Hardy uses to show her innocence?
14- What quote shows that Alec had a profound impact on Tess?
She was “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”
14-what begun happening in the evening when Tess returned home?
The baby she has begins having difficulty, and Tess can sense that the baby is dying, which she blames on not being baptised, so she begins and impromptu baptism in her bedroom, and wakes up her siblings to help, she then names the baby Sorrow, to symbolise its tricky start to life. She sacrifices herself saying “Heap as much anger as you want to upon me, and welcome, but little the child!”. The child then dies in the morning, and she takes it to the churchyard to be buried and askes the vicar if he can bury the child, but he says he cannot and comforts her saying her baptism is the same thing as what he would’ve done. However, despite technically not being allowed to let her bury her child, “the man and the ecclesiastic flight within him, and the victory fell to the man” resulting in a comprise, allowing her to bury her baby in the churchyard, but the vicar himself not having any part in it. She also buys him with alcohol, which again symbolises forces more powerful than religion.
