Tess of the D'Urbervilles Quotes - Phase the Sixth (The Convert) Flashcards
A quote from the start of the phase as Alec confronts Tess as a supposedly converted man. Tess feels a distinct and automatic fear toward him, suggesting that the pain he caused her is still vivid in her mind and latent behind his new personality
“But such was unreasoning memory, that, though he stood there openly and palpably a converted man, who was sorrowing for his past irregularities, a fear overcame her, paralyzing her movement so that she neither retreated nor advanced”
The description of Alec, despite suggesting change, is distinctly sensuous, concerned with Alec’s “curves”, “lip-shapes” and his “glow on the cheek”. There is an ominous recognition of the past that we can still observe within Alec, but it has been masked behind religious conversion
“The lip-shapes that had meant seductiveness were now made to express supplication; the glow on the cheek that yesterday could be translated as riotousness was evangelized to-day into the splendour of pious enthusiasm”
A quote from Tess in response to Alec’s supposed conversion, suggesting her to be far more vocal in her opposition to male power than previous. She makes her scorn toward his conversion known, as well as the desperate pain he has caused her
“You, and those like you, take your fill of pleasure on earth by making the life of such as me bitter and black with sorrow… I don’t believe in you - I hate it!”
A quote from Alec in his conversion suggesting himself to be the victim of Tess’ female power, his infatuation with and rape of her being due to her attractive nature.
“Women’s faces have had too much power over me already for me not to fear them! An evangelist has nothing to do with such as they; and it reminds me of the old times that I would forget!”
Two quotes describing the threshing machine with imagery of hell and damnation. Hardy criticises the industrialisation of the rural world, describing modern machinery as its destroyer.
“The red tyrant the women had come to serve… The threshing-machine […] kept up a despotic demand upon the endurance of their muscles and nerves”
“The isolation of his manner and colour lent him the appearance of a creature from Tophet… He was in the agricultural world, but not of it. He served fire and smoke”
A quote from Alec, describing to Tess the story of the D’Urberville coach, an omen for the killing of Alec. Tess is destined to kill Alec because of her lineage
“One of the family is said to have abducted some beautiful woman, who tried to escape from the coach in which he was carrying her off, and in the struggle he killed her - or she killed him - I forget which”
