Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy - Prose Flashcards
Tess is a helpless victim during the ambiguous rape section - fate has controlled her. Shows the male desire to control female sexuality and possess them.
“Why is it that upon this beautiful feminine tissue, sensitive as gossamer, and practically blank as snow as yet, there should have been traced such a coarse pattern as it was doomed to receive”
“Where was Tess’s guardian angel?”
Tess and Alec’s first kiss, like their first meeting, immediately gives the impression of Alec’s dominance and “mastery” over Tess.
“He was inexorable, and she sat still, and d’Urberville gave her the kiss of mastery.”
The idea and theme of fate runs through the novel - it seems as though fate is against Tess. This quote is about Tess and Angel.
“All the while they were converging under an irresistible law, as surely as two streams in one vale.”
Tess’s maternal love for her daughter, although seemingly small due to the situation of her conception and the way it had led her to becoming a fallen women in the eyes of society.
“So passed Sorrow the Undesired - that intrusive creature, that bastard gift of shameless Nature who respects not the social law”
Despite the idea that Tess feels more resentment towards her daughter than love, her burial shows her motherly affection for her when she was burying her in a graveyard filled with other ‘undesired’ members of society.
“The eye of maternal affection did not see them in its vision of higher things.”
Hardy uses colour symbolism throughout:
- To contrast Alec’s danger with the innocence and purity of Tess.
- To contrast the new, unknown and dangerous lands Tess is going into, with the safety and security of her home.
- Alec, “Red lips”; Tess, “practically blank as snow”.
- “behind, the green valley of her birth, before, a grey country of which she knew nothing”.
What are the seven phases called?
First: The Maiden Second: Maiden No More Third: The Rally Fourth: The Consequence Fifth: The Woman Pays Sixth: The Convert Seventh: Fulfilment.
The phases reflect the progression of Tess - her fight, falls and recovery. We experience her journey.
Tess and Alec’s first meeting. Hardy speaks directly to the reader through his intrusive narration. Pessimistic tone hints at the tragedy to come.
“It was not the two halves of a perfect whole that confronted each other at the perfect moment”
Why is the rape scene implied and not explicit?
The constraints of Victorian society would not have allowed Hardy to be explicit in his description. Also protecting Tess as he clearly sympathises with her.
Angel puts Tess on a pedestal when he sees her, describing her as a goddess rather than a woman.
“He called her Artemis, Demeter.”
Angel’s proposal to Clare - unromantic - one of practicality. Tess represses her desire of Angel by rejecting his proposal because of her past.
“I wish to ask you something of a very practical nature… being a farmer, I shall require a woman who knows all about the management of farms.”
“Your mother wouldn’ like you to marry such as me. She will want you to marry a lady.”
Jealous love. Tess is torn - she does love Angel and desires him however she feels that marrying hi will be wrong to him due to her feelings about her past and her class. However, with Hardy’s intrusive narration, we see that love is the stronger than conscience and will prevail.
“I can’t bear to let anybody have him but me! Yet it is a wrong to him… O my heart - O - O - O!”
“Love’s counsel would prevail.”
When you fall in love you open yourself up to worst pain that can be felt.
“Positive pleasure and positive pain.”
Tess’s language reflects the differences between her and different classes.
This also shows Tess’s immaturity.
“I’ll never come to your church no more.”
Unrequited love. Retty, Izz and Marian all love Angel, but he loves Tess.
“Retty’s throbbing heart could be almost seen to shake her.”
“Three Leahs to get to one Rachel”
Retty - “O I wish I were dead!”
