Category: Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Introduction

Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Adam Bede, both novels were written when Queen Victoria ruled the England from 1837 until her death in 1901. It is known as Victorian Age, an Age of great change. It was a time when development in science was observed as Queen Victoria was interested in the welfare of people, she worked hard to pass meaningful reforms. Her assets were her prime ministers; with them she decreased the powers of the monarchy.

During Victorian Age England quickly moved from an agriculture based society to a totally different society, a society in which factories replaced individual workshops, people moved from small town to the cities in search of work, people become prosperous. So, we can say that it was an era of prosperity.

Aboiut authors

Author of Tess of D’Urbervilles is Thomas Hardy whose novel “Tess of D’Urbervilles” was published in 1891, and it was a strong criticism of the sexual and social hypocrisy. Hardy built his reputation as a successful novelist. He wrote in a time when England also

faced a great change by making social and painful transition from an old fashioned, agricultural nation to a modern industrial one. Hardy was very much frustrated by the cotroversy caused by his work. He spent rest of his career in writing poetry.

When this novel was published it assured Hardy’s financial future. In this novel he demonstrates his sympathy for the lower class of England. He achieved fame for his compassionate, controversial portrayal of young women, who are victimized by the self-righteous rigidity of English social morality.

George Eliot is the author of novel “Adam Bede” published in 1859. Her pen name is Mary Ann Evans. She was highly respected scholar of her time. This novel is used in university studies of 19th century English literature. “Adam Bede” is George Eliot’s first novel in which she had shown her extensive knowledge of farm management and running of dairy as her personal experience.

Eliot was fluent not only in English and German but also in many other modern and ancient languages. In addition to translations, essay, criticism, she wrote short fiction, poetry and seven novels, among them “Adam Bede” is her first novel. After the publication of “Adam Bede” George Eliot revealed herself to be a female author and continued to write all her work under that name. Critics praised “Adam Bede” as: “a work of a true genius”

She was one of the fortunate writers who has been financially rewarded and praised by critics. She was admired for her psychologically well-developed insights into character and for her deep treatment of social and political issues of her life.

(Main characters in Tess of D’Urbervilles)

Tess of D’Urbervilles

Tess of novel “Tess of D’Urbervilles” who is a victim of social prejudice and male dominance in Victorian patriarchal society belongs to a poor family. She is pretty young girl, who lives in the village of Marlott. Her main concern is to support her family financially as she is a responsible person, although she faces many problems and loses her love. She works as a dairymaid at different places. Her formal name is Theresa but other character in the novel call her by different name at different places for instance in chapter XVII Angel call her “a daughter of nature” or refers to Tess by the Greek mythological names “Artemis” and “Demeter” in chapter XX.

The narrator himself describes her as more than an individual woman. Similarly in chapter XIV he says that her eyes are “neither black nor blue nor grey nor violet”. The shades she has are like “almost standard women”.

Tess’ father John Durbeyfield is a haggler, a middleman who buys vegetables and poultry from whole sellers and then sell to retailers. He has not proved to be a supportive person for his family as he is drunken, uneducated and leaves his family destitute when he dies. Joan Durdeyfield is Tess’s mother an uneducated woman. It is Joan who sends Tess to “claim kin” with the D’Urbervilles.

Eliza-Lour’se (Liza Lu) is the second child of Durdeyfield. In the end of novel Angel gets marry with her, because Tess asks him.

Abraham, Hope, and Modesty Durbeyfield are the other siblings of Tess Durbeyfield.

(Main characters in “Adam Bede”)

Hetty Sorrel, the protagonist of novel “Adam Bede” is a young farm girl. She is the niece of Mr.Poyser, a dairy farmer.

Mr. Poyser whose name is Martin Poyser is the husband of Rachel Poyser. He is the owner and manager of Prosperous Hall Farm. He is regarded as the leader of the farmers and tradesmen in the Hay slope. He has good reputation in Hay slope. Rachel Poyser is the wife of Mr. Poyser. She is talkative and meddling but efficient, generous and loyal lady. She knows well how to stand for her rights.

Adam Bede the protagonist of novel is an intelligent and young carpenter who loves Hetty Sorrel, although not sure whether she loves her or not. Dinah is a young Methodist Preacher. She is the niece of Mrs. Poyser; Dinah is a compassionate woman who is always ready to help others.The credit goes to Dinah that she makes Hetty to confess the killing of her illegitimate baby.

Captain Arthur Donnithorne is the heir to Donnithorne Chase. He attracts to Hetty Sorrel and exploits her without any intention of getting marriage with her.

Comparison between Tess and Hetty Sorrel

Economic condition:-

Tess and Hetty Sorrel both belong to poor families. Tess is the supportive person of her family, who supports her family. Horse is the only mean for the family too survive when it dies Tess says “It’s all my doings…………. All mine!” While Hetty although works at the dairy as a milkmaid but not as much supportive to Poyser’s family as Tess. Hetty is an orphan who lives with uncle in Hall Farm and is dependent on the charity of her uncle and his wife . She . As she belongs to the lower class that’s why when she gets pregnant, she becomes a helpless poor woman. Arthur belongs to an aristocratic family so for him Hetty is a mere fascination. Both Tess and Hetty are not much educated and belong to working class.

Class difference:-

In both cases class difference is also the cause of their fall. After industrial Revolution economy in the rural areas collapsed. Tess belongs to a poor family doesn’t possess high status, that is why she is not welcomed warmly at Tantridge. So this class difference leads her to impending tragedy, while Alec even after committing the sin, a sinner (Alec) becomes the preacher but the innocent Tess is deprived of being a normal member of society.

Arthur belongs to an aristocratic family so for him Hetty is a mere fascination.So, when she gets pregnant,she becomes helpless.

Beauty:-

We find the similarity of another element between Tess and Hetty and that is their beauty. Both are beautiful.

Hardy throughout his novel describes Tess’s simple beauty; she is attractive to all men, but innocent inside. She is aware of her beauty but this awareness hardly obsesses over her. She considers her beauty as a misfortune for her because of which Alec seduces her and instead of realizing his sin he blames Tess for tempting him with her beauty. Alec does the wrong and shifts it to the victim, he demonstrates this behavior when he calls Tess a “Temptress” and a “dear witch of Babylon”.

Alec and Angle both are inspired by her beauty.First meeting of Alec with Tess tells about his mentality when he focuses on her features.

Similarly Angle is also inspired by the beauty of Tess but when he comes to know that she has lost her virginity he leaves her, although she requests him and says:

“Forgive me as you are forgiven. I forgive you Angel.”

No doubt Hetty sorrel is a beautiful protagonist of novel “Adam Bede” than Dinah but she is cold and ugly inside. Arthur and Adam Bede both attract by her outer beauty, not by her inner beauty. Hetty’s beauty is described by using metaphors of nature and of animal imagery. “She has a beauty like that of Kittens, or very small downy ducks.” Even Mrs. Irwine remarks Hetty’s beauty by saying:

“What a pity such beauty as that should be thrown away among the farmers, when it’s wanted so terribly among the good families without fortune,”

Hetty’s admiration for her own beauty is described in chapter 22, when she worships her image in the mirror, adores herself in lace and ear-rings and finally prances about the room, Hetty looks beautiful even when she cries or is angry. Adam is so blinded by Hetty’s beauty that he often misinterprets her tears and excitement as love for him. Hetty is aware of her beauty and is quite used to the thought that people like to look at her and she is also not blind to the fact that she attracts the attention of men.

Her outer beauty also blinds Arthur such that he loses control when she cries and kisses her.

Unlike Hetty, Tess has outer and inner beauty both as she is innocent. Tess is not conscious about beauty; her main focus is to fulfill the basic needs of her siblings. On the other hand Hetty is conscious about her beauty and her focus is on grooming herself, we observe this when she gets ready for Arthur’s birthday party. She desires material possessions and she believes that her beauty can bring her a life of luxury.

Love:-

The protagonist of “Tess of D’Urbervilles” is forced by her mother to go to Tantridge for good fortune and to get marry to become a great lady. There she is victimized by Alec. Although she doesn’t love him but she is seduced by him. Similarly Alec’s feelings towards Tess are not reciprocated, he doesn’t really love her. It is just lust and obsession of Alec, there was not willingness of Tess. When she returns home she blames her mother for not telling her about society. As she says:

“Why didn’t you tell me that there was danger in men folk?”

On the other hand her love for Angel is true. Her trust on Angel makes her to write a letter to him to tell that what happened between her and Alec. But unluckily the letter slips under the carpet. On her wedding night when she tells Angel about the event, he responses negatively. His educations, his love and his passion evaporates. She says to him:

“In the name of our love, forgive me.”

But he says:

“The woman I have loved is not you.”

“Another woman in your shape.”

For him she is no longer the “fresh virginal daughter of nature.” But Tess loves him no less than before.

In case of Hetty, Adam really loves her although not sure whether she loves him or not. He praises her beauty.Hetty attracts to Arthur and fell in love with him who seduces her afterward, Adam and Arthur who have good relation fight because of Hetty. Arthur is annoyed by Hetty’s expectations of marriage, “her vision was all spun by her own childish fancy.” He never offers her to marry although he is free to do so, he writes:

“I know you can never be happy except by marrying a man in your own station.”

Arthur’s rejection is a great shock for Hetty as she thinks about her dreams of becoming a “lady” are shattered after receiving Arthur’s letter. Broken hearted, she is ready to get marry with Adam and diverts her love towards Adam while we find no diversion in case of Tess.

In the end of both novels, lovers of both protagonists are guilty of their act. Angel after realizing about his misbehaviour returns and wants to get marry with Tess, but Arthur although not willing to get marry with Hetty saves her and has the sentence commuted to transportation.

Forgiveness:-

Although Angel doesn’t forgive Tess for her past.

“O Tess, forgiveness does not apply to the case! You were one person; now you are another.”

But she forgives Angel for the same act. As she says:

“I have forgiven you for the same.”

The protagonist of “Adam Bede” Hetty on one hand begs Adam’s forgiveness and he forgives her. On the other hand she asks him to tell Arthur that she has forgiven him too. Her vanity has gone.

Acceptance of reality:

In “Tess of D’Urbervilles” Tess is raped and gets pregnant because of Alec. After giving birth to baby she faces the reality, although child is illegitimate. She gives him name “sorrow” and takes care of him even though people whisper and gossip about her.

When the infant falls ill, Tess realizes that her baby has not been baptized, she becomes worried that he will die without baptizement so, she decides to christen him herself. When he dies the following morning Tess asks the parson if her christening was sufficient to earn her baby a Christian burial. The parson replies that though he cannot bury the child himself, Tess may do so as a result she lays sorrow to rest in a corner of the churchyard, and makes a little cross for his grave.

Contrary to this Hetty does not face the reality, knowing the news of being pregnant, she tries to approach Arthur. It is a pregnancy that Hetty is not emotionally equipped to handle and she repeatedly denies and shows no emotion at her trial she looks “down at her hands” and throughout the trial has a “blank hard difference” standing “like a statue of dull despair.” She is unsure what she feels for the baby as she says “I seemed to share to hate it.”

After the birth of baby she leaves it in the woods, there she sees a hole under the tree, she puts the baby into it and covers with grass and when returns on listening to its cries, it dies. It is her fear of shame which forces her to leave the baby alone in the woods.

So, we can say that Tess although degraded by the society but owns her child but Hetty does not .

Honour

In Victorian Age, female honor is fairly passive and relies entirely on chastity. If women lose this chastity, they are helpless to regain their honor, while male honor is more complicated and active. Honor is tied up in their profession, land and overall identity.

In both cases (Tess and Hetty) when they lose their virginity, they are degraded and rejected by the society. But Alec and Arthur who are sinners become respectable in society. Alec even after seducing Tess becomes a preacher and is accepted by the society. However, Tess is still in the predicament of continuing to suffer for her sin as a social outcast, religious offender because of a disgrace that is much more Alec’s fault than her own.

Similarly, in the case of Hetty, it is her fear which makes her to kill her baby, fear of losing grace in society. Although both Hetty b and Arthur have transgressed society’s norms the penalty falls much more heavily on the woman than on the man. Hetty is well aware she has destroyed her life by giving birth to an illegitimate child and therefore, tries to get rid of it.

Hetty dies but Arthur carries out a form of symbolic penance by going away to fight at war, on his return home he resumes his place as head of the community, as Josephine Mc Donagh notes “Arthur Donnithorne” the squire.

Conclusion

In nutshell; although both Tess and Hetty are seduced Tess is innocent and has no love for Alec, while Hetty loves Arthur and dreams of becoming a “lady” by getting married to him. Being part of a patriarchal society both lose virginity and could not regain respect because of male dominance.

In this essay, I want to demonstrate why Thomas Hardy called Tess d’Urbervilles a pure woman in the subtitle of the novel with the same name.To be pure means, in my opinion, to be emotionally clean,to have an honest character, and always choose the right side, no matter if this choice does not make you happy, shortly, to be love. Being a pure person means to stay away from sin as much as possible, because in a way, this is the life of each of us, the evil has always existed and the good as well, but it depends on us what we choose. Tess choose to be pure in her mind, despite her actions which sometimes shows her impurity, her thoughts and intentions were pure.

First of all, the story of Tess d’Urbervilles begins with the desire of her parents for wealth. Her parents decided to send Tess to work at d’Urbervilles house, where if she is lucky she will married with a rich guy and she will never have to worry about money. Tess felt guilty because of an event with familiy’s horse, so she accepted to leave, because in her mind, this is the only thing she can do to bring her father a new horse. Their wish was materialized, but with a hard price. Tess Durbeyfield meets there Alec d’Urberville and he tried a couple of months to seduced her, he succed, but as a result of their love, a child was born. Tess named this baby Sorrow, because he was an unwanted child, he comes form a love that she never felt. Sorrow dies after a short time and Tess decided to go home.

After a perioud, Tess comes back to work, but this time, she goes at a dairy farm in Talbothays. For Tess, this destination means a chance to a new beginning, where no one knew her or her past. Talbothays was a place full of beautiful of nature, that thing helped Tess to return very quickly at a good state of mind. She met Angel Clare there and their story begins with Tess disbelief that a man like Angel might want her as a wife, but he loved her and they got married. Tess was hiding a very painful secret, that of the child she had with Alec, she was thinking that if she told Angel, he would not want her anymore. This is the point where Tess can be considered impure, because she was married with a man, but she have had a child with another one before, this is the reason why she was afraid to confess. In this moment there is a balance between her fear to speak with her husband, Angel, and her courage to confess him her secret, taking the risk of losing the man that she loves more than anything else.

The confession that she finally makes to Angel, makes him to seeing her with completely different eyes, he feels desgusted, he thinks that he will never love her the same because of her imprudence and her immorality.

Even if her actions put her in an immoral and hard to support position, for a woman belonging to the Victorian period, the way in which she defeated her fear and admit that she was wrong because she should have talk to him earlier, make her a pure woman. She could never have talked about this past mistake, as her mother advised her, but she choose the right way. Angel’s decision after Tess confession, was to leave her in honey-moon and goes to Brazil, where he passed through a lot of difficult situations.

Second of all, Tess always acted guided by her own judgment. She felt so guilty that she hurt Angel’s feelings and she decided that it is good for both of them if she would go home for a while. There she met again with Alec d’Urbervilles and he try for the second time to have her. Another reason for her purity is the fact that she could make a profit with that child that she had with Alec, she could ask him for money, but she did not, she prefer to be quiet. Alec tries to convince her that he has changed, but the only thing that she could thinking about was revenge on him, because he was the reason why she will be unhappy for the rest of her life, being sure that Angel will never forgive her and never love her the same.

The perfect way to escape the past and enjoy the future that she could have with Angel, was for Tess to kill Alec and through him, all their problems would have died.

The act of killing somebody is completely unreligious, impure and out of everything that can be normal, so Tess doesn’t have any excuses for what she have done, but in the same way, all she wanted to do was to save her love.

Furthermore, Tess’s power of love is incredible, because she is ready to do anything to be with the person she loves. Her actions are judged from many perspectives, from the woman statute in Victorian period, which did not accept Tess’s decisions and considered her impure, to the author perspective, that everything she did, was with pure intentions.

Thomas Hardy sees her as a pure woman, from the point of view in which she never want to hurt someone, he understands what she thinks, her feelings and how a countryside, a simple girl can through all of this pains of life.

Actually, she fought for love until her love caught her and killed her. She gave everything for the most beautiful feelings in the world, she wanted to feel it just for a day, but real, without any pain. She died knowing she had done all the things that were possible to save her love and that attitude shows brave and purity.

In conclusion, love is the only feeling that can be considerate pure and honest, Tess d’Urbervilles was pure in everything she was, she did not die like a sinner, she died like a pure woman.

Bibliography:

1. Gideon Faihriem ‘’ ‘Analysis of ‘A Pure Woman’ – ‘The subtitle of Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ ‘’ Cotton College,Guwahati, Department of English, Graduate Student, 03.01.2019, < https://www.academia.edu/9310630/Analysis_of_A_Pure_Woman_-_The_subtitle_of_Tess_of_the_dUrbervilles >

While many people claim that Hardy’s portrayal of female characters is considered as biased, but what I believe is that Hardy has only portrayed women so weak and vulnerable because of the societal pressures they have been faced with. A Society is an environment created to cater to the rational basic needs and rights of its inhabiting individuals. However, a closed and oppressive society has been noticed to view the MALE as a superior gender. Both men and women readily accept the high status which comes with the masculine gender, doing little to change what had been set as the norm. Hardy utilises Tess’s lack of control over her own life to convey a woman’s struggle in a male-dominated environment. In Tess of the D’Urbervilles, when her work horse dies because of what she believes to be her own fault ‘Tis all my doing–all mine!” (Hardy 29), she is forced by her family to choose either between working or marrying her distant cousin Alec D’Urbervilles. This is the first of the multiple incidents where Tess is being forced to do something despite being unwilling to do so. Tess’s responsibility towards her family is the first thing to fall apart which further leads to her ultimate downfall. Likewise, Jude from Jude the Obscure, although he is not nearly as awful as Alec D’Urbervilles but he also puts a certain amount of pressure on his love interest Sue because he has built up in her mind to be this perfect intellectual soulmate and no woman, in fact no human being ever is comfortable with being put to such sort of test.

Tess’s indecisiveness is portrayed in her frequent failures as it has been noted of Tess that ‘her speech, decision making… and even her sense of self are characterised by a curious absence’ (Lovesey 913), Tess appears absent in the decision making process which later effects upon her life. Similarly, Sue Bridehead, in Jude the Obscure, has been objectified by various critics that she is a self-obsessed Victorian woman and much similar to those women whose needs do not “lie in the direction of loving but of being loved”. Regarding Sue’s strange behaviour and attitude Sigmund Freud (1957) resembles her with the self-obsessed women and comments that ‘They are plainly seeking themselves as love objects’ (Freud 88). According to Freud, Sue’s narcissistic and gloomy character results in her indifference or hatred towards the opposite sex. It also illustrates that Hardy’s creative imagination takes to the furthest point of his exploration of complex and psychologically disturbed personalities.

However, critics such as Penny Boumelha (1982) refutes the above statement who says that although Tess seems to be vulnerable at points, she is the only one who suffers immensely, essentially as a result of corrupt masculine attitudes prevailing in the society. He states that Tess is often subjected to the perverted male gaze, through the ‘overt maleness of the narrative voice’ (Boumelha 120). During the late 20th century, Christian moral values of chastity were under scrutiny, as they gave way ‘to the… authority of biological law’ (Boumelha 12). The value of a woman’s purity was the main subject of the popular debate and the same subject has been depicted in Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. As Thomas Hardy himself states that this story is the one in which he attempts to show what ‘everybody nowadays thinks and feels’ (Hardy 3).

Again, following are the comments of another critic Geoffrey Harvey (2003) which further favors this argument stating that, ‘Both Alec and Angel regard her as an object of desire, and she becomes their victim, violated by Alec and later abandoned by her husband. Alec assumes her compliance, while Angel fits her into his Romantic preconceptions of nature’ (Harvey 83). Tess has been physically both seduced and spoilt, but she is pure and innocent in her mind, heart and soul. Thomas Hardy describes her as a bird caught in a trap which means that she has no immoral intentions that provoke Alec’s seduction.

Hardy has explored multiple themes in his works and demonstrated their role in the lives of his heroines; for example love, marriage, and poverty are the elements of society which victimize the characters in Jude the Obscure. These elements lead to the tragic and sorrowful life of Sue Bridehead and others. Sue Bridehead represents the emerging new social behaviour in the Victorian society. At that time, Victorian society had a very narrow view of the potential and individuality of women. A good example of Hardy’s initially independent women is Sue Bridehead in Jude the Obscure. In Hardy and the Erotic, critic T. R. Wright writes that ‘Sue Bridehead is in many ways at the centre of Jude the Obscure … because she is stronger, more complex, and more significant.’ As a main feminine character in Jude the Obscure, Sue Bridehead represents in some aspects the New Woman of the Victorian period. Sue’s rebellious and enthusiastic spirit and intellect urge her to confront and most of the times attack the conventions of her time and try to gain her voice in a world that mainly gives ears and attention to the man’s voice. Nevertheless, in the end Sue herself surrenders to the prevailing conventions of the society which she has been against throughout the novel. Sue shows how harsh the journey of a ‘rebellious woman’ can be. ‘Victorian middle class image of women was culturally controlled. They were denied political and economic power, and were expected to conform to the idea of separate spheres for men and women […] and women were denied any sexual feelings. Moreover, they were doubly victims of idealisation and abuse, particularly of the double standard in moral sexuality, which branded women as ‘fallen’ while condoning their lovers’ (Harvey 34). The comments of the critic above support my argument that it is undoubtedly the society which could not bear a free spirit as Sue. In terms of human and social evolution Sue seems to be a ‘New Woman’ who is alienated due to her intellect, her thoughts against marriage and her attempt to retain her sexuality.

Lastly, to conclude my idea, I would summarize my whole argument that my research paper includes information, analysis and interpretations of the element of society as a ‘victimizer’ in Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. The protagonists of these two novels suffer at the hands of the society. Male domination, men’s sexual attitude towards women and the rigidity and harshness of the social rules towards women victimize innocent and helpless individuals like Tess. In the same way, Sue Bridehead also fails in her attempt to rebel against the conventions of the society because the rules of the Victorian society could not accept the idea of being in love without marriage and free, immoral and extramarital relationships. It seems as if society is the cause of destroying the happy lives of the female characters in these novels.

Works Cited

1. Boumelha, Penny, in ‘Introduction’ pp. 13-27 in ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’, Oxford ThousbdUniversity Press, 2005.
2. Boumelha, Penny, ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891)’ pp 117-134, in ‘Thomas Hardy and uthjubnfWomen: Sexual Ideology and Narrative Form’, The Harvester Press Ltd, 1982.
3. Freud, Sigmund, ‘On Narcissism’, pp 88, Standard Edition: 14:69-102. London: Hogarth hhhjju gPress, 1957. [3] The Psychology of Love. Trans. S.
4. Harvey, Geoffrey, The Complete Critical Guide to Thomas Hardy, (London: Routledge, 2003), gjjbggjj p. 83.
5. Lovesey, Oliver, ‘Reconstructing Tess’ Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 43, No. Hjjgyjjb4, The Nineteenth Century (Autumn, 2003), pp. 913-938.

Throughout the novels, ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ and ‘Never Let Me Go’ the theme of destiny is prominent, although they are of contrasting genres. Hardy has written a pastoral novel which recounts the life of Tess in the countryside of the 19th century, where we see the writer is concerned with the changes of rural life, although unlike a straightforward pastoral, there doesn’t appear to be an idyllic lifestyle for the young woman. It is also conspicuous that the genre of the novel is tragedy, which was common among literary authors in the Victorian era, therefore Hardy demonstrates his typical style of writing. Ishiguro presents a dystopian fiction as we get an insight to a frightening community, as Kathy and her friends are destined to become donors, which also portrays an element of despondency similar to ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. Both protagonists appear to begin the novel in their adolescence, which is narrated through a first-person perspective and retrospectively as Kathy reflects on memories from the Hailsham institution and describes the development of her journey as she learns to understand that their lives are preordained. The retrospective technique is effective because we obtain an understanding of her innocence and naivety as a child as Kathy, Ruth and Tommy are all unaware that they will not have the opportunity to live a healthy, conventional life. In ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, Hardy tells the story through a third person narrative which contrasts with ‘Never Let Me Go’, however we still acquire a clear overview of Tess’s life through her viewpoint, which is reinforced through a constructive use of dialogue. Similar to Kathy’s situation, it is also evident that Tess’s life has been premeditated for her, due to society roles at the time, consequently leading her family to want Tess to marry a wealthy gentleman, Alec D’Urberville. As the novels progress, we learn that both protagonists are not in control of their own destiny, with both situations resulting in the eventual tragedy of death.

One aspect of the novels we should first consider under the theme of destiny is the presentation of relationships. Within both novels the idea of love and romantic relationships are prominent, and we could easily draw a connection with the portrayal of love triangles, which eventually lead to couples based on destiny for both protagonists. This is significant in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, as we see the protagonist’s endeavour to choose between two men, Alec D’Urberville and Angel Clare, where she concludes the novel with her true lover; Angel. Despite this, both lovers represent different types of love, as we see Alec demonstrates a sexual and physical love, using Tess for pleasure, whereas Angel is ideal. As a reader, we are aware of this through Hardy’s use of setting and pathetic fallacy which present Tess’s development and current thoughts. For example, the contrast between the different stages of her life at Talbothays and Flintcomb-Ash is notable. Tess meets and falls in love with the quintessential Angel at Talbothays, and we see her satisfaction reflected through the images of the beautiful nature. The description of a ‘thyme-scented and bird-singing morning’ depicts a cheerful and optimistic mood, especially as birds are a positive motif throughout the novel, symbolising hope and liberation. In comparison, the season is winter at Flintcomb-Ash, and Hardy furthermore depicts a sense of sorrow through the hardship of Tess’s job (a ‘starve-acre place’), and the frequent unanticipated visits from Alec as she deals with her heart-break with Angel.

Whilst ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ shows destiny and the love triangle through the principal character’s struggle to discover the ideal partner, within the patriarchal and a hierarchy society, ‘Never Let Me Go’ recounts the narrator’s sense of jealousy towards her friends Ruth and Tommy who become a romantic couple. It is evident in both novels that the protagonists aren’t completely in control of their fortune in love, however they do find each other in the end.

Ishiguro effectively uses dialogue in order to present the development of relationships. A close connection between Kathy and Tommy is revealed from the opening as she recalls a time he confided in her, with the conversation by the pond at Hailsham. Tommy directly tells Kathy ‘You’ve not to breathe a word. You’ve got to really promise’, which shows a sense of desperation, but the trust here demonstrates there is a strong bond amongst the pair. This is effective through the retrospective narrative as this later explains that fate had allowed them to become an intimate couple. Ishiguro establishes a close friendship between Kathy and Ruth and the fact that they often discuss Tommy is notable as we get an insight to their true feelings towards him. Towards the end of Part One, Kathy considers starting a sexual relationship with Tommy, where we see a sense of tension between the girls. Kathy states ‘I probably am the best person. Talking to Tommy and all that’. Ishiguro’s use of punctuation mid-sentence is effective because he demonstrates that Kathy feels uncomfortable admitting that she and Tommy have better conversations, and the pause conveys how the protagonist had to think carefully about how she phrased her thoughts. There is an element of destiny in this scene as the metaphor ‘natural successor’ is repeated, which implies that she will become Tommy’s girlfriend after Ruth. Moreover, we could say the word ‘natural’ presents the idea of fate and predestination, which I explain later as I discuss passivity in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’.

In ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ the notion of love and relationships is complex as Hardy shows that Tess is destined to be with Alec due to conventionality at the time, although she only truly falls in love with Angel. Tess is an innocent young woman, like Kathy, therefore we can say that they are similar in the way they are unexperienced with love. Hardy uses the character of Alec to represent the typical wealthy and handsome man during the 19th century, and this is reinforced through Tess’s family’s desire for her to marry this son of a merchant. He has ‘almost swarthy complexion, with full lips… above which was a well-groomed moustache’. This description clearly conveys Alec’s sensual nature and narcissism, and this is later reinforced as Tess often rejects him and he persists to pursue her love. During the same scene, he refers to Tess as ‘a big Beauty’ when questioning what he can do for her, which is candid for their first encounter, as he reveals his material power over Tess. We could state that this emphasises the dependency of a woman on men at the time of the novel, and the fact he says ‘Beauty’, which Hardy presents through capitalisation, conveys his desperation for her love. The fact Alec is so direct towards Tess from the outset, suggests that he is exploiting her for his own needs. Consequently, from the beginning we notice that this won’t be a couple based on destiny, but instead an affair which will benefit the satisfaction of the sexual manipulator, in addition to his finance and status. According to Margaret Elvy, Hardy uses feminist theory to demonstrate his understanding of sexual difference and sexual desire, and she disagrees with some feminist critics about the belief that Hardy has a ‘natural empathy’ with women. We could agree with this critical point because it is clear that the author is presenting the superiority of men within society. However, we could also argue the fact that Tess has the admiration from two lovers, depicts that she is the dominant figure of her fate and romance.

Similar to ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, ‘Never Let Me Go’ is a Bildungsroman which is a tale about Kathy growing up and finding herself, and we could say both protagonists represent innocence throughout their journey to becoming a mature adult. This is specifically shown when Ruth and Tommy split up, and Kathy states that she ‘found [herself] thinking about it a lot’. It is possible to interpret this as Kathy discovering her intimate feelings towards Tommy for the first time, in addition to the idea that she feels a sense of remorse about the way he was treated by Ruth during the graveyard scene. The love triangle breaking is predominantly apparent in this episode, even the setting of a graveyard is symbolic of decay and death, in this case of a relationship. The incident is significant for the theme of destiny, as this is the beginning of Kathy’s opportunity to become closer to Tommy. Here we see Ruth criticising Tommy’s drawing and brings Kathy into the situation declaring ‘Kathy finds your animals a complete hoot’, implying a feeling of irritation, perhaps towards his immaturity. Through retrospect, it is evident that the narrator regrets her decision to agree with Ruth, a manipulative character throughout the novel. The phrase ‘Of course I feel bad about it’ contains monosyllabic words, and it’s as if she’s speaking to the reader who has questioned her sincerity, which we could link with literary critics’ belief that Kathy is an ‘unreliable narrator’ because she doesn’t always reveal the truth. Despite this, we must empathise with Kathy because it’s clear that she and her friends have lived in oblivion about their future, therefore themselves are unaware of the verity.

Furthermore, following the dispute in ‘Never Let Me Go’ the idea of fate is very prominent through Ishiguro using Ruth to admit that Tommy and Kathy should have been a couple all along; ‘the main thing is, I kept you and Tommy apart’. It is clear that she feels that she interrupted their chance at romance which they had been destined for since childhood, which reinforces the use of memories and reflecting on the past in this novel. She pleads for forgiveness and encourages the pair to try and get a deferral, which was promised for couples who are truly in love; ‘If it’s you two, there’s got to be a chance. A real chance’. The repetition of the word ‘chance’ here emphasises how this is the only possible opportunity for Kathy and Tommy to be in control of their future and destiny. We could connect this idea with M John Harrison’s belief that the novel is about ‘the steady erosion of hope’ because by the end, they are told that there isn’t an opportunity for them to receive a deferral, therefore their destiny had already been predetermined. Moreover, the word ‘erosion’ demonstrates how their lives are destroyed both physically, as they must die at an early age, but also emotionally as the characters need to comprehend this despairing news.

Despite the fact that Kathy and Tommy’s fate are due to the science development at the time, we can still draw similarities with Hardy’s novel, as Tess and Angel are also brought together eventually through destiny, however we could this is as a result of the woman pursuing her desire within the patriarchal society. With both protagonists earning the love that they had wished for which to a happy ending romantically, we could link this contextually as Ishiguro writes based on the tradition of realist novels. Therefore, he is influenced by authors such as Brontë which is also situated in the Victorian era, like Hardy, meaning that the presentation of destiny and love is similar in both novels, as shown through love triangles.

As Hardy describes the romantic relationship between Tess and Angel, he states that ‘she was the chosen one’ which instantly reveals her fortune and destiny. This phrase evokes religious ideas, with the Calvinist belief of predestination known as a strong theory within the religious Victorian England, stating that God has already chosen the future for virtuous humans. Despite this, Tess’s fate doesn’t appear entirely straightforward, as she feels a sense of guilt and therefore must ‘pay to the uttermost farthing’. The superlative ‘uttermost’ refers to Angel, therefore it is clear that he has dominance in this situation, and that Tess must show her gratitude financially. We can draw parallels with ‘Never Let Me Go’ based on the concept of predestination, as the Hailsham students have also been selected for a useful purpose, although this is due to scientific as supposed to social or class reasons.

An additional point which is associated which the theme of destiny, is passivity, which is emphasised in both novels through the characters tolerating their fate. Whilst passivity is mostly shown in ‘Never Let Me Go’ through the acceptance of their purpose in science, and the fact that they are preordained to die prematurely, Hardy presents Tess as a passive character as she submits to her family’s desires. Furthermore, another difference is eminent between both novels which is the fact that Kathy must follow her fate and the future path that is set out for them, whereas Tess is able to make her own life decisions to some extent. For example, who she would like to marry, despite who her family prefer, which is clearly proven as she chooses Angel in the end. During the 19th century, due to marriage conventions, women were socially influenced and culturally trained to be domestic, therefore with Tess as a representation of an archetypal Victorian woman, she had the duty to marry a man who is socially superior.

I believe that passivity is a principal theme in ‘Never Let Me Go’ which links well with destiny, as the novel is primarily about becoming donors and ‘completing’, which is the purpose of their lives at Hailsham. The novel opens with Kathy explaining her situation working as carer in her adulthood, where she appears proud and content, stating ‘I do know for a fact they’ve been pleased with my work… and I have too’. This conveys how the protagonist is enjoying her and is doing what she is expected, without complaining. Also, it’s significant that this beginning is in the present, showing her current outlook on her life, and now after reading the whole novel, we can easily say that she had come to terms with her fate. Although we aren’t aware of what is ahead of Kathy’s life, the mention of ‘donors’ is evident from the outset. Moreover, she is reunited with her friends which causes her to reminisce on her childhood at Hailsham, which Ishiguro presents in the past tense through memories and flashbacks.

Kathy also shows optimism and passivity when she explains what is approaching for her near future; ‘I won’t be a carer any more come the end of the year, and though I’ve got a lot out of it, I have to admit I’ll welcome the chance to rest’. The words ‘I’ll have to admit’ demonstrates an informal tone as if Kathy is speaking directly to the reader, perhaps highlighting that she doesn’t want any sympathy as she is now pleased with her life. In addition to Kathy, even Ruth who generally appears as a pessimist throughout the novel learns to accept her fate as she tells Tommy, ‘I was pretty much ready when I became a donor’, it felt right’ which evokes a gentle tone, as if Ruth is admitting that she is completing her purpose in life. The fact that the characters refer to themselves as ‘donors’ is almost ironic, because scientifically this means a voluntary act of giving, whilst Ishiguro has presented them as being compelled to donate (‘what we’re supposed to do’), emphasising that they aren’t capable of being in control of their destiny.

Whilst the idea of passivity is portrayed by Ishiguro through using dialogue in order to prove characters’ attitudes towards their fate, in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles, we are aware of Tess’s submissive behaviour through her actions and changes in location and the settings. An example of this is at the beginning of the novel when Tess is obliged by her parents to visit the D’Urbervilles’ household, indicating that she is accepting her fate, in which she has a lack of control due to social conventions. In Victorian England, parents taught their children important information to strive within their social class while dealing with cultural expectations. In this scene, we see Tess sacrificing herself for her family, which is possible to compare with ‘Never Let Me Go’ as the characters have no choice but to become donors, as that is their motive in the world. Similarly, Tess has a purpose which has already been predestined; to marry a wealthy man.

One of the key scenes which presents Tess’s passivity is in Phase the First, following the protagonist’s first encounter with Alec, and the incident of the strawberries. Here Hardy uses omniscient narration which provides the reader with a different perspective, as opposed to Tess’s own viewpoint, by explaining that Alec will play a significant role in her destiny. After Alec feeds Tess the first strawberry, Hardy describes her as ‘half-reluctant’ indicating her discomfort, as he is a manipulative character, even after she stated ‘I would rather take it in my own hand’. This clearly emphasises that women’s voices were disregarded during the Victorian era, and that the man’s wishes always came first. Hardy’s use of imagery of strawberries is symbolic because the colour red is associated with passion, therefore we see Alec’s desire towards Tess. Nevertheless, we see Tess being passive as Hardy states that Alec continues to fill her basket with fruit, in which she ‘obeyed like one in a dream’. Through this simile, we get the impression that she is naïve therefore submissive to a young gentleman seducing her, which then unfortunately leads to her being raped.

Finally, it is essential to consider the connection between the representation of death and destiny in these novels. In both novels, the protagonists experience short lives, and although we are never assuredly told in ‘Never Let Me Go’ that Kathy dies, this is a predetermined circumstance throughout her story, as they all must ‘complete’ one day. This is particularly portrayed in the final chapter as she admits she has lost everything; ‘I lost Ruth, then I lost Tommy… and I suppose I lost Hailsham too’. In essence, Kathy has been surrounded by deaths of assets which had played an important role in her destiny, and states that the only remaining aspects of her life are ‘memories’. The notion of mortality is inevitable for the characters, with Ishiguro having written a novel based on science-fiction explaining that they are born for medical purpose, which we could say is similar in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles, where a chain of events naturally leads to Tess’s tragic death. Contextually, many tragic novels ended with the protagonist’s demise. All the minor catastrophes including the deaths of Prince and Sorrow and Tess’s rape are connected to her hanging at the end of the novel. We could say this finale is effective as Hardy has succeeded to present that destiny is responsible for the cause of many of life’s tragedies, and that punishment awaits those who make immoral decisions, even if this is an act of protection; murdering Alec.

In spite of the fact we could argue that Tess’s fate and personal desire to be reunited in a couple with Angel conducts her to commit Alec’s murder, many readers would state that she is an innocent young woman, who was only defending herself. Jakob Lothe believes that ‘tragedy exhibits a state of things in the life of an individual which unavoidably causes some natural aim or desire’ which almost vindicates Tess’s act of murder, and the inevitability of her urge to do so, following the previous tragedies that she had suffered. In the final chapter, Tess is absent from the scene, which allows Hardy to reinforce the reality of the tragedy. The phrase ‘’Justice’ was done, and the President of the Immortals had ended his sport with Tess’ is extremely significant as a sense of irony is conveyed through the quotation marks of ‘’justice’’. Hardy’s mocking tone indicates the unjust consequence for the protagonist, and perhaps that her destiny hadn’t been fulfilled.

Similarly, in ‘Never Let Me Go’, death is a prominent motif depicting the character’s destiny. This is particularly conspicuous at Hailsham when the students are told by Miss Lucy; ‘Your lives are set out for you. You’ll become adults… before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs’. Here there is an emphasis on the pronoun ‘you’ which hints at the idea that they have been taught to feel special and unique, but in reality, no substantial futures await the children. Furthermore, with the word ‘will’ we can infer a sense of certainty that they will donate, and consequently die. Through the emphasis on ‘vital organs’, Ishiguro presents their importance in life, which is significant because over the latest centuries, doctors have discovered the possibility of transplanting an organ from a living or a recently deceased body into another human.

To conclude, I believe that both novels, ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro and ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ by Thomas Hardy, present the theme of destiny in a similar way, despite the genres and the period in which the novels were written, serve as complete contrasts. As a whole, we can draw connections between the approach to love and relationships, because in both novels we see the protagonists end up in a relationship with their ideal partner, however they are unable to pursue this romance due to death. In ‘Never Let Me Go’, Kathy finally begins a love affair with Tommy, a moment that she had been yearning, however this is hindered as they are unable to get a deferral, and Tommy is approaching the end of his life. Contrastingly, in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, the protagonist herself dies, therefore Tess is unable to continue a future with Angel. This is representative of the tragic novel, as she murders Alec in order to be with Angel, but sadly she is punished, despite having being mistreated by the D’Urberville. Overall, both characters, Kathy and Tess, are passive as it’s evident that their destiny and lives have been predetermined. In ‘Never Let Me Go’, this is due to the genre of science-fiction, meaning that they were born to become donors, as they are told at Hailsham; ‘lives are set out for [them]’. In contrast, Hardy presents Tess as submissive to her fate, due to marriage conventions of the Victorian era, and the patriarchal society which signified that women must obey to men. Despite this, by the end of the novel, we could argue that Tess follows her own desires and challenges the customs of society, as she is united with the man of her dreams.

If one word could come close to characterizing the entirety of the Victorian Era that would most certainly be change. In all aspects and domains, from industrialization to scientific discoveries, the period stands for development and rebirth. But greatness cannot be achieved completely and the proof stands in the inequality that the development brought with itself .This change has also made an impact on the authors of the age for which the literature that they were offering to the audience started to have a different meaning than the usual one. The literature was given the mission of advocating for the change that people desired to see in the society.

The period represented for many authors the source of inspiration for their writings perhaps because of the condition of the individual in that particular time, which depended entirely on society and its development. Some of them managed to foreground the society as well as its influence on the inhabitants of Victoria’s Empire and in the same time their thoughts and feelings or perspective towards the Age.

Thomas Hardy was one of the first novelists of the Victorian Era that put the bases of the realistic way of writing in the English literature, through his novels. His style has remained unique all throughout this time grace to the intense use of emotions that he made his characters experience and his highly pessimistic views of the society which he has not hesitated to picture through his writings.

The village in which he was born in the year of 1840, in the county of Dorset, had provided him with all the needed inspiration for his fiction and poetry, the writer itself becoming a reflection of the little village and identifying himself and his work with it with it as the characters of his novels are exploring closely the unseen sides of the village.

Similar to Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy was no stranger to the way in which the Victorian life was rewarding for few and hardly tolerated by many of its citizens. Those belonging to lower social classes were cursed to endure the low standards of living that the industrial cities were offering them as a reward for their long working hours in the factories that were meant to assure England’s prosperity. He comes to acknowledging the hardships of the city life through his architectural apprenticeship that he is taking in London that he soon leaves for the career that is being prospected after the success of his installments novel that is published in the newspaper ,A pair of blue eyes that turns into Far from the Maddening Crowd soon after. The novel is the first one through which Hardy introduces Wessex to the audience receiving praises and admiration for the agricultural setting and the fine blend of tragic, comical and pastoral elements within it.

Through the realistic way in which was able to describe life in the Victorian England, coating it with his own views on the events which was seldom leaning into criticism, Thomas Hardy manages to break through the stiff walls of the Victorian literature, bringing a new perspective towards the Age and further more towards the style of writing. His characters are never shallow, never simple, always portrayed experiencing the peak of their emotions whether the ones in cause are leaning into the tragic or comic category. The events that they are faced with are always the ones that are to be held responsible for their emotional state or for their upcoming actions that are reflections of their deep, intense feelings towards the events or the society they are placed in.

Hardy manages to give a realistic touch even to his poetry, his poems ranging from lyric to ballad and going even as far as dramatic monologue, experimenting with different styles and stanza forms. Their subjects are as various as his experiments with styles foregrounding the war such as in The Dynasts which brings an epic drama of the war with Napoleon. The poem written in blank verse portrays the vision of the writer of the universe as a place governed by unconscious forces who in Hardy’s perspective take the name of Immanent Will. The death of his wife, Emma influences Hardy in finding other subjects for his poems which now are reflecting the regret and remorse that the author is experiencing through this tragedy, the collection bearing names such as After a Journey and The Voice. This period in Thomas Hardy’s life is also considered by critics the peak of his poetic achievement, the death of his wife bringing the author to explore different feelings that he manages to portray through his poems.

Tomalin says that “the moment when Thomas Hardy became a great poet” is related to Emma’s death, going as far as mentioning that some of “finest and strangest celebrations of the dead in English poetry” are represented by the poems that eulogies his wife’s death.

Hardy’s career in fiction comes to an end once with the publication of his two later novels Tess of the d’Urbervilles in 1891 and Jude, the Obscure in 1895, both of which represent some of the writer’s finest novels. Even though different in style, both of the novels foreground different aspects of life of the same individuals belonging to the working class of England, during the Victorian Era. While the biggest difference is made through the main character of the both novels, the two , Tess and Jude belonging to different sexes and having their own personality and character influencing the unfolding of the story, there are also brought to the light through Tess’s character, society’s sexual mores that are continuously being questioned though the events that are shaping Tess’s destiny and through Jude’s character , the studious stonemason, the criticism towards the educational system and the institution of marriage judging by the relationship he has with Sue.

Both of the characters are strong reflections of the writer’s critical views towards the Victorian society, the way in which the poor are treated by the rich and how their condition proves to be the determining factor of their destinies. Citat

Some of the main taboo subjects of the Era, sex and femininity seem to find themselves being thoroughly explored by the writer, even more so throughout the unfolding of the story of Tess, the female figure being foregrounded in views of emphasizing the role of a black fate in a hostile environment. In the same time the author makes sure that the audience is in a complete understanding of the purpose of the novel, that of depicting through Tess’s destiny not only an individual destiny but rather predicting the potential fate of all women alike her living in that particular time, Tess being an exponent of the female category in the Victorian society.

What Hardy tries to project through his work is a challenge for all the morals and norms of the century, particularly in England. The challenge does not reside in the density of the written text or the complexity of the story but in the complex way in which the main character is being constructed and revealed to the audience, her feelings and attitude towards the way in which she is supposed to appear in front of others that could not be classified as belonging to the moral conduct of the age.

When reading the last two of his novels, but more specifically Tess of the d’Urbervilles, one becomes aware of the dual role that the narrator is accomplishing being in the same time an advocate of Tess’s actions and defending her behavior, because she is his creation, but also switching to the voice of the category that he belongs to, Victorian men for whom the heroine’s decisions and behavior are the ones to be held responsible for her demise and ultimately, her death.

Tess of the d’Urbervilles was born between the pages of a newspaper and had to submit to the commercial rules of the suspense which to the author’s dismay was rising the density of the written text. In spite of its popularity, the story of Tess brought with itself many critical opinions that were labeling the heroine as immoral, savage or sly, a misfit in a world in which the woman was supposed to be an angel, completely stranger to the tormenting passions.

The development of the action stays fairly simple but the characters souls surpass the outlines of the biography, vigorously shaken by any unwelcomed event that is threatening their existence or happiness.

The beginning of the novel is in the same time the moment that leads to the unfolding of the action and is also symbolical for the period in which the action takes place, when the name that one was bearing was the deciding factor of its position in the society and of its own destiny.

Completely aware of how the Victorian world designates its winners and losers, when finding out from a priest that he might be a descendant of a noble family of lords and even though without being certain of the truthfulness of the priest’s words, Tess Durbeyfield’s father starts to further research with the purpose of finding the truth. He sends Tess to Mrs. d’Urbervilles who it is believed to be related to them in views of assuring Tess’s future with the inheritance that the family is thought to be leaving to his daughter. In reality the d’Urbrvilles are by no means related to the Durbeyfield family and their name is just as truthful as their bought position in the society. When retiring Simon Stokes , or the believed to be Mr. d’Urbervilles bought changed his last name buying their actual one along with their improved condition, climbing effortlessly on the social ladder.

The portrayal of Tess’s presumably family along with their son, Alec represents the introduction to the Victorian society and the way in which it is functioning. It depicts a two-faced world in which money represents the mean through which everything can be bought when in possession of the right amount. It is the ruler of the world, beholder of power and advantages and moreover, it has such strength that it can falsify identities and positions. Citat

Even though not related in any aspect to Tess and determined to maintain their respectable image in the society, Mrs. D’Urbervilles offers Tess the job of tending to her fowls collection. The depiction of Tess attending to animals represents the reflection of the concern that Hardy was having regarding the newly acknowledged theory of Charles Darwin according to which men were no longer superior to animals but on of their descendants. Furthermore he is expressing the fear for the consequences of this theory when depicting the fowls dwelling which had belonged to a farming family and their behavior as owners of the house which to the acceptance of the reduced status of the human being.

“The lower rooms were entirely given over to the birds, who walked about them with a proprietary air, as though the place had been built by themselves, and not by certain dusty copyholders who now lay east and west in the churchyard…The rooms wherein dozens of infants had wailed at their nursing now resounded with the tapping of nascent chicks. Distracted hens in coops occupied spots where formerly stood chairs supporting sedate agriculturalists. The chimney-corner in which the hens laid their eggs; while out of doors the plots that each succeeding householder had carefully shaped with his spade were torn by the cocks in wildest fashion,” (Hardy 54-55).

Here Tess has her first encounter with the vile things that the human soul is capable of in the shape of the family’s son, Alec. From the very beginning Alec asserts his position as a dominant over Tess’s mind and feelings and in the same time manipulating the girl into falling in his trap following the seduce and betrayal pattern. The relationship between Alec and Tess inevitably takes into account the treatment of women and the image of women in the society which prove to be a recurring theme in the Victorian literature. Alec shares the views of the society that he lives in, not having any consideration for the woman’s will or feelings and simply trying to satisfy his desires.

“considers satisfying his sexual need his privilege as a male member of the upper class. Alec –almost a stereotypical villain with a black pointy mustache – makes a game of seducing women…Rather than conceiving of women as powerful equals, Alec uses women’s sexuality to dominate them,” (Rode)

In his twisted thinking he feels entitled to take from Tess what he feels that rightfully belongs to him. In his seduction game he enjoys stimulating her sexuality but also uses his wealth and power seldom mentioning her family and their condition that she is supposed to improve in order to manipulate her into surrendering to his will.

“I have enough and more than enough to put you out of anxiety, both for yourself and your parents and sisters. I can make them all comfortable if you will only show confidence in me,” (Hardy 347)

This reduced status of the human proves to also be the very essence of Alec’s behavior towards Tess and ultimately when he assaults her in the woods showing no mercy for the poor girl in the role of a predator that has spent far too long hunting his prey.