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Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Introduction and Phase the First: Chapters 1 - 11
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Donna
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Sep 08, 2022 06:54AM
Alec has revealed himself as a true cad in this chapter and Tess is a sacrificial lamb.
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Jim wrote: "On the surface, this short chapter seems to be quite a simple, straightforward episode: Tess allows herself to be dressed up and made to look attractive and somewhat more mature than she really is,..."Jim
I echo Jean's comments. Well stated.
Ah, Tess, what fate awaits you? There is such tension in this chapter as well as a good dash of trickery on the part of both Alec and Tess. Alec gets his kiss, but Tess is able to trick Alec and get out of the cart. How long will this forced dalliance continue before Fate has its way with Tess?
I love the illustrations. As 21C readers we tend to forget how many 19C texts were illustrated. It is interesting to think that Thackeray did his own illustrations and famous artists such as Millais illustrated some of Trollope’s novels.
In this illustration we see Tess looking behind her. There is the subtle suggestion in the image and the letterpress that she is looking back towards her home, towards her innocence. That is not possible as we see Alec approaching her. And Alec is leading a horse, a subtle reminder that it was because of the death of Prince that Tess finds herself on this road, so far from home, and Alec both stands in her way and is approaching her.
Mod
And I love your examination of the iconography or subtext in this illustration, thanks Peter :) By the way, I had no idea that Sir John Everett Millais illustrated some of Anthony Trollope's novels - or indeed those of any author. Wow!
During Tess's tumultuous journey in company with Alec, we begin to learn quite a bit more about the character of each of them. It becomes clear that Alec is a young buck with a surplus of testosterone, one who has obvious designs upon Tess as a tempting young lass. As would a similar youth in our day, he enjoys fast driving and dangerous pursuits and sees the opportunity to advance his suit quickly by frightening Tess. Callow, reckless and egotistical, he is probably not a particularly bad person but the penalty for his selfishness and carelessness may well be paid by Tess rather than himself.Tess, on the other hand begins to show another side of her character; despite her innocence and inexperience and despite finding herself entirely in the power of Alec, she soon gets fed up with his behavior and creating an excuse to dismount, refuses to ride with him any further. She will walk the rest of the way, a distance of several miles. In spite of his annoyance, Alec is impressed by her spirit. Hardy has planted a seed here, pointing a way forward; Tess may be in a difficult position but she will not be a helpless victim.
Mod
Melbury Down and Win Green:
"[Tess] looked steadily ahead as they trotted on near Melbury Down and Wingreen, till she saw, to her consternation, that there was yet another descent to be undergone."
Unusually, Thomas Hardy did not rename these locations. Here is Melbury Down:
and here is Win Green hill, which Tess feared Alec would make the horse and cart rush down again (just before she got out):
Both are now owned by the National Trust, so still accessible for all :)
Mod
The chickens which Tess has been employed to care for, live in a cottage which was once someone’s home, but is now overgrown with ivy. She works for a while and is then told by a maid to bring the birds to Mrs. d’Urberville. Tess learns for the first time that Mrs. d’Urberville is blind, and again feels uneasy.
Mrs. d’Urberville is waiting in an armchair, and she speaks to Tess but makes no mention of the d’Urberville name. She takes each fowl in her lap and checks it over with her hands. They go through all of the chickens in the cottage, and the process reminds Tess of a religious Confirmation ceremony, in which Mrs. d’Urberville is the bishop, Tess is the parson, and the fowls are the children being presented.
Mrs. d’Urberville asks Tess if she can whistle, and Tess says that she can. Mrs. d’Urberville asks her to whistle songs to the bullfinches every day. The maid mentions that Alec has been whistling to them lately, and Mrs. d’Urberville reacts negatively to his name. Tess has not yet noticed that there was no mention of her kinship, but she now sees that the mother and son d’Urberville do not get along.
Tess feels better the next morning and starts to practice her whistling. Alec suddenly appears, complimenting her beauty and sarcastically calling her “Cousin.” He offers to help her, and to avoid her possibly refusing him, he promises to stay on the other side of the fence. Tess finally manages to produce a clear note, inadvertently laughing, and then blushes. Alec says that Tess is a “temptation as never before fell to mortal man”, but that he won’t try to seduce her again. He warns that his mother is a strange woman, and tells Tess if she has any trouble she must come to him, and not the bailiff.
Tess begins to adjust to her position and to Alec’s presence. He teases her carefully and she gradually becomes less shy. However Alec is also in a position of power because Tess is employed ny his mother. Whistling to the bullfinches becomes a pleasurable job, and Tess can practice songs she learned from her mother. The birds share the same room as Mrs. d’Urberville. One day Tess is whistling, and suspects that Alec is watching her from behind the bed curtains. Her whistling becomes erratic. After that she always checks the curtains, but Alec does not try this again.
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Take, oh take those lips away,
That so sweetly were forsworn,
And those eyes: the breake of day,
Lights that do mislead the Morn;
But my kisses bring again, bring again,
Seals of love, but sealed in vain, sealed in vain.
from Measure for Measure - William Shakespeare
It has been set to music several times, but I suspect the one Alec whistles may be by Sir Henry Rowley Bishop, a composer who had been knighted in 1842. Tess only knows simple country ditties, so does not pick up the deliberate allusion, and misses the fact that Alec is flirting with her. Perhaps someone will be able to find a recording of this song?
Mod
Tess whistling to the bullfinches is another example of her oneness with the natural world, and the beginning of her association with bird imagery.
Here is a bullfinch:
As a British (and European) songbird, a bullfinch is a “Proud Songster”. Thank you John, for picked a very apt weekly poem to lead us into this read of Tess of the D’Urbervilles :) We have also just read “The Darkling Thrush” and discussed how often writers have used birds as motifs. LINK HERE for further links to both discussions.
We talked about how Victorian writers were especially fond of bird imagery, assigning particular meaning to birds as symbols, and nowhere more than in this novel.
Mod
“Mrs d’Urberville was not the first mother compelled to love her offspring resentfully, and to be bitterly fond.”
And also this, also said to Tess, by Alec:
“I am rather out of her books just now,”
So as yet we don’t really know how things stand. It could be that her reaction confirms the suspicion that she disapproves of his actions, but has little control over them.
Mod
This does not bode well for Tess. All the circumstances of society, wealth, and gender work in Alec’s favour. Tess is essentially powerless, and must rely totally on Alec’s whims and good humour. Yet she still manages to stay hopeful in her innocence, and is able to take pleasure in working with the birds.
Your thoughts? Oh, and don't miss the photographs of this area, which I placed just before today's summary :)
“bitterly fond”. What a powerful oxymoron. And so true of so many people both within the pages of a book and in life. Such an emotion cannot end well. The phrase suggests destruction.
This chapter presents us with many examples of nature and music with Tess as the caretaker of both the birds and their song. This, linked to the earlier image of Tess adorned with flowers, places her firmly within the world of nature. What will happen to nature’s object Tess and what will the consequences be?
Hardy's "not the first mother" aside is definitely a "hmm" moment.
Mod
..."
That's a great line to highlight, Jean. It says so much about Alec's character that his mother feels this way about him.
It appears she is fonder of her bird menagerie than her son. What does her indulgent treatment of the birds tell us about her? The narrator points out that the previous owners of the estate are unhappy with the birds running roost on the ground floor of what used to be a perfectly fine house. It reminded me that the Stoke-d'Urbervilles wealth comes from "new" money. Could it be that Mrs. d'Urberville was - in her youth - more like Tess than the wealthy widow she appears to be now? It was implied in an earlier chapter that the wealth came from money lending which was not a very respectable profession at the time. That and the treatment of the chickens paints a truer picture of the Stoke-d'Urbervilles than what they attempt to present to the world.
The fact that Mrs. Stokes-D'Urberville, aging and blind, is a fowl-fancier raises some questions: Is this a passion that has arisen within the context of her blindness, i.e. a sort of hobby that works for her because she can have her prize specimens brought to her where she can "see" them first-hand, or is there some other back-story here? She treats them like pets; are they objects to which she can transfer affection, to compensate for he dissatisfaction with her son? And most important, does Tess have any reason to hope that the by catering to the old lady's whims — caring for her prize chickens, whistling to bullfinches — she may gain some measure of protection or benefit, making he less vulnerable to Eric's schemes? Surely a slender thread upon which to hang one's fate! (Oh, yes, there's that word again!)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Great post Natalie!"Chitterlings" are small intestines of some domesticated animals, and I suspect "blackpot" is what we now call "black pudding" - made of blood, as you say - and fried in rounds..."
Hi Jean,
Wow! Chitterlings?! I was so tickled and surprised to see this reference in the text. In my community, chitterlings (aka "chitlin's") is a dish that many families with roots in the Southern U.S. states eat during the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving Day. So, I always thought it was a "Southern" thing to eat chitterlings.
Chitterlings smell awful, though, and, in my experience, are strong enough to stink up an entire room! So, John Durbeyfield's ordering them is definitely a "step down" from his fancy menu.
That’s extremely interesting, April. I know of ‘the chitlin circuit’, a trail of ultra-exploitative music venues in the South that down-at-heel, but determined blues and soul artists (my musical obsession) would be forced into playing from (roughly) post-war into the 1970s. Some saw success, far more didn’t. I expect that this term is derived from the same source.
Mod
Peter and Keith - Thomas Hardy's mastery of language and acerbic wit really comes through at a moment like this, doesn't it?
Bridget and Jim - I very much like your musing on the meaning of Mrs. d'Urberville's bird fancying, which seems to border on obsessive! It could indeed indicate a less affluent youth (of which we have been told) or this particular care and love could be intended as a contrast to her dismissive treatment of her own son Alec, or even something we have not yet thought of!
April - Yay - welcome to this read! And what a surprise about chitterlings! I hadn't even thought that they might be a staple in other cultures! It might well be a "Southern" thing in the States :) Thanks! I don't think it's at all easy to get them here now, and in my childhood my mum would turn her nose up at them because they were smelly, although she would cook liver (the "step up" in John Durbeyfield's eyes) and also tripe for my dad.
David - Such connections are fascinating :)
Thank all for enriching this read so much :) And on to chapter 10 ...
Mod
The people of Trantridge love to drink, and go every Saturday to get merry in nearby Chaseborough. Tess avoids going for a while, but she finally agrees and then has a good time, enjoying the company of the other women, “the hilariousness of the others being quite contagious”. She keeps going back, sometimes alone, but always returns in the safety of a group.
One night a few months later, the market day coincides with the fair. She cannot find the villagers, and is told that they had gone to a private jig (dance) at the house of a hay-trusser. Ambling along, she encounters Alec at a street corner. Tess tells him she is just waiting for the others. He says they will meet again, and walks away.
Tess finds all the villagers at an eerie outdoor dance, lit by hazy candles in an outhouse. The atmosphere is smoky and the dancing figures appear unreal or mythical. When they leave the haze they seem to transform back into common village-folk. Tess asks if any are leaving and a bystander says the dance is almost over.
The dance keeps going for a while, and Tess is too afraid to walk home alone. A man asks her to dance but she refuses. People start pairing off and then one stumbles, making them all fall over into the “fusty débris of peat and hay”. Tess hears a laugh behind her and meets Alec again. She explains her situation and he offers to take her home, but she still has misgivings and refuses. Alec’s presence makes the dancers begin to recollect themselves and head home, however, so Tess starts to walk with them.
Tess observes that many of her companions are staggering drunkenly, and this reminds her uncomfortably of her father. She sees that one of the women is Car Darch, the “Queen of Spades,” who was recently a favourite of Alec’s. They come to a gate and Car goes first with her heavy basket on her head. The rest of the group notices something dark trickling down her back, and they realise that it is treacle from a smashed jar in the basket. Everyone laughs as Car rolls around on the ground, trying to clean it off.
Tess can’t help but join in the laughter. When Car hears her, she becomes enraged, as she had already been jealous of Tess because of Alec’s attentions. Tess apologises, but is appalled to see Car strip off her bodice. Tess proudly refuses to fight, but inadvertently insults the whole group by saying: “if I had known you was of that sort, I wouldn’t have so let myself down as to come with such a whorage as this is!” This enrages all the other women, and Tess feels indignant and ashamed. She tries to escape the crowd, but at that moment Alec appears on his horse and demands to know what the trouble is, although he has already overheard enough. He offers Tess a ride home and a means of escaping the situation.
Tess feels so distressed that she accepts Alec’s offer, although at almost any other moment she would have refused. The other women watch them ride off, laughing at the trouble Tess has now landed herself in. They start walking again, and the dew and their misty breath seems like halos around their heads.
Mod
The drunk and rowdy women of Trantridge contrast with the innocent, superstitious women of Marlott. The dance seems like a sort of bacchanalia, or a wild pagan orgy, with the ordinary folk becoming larger-than-life, or somehow inhuman. This is an aspect of ancient paganism that is not associated with the pure and innocent Tess, and it makes her uncomfortable. “She did not abhor dancing, but she was not going to dance here.”
Mod
Car Darch appears here as a foil for Tess. She is violent and passionate, and this being set against Tess’s modesty and innocence, shows a type of woman not yet seen in this novel.
Mod
The fact that only at this precise moment Alec happens to arrive emphasises the injustice of Tess’s fate. Thomas Hardy doesn’t really need to say who this is (and Charles Dickens would probably not have done, but left it as a delicious secret!) when Alec comes out with the proprietorial “my Beauty”.
Alec d’Urberville seem to be taking on a fiendish air with the “red coal of [his] cigar”. It reminds me of a devil, perhaps because Thomas Hardy puts that word in my mind with Alec’s expostulation: “What the devil is all this row about, work-folk?” Smiling damned villain! (No that’s Shakespeare, but it is how Alec d’Urberville makes me feel. Why else should he be lurking outside, lying in wait for Tess, who is surely one of the “work-folk” he refers to.) Alec seems clearly signalled as a villain, but perhaps he may yet behave like a gentleman.
But this is surely an unhappy coincidence, and the mockery of the other women once Tess has accepted Alec’s offer to take her home only heightens the apprehension we feel:
“Out of the frying-pan into the fire!”
Mod
There are also mythological references, which those with annotated editions might like to pick up, such as the whirling dancers in the dusty haze are described thus:
“the indistinctness shaping them to satyrs clasping nymphs—a multiplicity of Pans whirling a multiplicity of Syrinxes; Lotis attempting to elude Priapus, and always failing.”
And Car’s plump arms look:
“as luminous and beautiful as some Praxitelean creation”
I think this is a word derived from a sculptor, and something to do with perfect body form, but someone may fill us in …
Mod
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranborne
Over to you!
Chapter X sees Hardy describing the limited social life available to the working class servants such as those in d’Urberville’s employ. It’s no surprise that Saturday night recreation centres on hormones and alcohol, still the mainstays as far as I’m aware (I'm too old now, but I think natural instincts still prevail...). There’s seems to me to be almost a tangible shift in Hardy’s authorial attitude here. Where previously we are shown the weaknesses of Tess’s peasant mother and father in drinking, fecklessness, and living for the moment, we are allowed to judge the characters, Hardy seems far more didactic in Chapter X, “the uselessness of saving money”, “the smock-frocked arithmeticians”, “parish relief” regarded as superior to savings, and his descriptions of the goings-on in Chaseborough (Cranborne) at the “private little jig” with classical references to Lotis, Priapus and Sileni are less than flattering in tone. I do wonder why this is.
As we progress into the novel Tess becomes more and more isolated. Initially she was segregated from her family and home environment. In this chapter she becomes segregated from the areas working class population. What is left? She does not fit comfortably into the d’Uberville world. She does not want to associate with Alec. That said, it is always Alec who appears at the right (or would that be wrong?) moment. In this chapter we have smoke, fog, dust and a swirl of people. And then there is Alec and the smoke of his cigar and, as pointed out by Jean, accompanied with the red glow of his cigar.
And then they ride off on a horse. So many horses. Prince, then the cart horse who scrambles so quickly with Alec at the reins, and now She mounts Alec’s horse.
I'm enjoying the experience of reading a chapter at a time more enjoyable and rewarding than I thought it would be. It is good to take time to reflect on each chapter. Each chapter so far has been a well crafted episode of its own.I wonder why Tess has ended up as different/"apart" from her contemporaries amongst the servants. We know show is intelligent, but her home surroundings can't have provided any good example for her.
Perhaps the better morals of the Marlott villagers - the wholesome summer dance of the girls in their white also contr
...white dresses contrasts with the wild carousing of the Trantridge group.
Tess recognizes that she needs the protection of the community, but she is alienated based on her origin, (favored) job with the D'Urbervilles, aversion to alcohol, beauty, and reserved character. She is also targeted because she is Alec's current favorite, so she has no allies among the workers. Her vulnerability stems largely from her social isolation.
Hardy never misses out on an opportunity to delve into the character, environment, social practices, and especially the unique local color of each small corner of the land that he loved. He vividly contrasts the rowdy habits of the women of Trantridge with the restrained, traditional celebrations of the white-clad dancers in Tess's home town.Tess is finding herself increasingly an outsider; she follows the others but she remains at odds and has not made any real friend. The unwelcome attention she receives from Alec is also resented by some of the other young women. All of this is fatally contrived to leave her more vulnerable to Alec's schemes. It's easy to see that all of this is leading toward Tess's downfall, so as readers we're not surprised to see her allow Alec to carry her off in the night.
I love this pace too, and I am still kind of keeping up.
Gaslighting is a relatively modern term to name a kind of isolation and abuse, and it didn't exist yet in Hardy's time. It is exactly what he shows though. Tess gaslights herself (with help from her parents) into going to the D'urbervilles, where she is more isolated and nearer Alec. He feeds her little snippets of help, like with the whistling, and by singling her out he isolates her even more from the people she would otherwise have belonged to. And now it was Tess saying the wrong thing and getting into a fight, while beneath the surface it was Alec isolating her from people who knew why she didn't like alcohol (at home in Marlott everyone knew her parents were alcoholics after all), and from people who might have become good acquaintances in time because he works their jealousy by singling her out. I am sure he will blame her instead.
Gaslighting is a relatively modern term to name a kind of isolation and abuse, and it didn't exist yet in Hardy's time. It is exactly what he shows though. Tess gaslights herself (with help from her parents) into going to the D'urbervilles, where she is more isolated and nearer Alec. He feeds her little snippets of help, like with the whistling, and by singling her out he isolates her even more from the people she would otherwise have belonged to. And now it was Tess saying the wrong thing and getting into a fight, while beneath the surface it was Alec isolating her from people who knew why she didn't like alcohol (at home in Marlott everyone knew her parents were alcoholics after all), and from people who might have become good acquaintances in time because he works their jealousy by singling her out. I am sure he will blame her instead.
The term ‘gaslighting’ was coined when Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962) wrote Gaslight (1938), a hugely successful play onstage and a successful film. He is probably my favourite 20th century writer, about whom Nick Hornby wrote, “'If you were looking to fly from Dickens to Martin Amis with just one overnight stop, then Hamilton is your man”. Anyone wishing to explore the works of Hamilton, himself a character with huge personal issues, there is a very active Patrick Hamilton group on Goodreads - come on over.
I often feel that he and Hardy are almost foils for each other in their individual explorations of the urban and rural.
Mod
Pankies and Jantine - I'm so glad you are enjoying this way of reading :)
David - I've very much enjoyed about 4 of Patrick Hamilton's plays, so I must look on your page for that group, thank you. I hadn't known the term "gaslighting" Jantine defined for us, but do know the film from which it was taken, so thanks both for that snippet!
So now we are on to the final chapter in this First Phase. Hold on to your seats ...
Mod
Alex and Tess ride away, and Tess starts to feel uncomfortable. Alec asks why she is not more grateful to him and avoids his kisses, and Tess says that she does not love him. He asks if he has offended her with every flirtation, and she is silent. They keep riding and the sleepy, distracted Tess does not notice that they passed the road to Trantridge long before. She is “inexpressibly weary” because she has been awake since five o-clock, and it is now one the next morning. She starts to lean against Alec and he “enclosed her waist with his arm to support her”. This immediately makes her pull away again.
Alec is irked at her constant distrust, and angrily calls Tess a “mere chit”. Then he compliments her again, and persuades her to let him put his arm around her. A long time passes and Tess finally realises that they should be home by now. She asks where they are and Alec answers vaguely. Then he confesses that they are in The Chase, “the oldest wood in England” and that he has been prolonging their ride.
Tess grows angry again and pulls away. She demands that he let her walk home, but Alec says they are miles from Trantridge and it is foggy, adding: “I feel myself responsible for your safe-conduct home”. He lets her dismount and offers to find the path home while she waits with the horse, admitting that even he is a bit lost. He steals a kiss and ties up the horse. He makes a nest of dead leaves for Tess, and mentions that he has bought a new horse for Durbeyfield and some toys for Tess’s siblings. Tess is grateful but conflicted. She had not known this, and when she realises the depth of Alec’s passion for her she starts to cry.
Alec asks: “Tessy—don’t you love me ever so little now?”. He tries to comfort her and wraps her tenderly in his overcoat. Then he goes off into the wood. Tess starts to fall asleep. Alec takes his time but gets his bearings, and then goes back for Tess. The moon has gone down and The Chase is black and foggy. Alec stumbles over Tess in the dark, and sees that she is asleep with tears on her face. She appears as a pale shape against the blackness. He presses his cheek against hers.
The dark ancient trees are all around, and birds and rabbits, but the narrator wonders where Tess’s guardian angel is this night. He wonders if the god of her faith is distracted, and why such female innocence should be doomed to violation in this way, and why these injustices happen so often. The narrator hypothesises that probably many d’Urberville knights had been even more cruel towards peasant girls of their day, and perhaps Tess is being punished for this. But he says that most humans scorn this kind of justice. The chapter ends with the narrator repeating the rural folk’s saying in their fatalistic way: “It was to be”, commenting that after this, Tess is to be a different woman altogether.
Mod
And yet as I read this chapter again, I find Alec portrayed in a different way. No longer is he the moustache-twirling pantomime villain. Here he uses the language of love: “dear” is used repeatedly: “dear Tess”, “dear one”, “my pretty”, “the prettiest girl in the world”, “darling”. He is gentle, and we read that he treats her “tenderly”, saying that he loves her, putting his own cloak round her and making somewhere soft in the dry leaves, for her to rest. It is often taken as a given that Alec D’Urberville rapes Tess, but I think we need to look closely at the language here.
Psychologically of course, Tess is a victim. Alec has repeatedly shown his power, and here we see him being manipulative, in telling her about the gifts he has bestowed on her family. This puts her in an untenable position, and she feels she has to be grateful to him. He also calls her a “mere chit” at one point. This could be how Alec really sees her, but on the other hand it could just be temper. He certainly seems honest in what he says next:
“For near three mortal months have you trifled with my feelings, eluded me, and snubbed me; and I won’t stand it!”
It has the air of mastery, of his class and position, but he feels slighted. He ask her permission to court her: “Mayn’t I treat you as a lover?” and Tess responds ”pettishly”. Of course we have to remember that Tess is exhausted, but this still gives mixed messages, just as here:
“I haven’t offended you often by love-making?”
“You have sometimes.”
“How many times?”
“You know as well as I—too many times.”
“Every time I have tried?”
She was silent“
This is not a clear rejection by Tess!
In this chapter Alec does seem to love her. Even deliberately taking the wrong track is perhaps not as despicable as we might think. The narrator—not Alec—tells us that he had ridden at random “in order to prolong companionship with her, and giving far more attention to Tess’s moonlit person than to any wayside object.” This does not sound like a calculated plan does it? In Alec’s eyes, it is more making the most of an opportunity. He seems besotted with Tess, and we are told, wanted to gaze at her all the time. He is weak, and does not see why he should not make the most of his position.
So when he comes across Tess’s sleeping form, we can imagine Alec’s feelings. A true gentleman would of course have woken her gently and taken her home as he had promised. But Alec was not born a gentleman: he is “new money”, from business. We have wondered about his mother’s origins too. So he has no sense of tradition, and we do not know what his moral code is.
Across the page we read “Maiden No More”. But we are not told exactly what happened. This is a complex relationship with two nuanced characters. It has taken several months to get to this point, and it is entirely possible that Tess agrees, albeit she has little choice. We are tempted to think of Alec as a snake in the grass, but Tess is also presented as passive, and persuadable. Alec has certainly taken advantage of Tess, but ...
Isn’t this seduction, rather than rape?
Mod
Tess and Alec finally speak plainly to each other, and Tess’s true modesty and innocence are made clear to Alec. He begins to realise that his flirtations are not working. Tess falling asleep recalls her reverie before Prince’s death, and her taking on again of the role of the sleeping victim of catastrophe.
Alec angrily reminds her of his power over her, both as a stronger man and as her wealthy employer. Faced with the inevitable, Tess must submit a little. She tries to assert her independence, but now the situation has become impossible, and she must depend on Alec. He mentions her family as a reminder of yet another form of control he wields over Tess, as her ethics and ideals mean that she is bound to sacrifice herself for her family’s well-being. The reality of her situation finally hits her in a heartbreaking way, and she cries. Tess falls asleep and again becomes the passive victim.
Mod
“he plunged into the webs of vapour which by this time formed veils between the trees. She could hear the rustling of the branches as he ascended the adjoining slope, till his movements were no louder than the hopping of a bird, and finally died away. With the setting of the moon the pale light lessened, and Tess became invisible as she fell into reverie upon the leaves where he had left her.”
It has a sense of unreality, as if other elements are in charge. This is masterly writing!
The setting of the dark Chase builds up even more the sense of foreboding, and the feeling that Alec and Tess are among ancient powers that do not care about human happiness. I think we need to remember that in Thomas Hardy’s view, Alec is also a puppet of fate. This tragic event, Thomas Hardy suggests, was preordained. He invokes Nature as Tess’s element, but in the end he says that her pagan purity is defenceless against the cruelty of modern man and unjust fate. The primeval powers of The Chase take over in the night, and Tess is presented as a figure of tragic innocence, light set against the dark.
The narrator (Thomas Hardy’s voice here)’s meditation on why bad things happen to good people leads to no satisfying answer, just the fatalism of the simple townspeople. All possible explanations seem unfair. Tess is a “Pure Woman Faithfully Presented,” and what happened to her was not her fault, but something unfairly enacted upon her. The final paragraph is intended to make that clear, emphasising that this was not a result of her own sin, in the face of society’s anticipated criticism.
This is the last action described, and even this was too explicit for critics and many readers at the time of the novel’s publication.
Mod
Note the subtitle A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented. This was the cause of great concern. It challenged the sexual morals of late Victorian England, and fell foul of the current censorship issues. Thomas Hardy refused to back down and gave the novel the subtitle “A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented” so that no one could ever doubt his intent and his feelings.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles was Thomas Hardy’s second to last novel, but he had a difficult time having it published because of this aspect. It had mixed reviews from the critics, but the public loved it. As I mentioned, it first appeared in a censored version as a newspaper serial in 1891, then in book form in three volumes later in 1891, and as a single volume in 1892. Now it is considered to be a masterpiece.
The back story continues to be sad though. When Thomas Hardy’s next novel Jude the Obscure was published, it was immediately branded as immoral. It was even publicly burned by the Bishop of Salisbury, who considered it indecent: “probably in his despair”, wrote Thomas Hardy later, “at not being able to burn me”.
Brokenhearted, Thomas Hardy was never to write another novel again. He concentrated on his poetry, which had always been his first love. Now, we see the aspects which so shocked the church as largely tragic.
But he retained a great affection for Tess.
Mod
What Alec did was wrong, but he was a product of his new class. It was not quite “droit du seigneur” (a medieval lord’s right to have sex with any female tenants on the first night of their marriage), but somewhere between that and the modern ethos; the sense of entitlement and privilege that money can bring. Alec symbolises the uncaring new world sweeping away and destroying the pagan country ways.
Erich gave an excellent summing up of the reasons for Tess’s vulnerability, and as Jim says, this event was clearly signalled so that we are not surprised.
What are your thoughts about this chapter? (Please note that by common preference, we now have a day free before moving on.)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Tess bedecked in roses offers us another image of her as a fertility goddess or a symbol of Nature. Despite her education, Tess still has some of her mother’s superstitions, and can’t help but give..."@Bionic Jean #181
When I read this description of the flowers, I thought about Botticelli's image of "La Primavera." In my mind, Tess looked like Flora or one of the three Graces. They are beautiful and exquisite, but in this same picture, Chloris is being raped (seduced/overwhelmed) by Zephyrus. True, there are numerous symbols throughout this painting, but the images of people create contexts we can relate to -- even hundreds of years later -- in paintings and literature remain powerful.
Also, all these ideas about being tied to the land, meant to work the land, and the "proper" position that Tess should assume are all reinforced by the flowers. They remind me of a scattered bridal bouquet, too.
About the painting "La Primavera" by Sandro Botticelli
https://www.guidaturistica-michelebus...
Bionic Jean wrote: "but the original readers would automatically do this."
And that is exactly why I think this novel is so strong, and makes Hardy such a good writer. It means he had insight in both this psychology of power imbalance, and in the way his audience must have read it. Us now realising how easy it is to blame Tess for being so passive, and realising how she is being played, does make the novel even better instead of very outdated.
And that is exactly why I think this novel is so strong, and makes Hardy such a good writer. It means he had insight in both this psychology of power imbalance, and in the way his audience must have read it. Us now realising how easy it is to blame Tess for being so passive, and realising how she is being played, does make the novel even better instead of very outdated.
@ Jean (Bionic Jean) #234How revealing that we continue these same conversations and debates across centuries. I look forward to reading everyone's commentary here as this is my first "stop" with this check-in after reading more this morning.
My greatest challenge is the disparity between their power. Privilege, class (perceived class), and gender preference all favor Alec. While he may have changed in degrees and internal concern for Tess, those first interactions were highly uneven. Even the first correspondence to Tess's mother reveal manipulation to control another person who is more vulnerable. True, Tess is capable of vanity and self-pride at times, but she is not outwardly manipulate or cruel of others. After all, isn't she going through the journeys a maiden considers?
Again, I return to Hardy's intention as a writer. While he creates rounded characters, he's also the master of the plot. He reveals to us readers (now and at the time this was written) the plights and worries Tess and her family regularly lived. There are many indications that Alec noted these misfortunes and still pursued Tess even in underhanded ways.
I'm trying to avoid presentism; still, it seems to me that Alec is now presented as a fuller character, but he cultivated himself earlier as dark, selfish, and cynically manipulative.
Again, I now look forward to reading others' insights and interpretations.
My Best,
Jan
Bionic Jean wrote: "So we finally see what the first ten chapters were leading up to. Poor Tess! A tragic, passive victim.
And yet as I read this chapter again, I find Alec portrayed in a different way. No longer is..."
Bionic Jean wrote: "Melbury Down and Win Green:
"[Tess] looked steadily ahead as they trotted on near Melbury Down and Wingreen, till she saw, to her consternation, that there was yet another descent to be underg..."
These photos are breathtaking! Thank you for bringing Tess' world closer to my own through such images.
I agree with you Jan about the disparity of power and think that Tess is in spite of that fact very courageous to openly reject him. She probably doesn´t always dare to say so, but I don´t put any blame on her.
Rape? Seduction? Fate? To me, Alec clearly manoeuvres Tess into an impossible position. Alec brings the family of Tess to a position of obligation. Alec arranges a sham job to lure Tess to his home. Alec lurks, hides behind curtains, flirts and schemes. Tess is aware of another girl who has been attracted to and dumped by Alec. Can we blame Tess?
Now, Hardy sets the plot in a place called The Chase. It is described as one of the oldest locations in the country. This reference to ancient places suggests Fate may be involved. The name “chase” is suggestive of Tess being chased, but is she being chased by Fate or Alec?
Wasn’t it Milton in Paradise Lost who wrote that man was sufficient to stand but free to fall?
It occurs to me that this entire first phase "The Maiden" may be seen as back-story; that is, we learn of Tess's origins, the family history and village society that made her the person she is and the series of events that placed he in this situation. Now, following her seduction at the hands of Alec, her true adult life begins. How will she fare from this point onward? Will she remain a victim of power disparity and the fate that has been handed to her or will she rise above her circumstances, come into her own as a competent young woman? Now her real story begins.
Mod
Bridget wrote: "There is so much to think about here, that I find myself very grateful for a free day before moving on. Jean's comments in #234 have given me so much to think about. I've never tried to think about..."Totally agree Bridget!!
Mod
Syrinx was a wood nymph known for her chastity who is sexually pursued by Pan and asks the river nymphs to turn her into a cattail or reed to avoid being raped by Pan. Pan then cuts the reeds and makes them into his first panpipe.
In the other story Priapus tries to rape the nymph Lotis while everyone else is asleep. She is saved by the braying of a donkey.
To me these stories sound very similar the Alec and Tess story. A man relentlessly pursuing a helpless maiden.
Michaela wrote: "I agree with you Jan about the disparity of power and think that Tess is in spite of that fact very courageous to openly reject him. She probably doesn´t always dare to say so, but I don´t put any ..."It's a powerful story, isn't it?
Thank you, Michaela.
Keep reading and enjoying. I feel like a student all over again, and I'm loving every conversation.
A smile,
Jan
Bridget wrote: "There is one more thing I can't stop thinking about. I keep coming back to the mythological references Hardy used at the outhouse dance. He referenced Pan and Syrinx as well as Lotis and Priapus. ..."
Thanks for explaining the myth references, Bridget :)
Works of Thomas Hardy
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