Thomas Hardy - Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy tells the tragic story of Tess Durbeyfield, a young and beautiful peasant girl in impoverished rural England. When her family discovers a tenuous link to the noble d'Urberville family, they send Tess to seek financial assistance from their wealthy namesakes. There, she encounters the manipulative Alec d'Urberville, who eventually rapes or seduces her. This pivotal moment is a key event in this Thomas Hardy novel.

Tess returns home, bears a child who dies in infancy, and later finds work as a milkmaid at Talbothays Dairy. She experiences a brief period of happiness and falls in love with Angel Clare, an idealistic young man. However, their marriage is tragically flawed. On their wedding night, Tess confesses her past to Angel, but he cannot reconcile his idealised view of her with this revelation. He abandons her, and Tess is left to navigate a harsh and unforgiving society, a central theme in this work of classic literature.

Circumstances force Tess into a desperate situation, leading her to reunite with Alec d'Urberville. When Angel finally returns, Tess, in a state of despair and feeling betrayed, murders Alec. She spends a short time in hiding with Angel before her eventual capture and execution. The novel explores themes of social class, morality, sexual exploitation, and the injustices faced by women in Victorian England. Hardy portrays Tess as a victim of circumstance and societal hypocrisy, challenging the rigid moral standards of the time. This tragic romance is a powerful example of Victorian literature.