"Tess of the d'Urbervilles"

Author: Thomas Hardy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The lazy and gluttonous Jack De Bellfield sends his daughter Tess to visit a wealthy relative. Tess's mother hopes Tess will make a good impression, perhaps even finding a good match with the son of this family. Tess meets her "relative," an elderly blind woman and her impeccably dressed son, Alec. Alec tricks Tess into working at his farm. The naive Tess, though wary of Alec, cannot escape his clutches, and eventually falls victim to him. Tess returns home and tells her mother everything, but her mother still believes Alec will marry her daughter. Tess lives in the eyes of society's judgment, while Alec continues to pursue her. Autumn arrives, and Tess gives birth to a child in secret, which soon dies. Tess travels alone to a dairy farm far from her hometown and becomes a milkmaid. There is also a pastor's son, Angel, at the dairy farm. The milkmaids all want to get close to Angel, but Angel falls in love with Tess. Tess feels immoral and avoids Angel. Angel persistently pursues her, and Tess finally agrees. The night before the wedding, Tess writes a letter to Angel, confessing everything about her relationship with Alec. However, Angel never sees the letter. Later, she tries multiple times to explain everything to Angel but never gets the chance. On their wedding night, Angel tells Tess that he had been unfaithful to another woman. Tess forgives him and reveals her own past with Alec, believing Angel will forgive her too. But Angel is deeply hurt and tells Tess that she is not the woman he wants. He leaves her and disappears. Tess faces the threat of starvation and is forced to work hard in the fields. This is when she encounters Alec again, who has become a preacher and resumes pursuing her. Tess writes a letter to Angel, asking his mother to forward it, saying she is being chased by an enemy and asking Angel to forgive her and return to her. For a long time, Tess does not receive a reply from Angel, and under Alec's pursuit, her heart softens. She believes Angel cannot forgive her and returns to Alec's side. Unbeknownst to her, Angel has returned to ask Tess for forgiveness, but he finds Tess living with Alec. He turns away, deeply wounded once again. Tess grows to hate Alec even more. While Alec is asleep, she kills him and then goes to find Angel. Angel forgives her, and they spend a few happy days together. The police arrive. Tess is asleep, and Angel asks the officers to wait until she wakes up to arrest her. When Tess wakes up, she bravely stands ready to face the gallows, no longer fearing anything.