The Dominance of Men

I had the opportunity to read Tess of the Durbervilles in my English class in high school. This novel had obvious gender distinctions and it became clear that it was hard for both males and females to wander outside the boundaries of these constricted gender roles. In the nineteenth century there was an underlying belief that an individuals gender affected their choices, social standing and overall freedom. In Tess of the DUrbervilles, the author, Thomas Hardy portrays this belief in the lives of their protagonists. The novel Tess of the DUrbervilles is set in Hardys fictional region of Wessex, which is in the south of England. It follows the tragic life of beautiful Tess Durbeyfield, from the age of sixteen to twenty-two as she perseveres through the obstacles and challenges in her life. This literary work demonstrates the unjust effects of male dominance in the Victorian era. Male dominance over women sets restrictions and causes downfall, both of which leave the women in the novel facing the consequences of their social and personal predicaments. In this novel, an individual womans status is greatly defined by the male figure in their life. Tesss status is at first represented by her father who belongs to a lower social class. Tess, her sisters, and her mother seem to be caught at a standstill in their lives because of the fathers lack of ambition. Even though Mr. Durbeyfield admires the appearance of money and status, he does not have the integrity to reach any goals through hard work. Consequently, the women in his life suffer because of his weak character and have no opportunities to improve their lives independently from him: If the head of the Durbeyfield household chose to sail into difficulty, disaster, starvation, disease, degradation, death, thither were these half-dozen little captives

King 2 under hatches compelled to sail with them (Hardy, Tess 20). However, when Tess becomes an unwed mother her status drops even lower. Now she is even more destitute, because as difficult as it was for her to fend for herself, she now has to look after a child who will be dependent on her with no acknowledgement or obligation from the childs father. Tesss status rises up when Angel, a highly respected, wealthy young man begins pursuing her. This goes to show again, how arbitrarily a womans status can be elevated. Tesss character, virtues, and talents seem to have little importance in her social standing, but it is her association with a significant male that moves her status up or down. When the protagonists significant other does wrong, no matter how innocent or uninvolved the women are, they too will suffer the ill-effects, equally-if not more. Although Tess is pure and honest in Tess of the DUrbervilles , after she is raped by Alec and becomes pregnant, she is considered to be damaged and unworthy of respect. She understands that she is being judged unfairly, but she must endure the public condescension. Although it is Alec who is the culprit for this crime against Tess, the reader sees no consequences for him. He appears to have no sanctions and no public humiliation, opposite of Tess. Later in the novel, Tess is again punished for Alecs wrongdoing when she confesses to Angel about the rape and the child born out of wedlock. I believe that Angel thinks Tesss loss of virginity is a sign of decay or damage, which is proven by his actions after her confession. Angel shuns Tess immediately, even though he had also made a confession in which he told Tess about a woman he was involved with at the time they began their courtship. Tess forgives Angel for his intentional actions, yet he cannot forgive her for being a victim of an evil offense. Angels rejection and Alecs behavior both

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reflect the hypocrisy of the Victorian era that punishes woman who are free of guilt and seems to ignore the males wrongdoing. Throughout Tess journey she has no control over her misfortunes. She lacks the power to steer her life in the direction that will bring her happiness. The actions of the male figures in her life cause her much adversity, which she is not equipped to overcome. She is ultimately voiceless in what will happen to her. By the end of the novel she seems to accept how her life is going to turn out. It is almost as if she is waiting for something bad to happen because the pattern in her life shows that her relationships with men never provide the respect and justice that will lead to lasting joy. In Tess of the DUrbervilles by Thomas Hardy the theme of male dominance permeates all aspects of the writing. It is clear that in this literary work, an egalitarian society did not exist. Women had little or no power, whereas the men had complete control over not just themselves, but the females around them. It is natural for the reader to sympathize with the young protagonist as she is subjected daily to double moral standards. It appears that the women were hopelessly trapped in circumstances that society has dictated, that they feel compelled to accept, although often with much sorrow and turmoil.

The class discussion revealed a lot of sympathy for the women, especially in relation to Tess pregnancy due to being raped by Alec. However, it also seemed that some people thought that the women could just have spoken up for themselves and improved their life through their own actions. Yet, the point was made that it would be very difficult for any women, but

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especially those in the lower class, to openly oppose the subservience that was expected of them from the male dominated society. It did not seem that there were any role models who successfully stood up to the male dominance. Women were so preoccupied with maintaining (or surviving) their positions in society, thoughts of rebellion were far from their mind.

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Bibliography

Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the D'Urbervilles London: Macmillan, 1960. Print.