The Concept of Purity in Tess d’Urbervilles - Is Tess a pure woman?

Contents

The Concept of Purity in Tess d’Urbervilles - Is Tess a pure woman? ........................................................ 1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Chapter I (theoretical) ......................................................................................................................... 5
Publication and sources of inspiration.............................................................................................. 5
The Status of Women in the Nineteen century............................................................................... 11
Marry Wollstonecraft views on women’s condition ....................................................................... 14
Tess of the D’Urbervilles – A naturalist novel...................................................................................... 16
Sigmund Freud’s theories about inheritance .................................................................................. 16
Victorian society’s ideal of purity ................................................................................................... 25
Eve between Adam and the Serpent .................................................................................................. 30
Alec and Angel ............................................................................................................................... 30
Redemption through suffering ....................................................................................................... 38
Introduction

Thomas Hardy is an emblematic figure in the British literature. It is interesting to observe the
fact that he lived at the interface of centuries, his lifetime covering the period between 1840 and
1928. His novels illustrate how human being strives for accomplishment in a disintegrated world
in continuous change. His literature reflects the religious, psychological and social oppositions
resulting from the divergence between what was conventionally acceptable and his personal
conscience. The manner in which Hardy’s novels were seen throughout the ages is complex and
diverse, however, one of the most important vantage points was his representation of women.
The British author uses his novels as a medium to express the struggle of women for civil and
moral rights. He attacks the hypocrisy of the Victorian society, which viewed men and women
differently for performing the same act.

Thomas Hardy encountered many difficulties in the way of publishing Tess of the d’Urbervilles
and he edited some parts from it. He defended the central figure of his narrative in front of his
many critics even from the title- Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented.
When the book came up, it stirred up a storm of reactions. If Tess’s life and decisions even
nowadays can be harshly judged, in the 19th century her story had a more resonant impact.

Thomas Hardy’s literature is socially oriented. It is inspired from the contemporary real world
and exposes social problems with the aim of making the reader aware of the need for change.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles takes its title from the protagonist, who is a fallen woman. The term
“fallen” was often associated to women who violated the principles of chastity, notwithstanding
there was no such thing as a fallen man. The nineteenth century double standard accepted the
deviation from this principle of chastity only in the case of men, women being reviled.

The book unfolds the story of Tess, who was a beautiful country girl, coming from a poor family,
who was pushed by necessity to leave home with the desire to earn her living. After she was
seduced, Tess was left with the burden of a child, who eventually died. After starting a new life,
away from her home and her past, she encountered another man, Angel, with whom she fell in
love. Angel, however, could not accept the mistakes she had made in her past and abandoned her
in the wedding night. She struggled to survive on her own, but not having any choice left, she
returned to Alec, her first lover and the father of her child. Her husband regretted leaving her and
returned to her, this causing Tess an immense shock. She killed Alec and ran away with Angel.
The novel ends presenting Tess’s punishment for the murder, but mostly, for her unconventional
behaviour.

I decided that before analyzing the concept of purity reflected in Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece,
Tess of the d’Urbervilles, I shall look at the historical context and at the status of women through
the ages. I will interpret the evolution of women’s condition in history and the long period of
submission which led to the desire for reform. I will focus on the Victorian exaggerations and
their ideals of women as “the angel in the house”, subservient and chaste. Is the protagonist from
Hardy’s controversial novel pure? What connotation has this concept of purity? To answer this
question, we must take into consideration not only her actions alone, but it also must be
examined the depth of her psyche. Is Tess the victim of the very strict cannons of Church, of the
Victorian society, of her heredity and of the important persons in her life? Or is she responsible
for her fate?

England, and other nations, was moving into a new epoch of great industrial development, which
changed radically its outlook, shaking its foundations built in thousands of years. These changes
were reflected also into the realm of family. The nineteenth-century man was spending most of
the day far from the peaceful ambient of home, in a climate of growing unrest and competition.
For him, there was little time left to meditate about religious aspects, having often regrets. His
family and especially his wife represented his consolation, as he saw in them his refuge.
Chapter I (theoretical)

Publication and sources of inspiration

The Victorian author rendered in his art the essence of human nature and diplayed in a very
realistic manner genuine experiences of human beings, exploring the depths of their
counsciousness, from which flow pure blissfulness and intense suffering. His works bring to
light timeless issues of religious beliefs and dissent, of love and indiferrence. In his
commentaries about Tess of the d’Urbeervilles, Peter Widowson mentiones Hardy’s words about
his craft: ‘My art is to intensify the expression of things…so that the heart and inner meaning is
made vividly visible.” (qtd. in Bloom 80)

Tess of the d’Urbervilles is Thomas Hardy’s penultimate novel, and the most outstanding of all.
He began working on this book on the autumn of 1888, and published it three years later.
Thomas Hardy’s principles were somewhere between the feminist ideas about sexuality and
patriarchal norms. He was very emotionally involved with this novel and determined to “say his
say without literary or social compromise.” (Millgate 276) Thomas Hardy illustrates how
heredity, personal experience and the pressures of traditional cultural values shape the course of
life of his tragic character, Tess.

Thomas Hardy presents a “fallen woman” as a central character and concentrates the conflict on
this single figure. Tess of the d’Urbervilles tells the story of a young and beautiful country girl
who lives in a marvelous rural landscape. Her family is poor and does not provide her a proper
education. After her father is told that he has noble blood running through his veins their lives
change radically: not in the sense that they receive any fortune which could improve their
miserable living, as their ancestors died long time ago, but because this marks the beginning of
Tess’ suffering. On her mother’s insistences, at the age of sixteen Tess leaves home to work for a
family with the name of d’Urberville. Her mother threw her in the arms of their supposed
relatives, which lived not far from them, hoping her daughter to be remarked and to find a
wealthy aristocrat to marry. Instead, Tess is seduced by her assumed cousin, Alec, who was
nothing more than an irresponsible rich man, an upstart and not a real aristocrat. She returns
home as an unmarried mother of a child, Sorrow, who dies soon after birth. Her life continues in
this obscure tone, the past having repercussions over the present. Pushed by necessity, she lives
home again to earn her living, this time working as a dairymaid at a farm. Here nobody knows
her, except a man, named Angel, whom she has met at the May dance few years ago. He brings
happiness in her life and they live a beautiful love story. She is finally content to find the man
she loves and decides to unite with him in marriage. Unfortunately, this blissfulness fades away
soon, because, when Tess confesses her traumas from youth, Angel cannot forgive and accept
her completely, deciding to abandon her. Left alone in the storm of life, struggling to make her a
living in a society that marginalized her because of her past, Tess surrenders to Alec, who all this
time tried to persuade her in many ways to return to him. Surprisingly, Angel changes his mind
and returns to his wife. Under the pressure of such shocking events, she kills Alec and runs away
with her husband. The end of the novel presents her tragic demise: she receives her punishment,
being hanged for the man who caused her ruin from the very beginning.

In Thomas Hardy: His Career as a Novelist, Michael Millgates asserts that Hardy’s novel Tess of
the d’Urbervilles is a collection of many episodes which occured in his life, all together inspiring
him to write such a tragic masterpiece. Thomas Hardy witnessed a scene with a man singing of
happiness after discovering his previous relatives were of high social rank. This is reflected in
the first chapter of the novel, in the scene where Parson Tringham tells Mr. John Durbeyfield that
he is the descent of a glorious knight, named Sir Pagan d’Urberville. The news brings great joy
to the poor countryman who soon after celebrates and begins to dream with his eyes open at a
brilliant future. The death of a horse caused by a vehicle oncoming and the blood stain from the
ceilling were incidents recorded in newspapers. (Milliegate 265) The author transposes these
scenes in the novel firstly in the part where Durbeyfield family’s horse, Prince, was killed by a
morning mail cart because of Tess’s lack of attention and respectively in the part where Tess
kills Alec.

The emotional reactions to a hurtful experience left a mark on the author. Nevertheless, the
episode which had the strongest impact upon Thomas Hardy’s mind was the public hanging of
Martha Brown. Michael Millgate accounts in his book, Thomas Hardy: A Biography, that the
British author remembers in detail "what a fine figure she showed against the sky as she hung in
the misty rain, and how the tight black silk gown set off her shape as she wheeled half round and
back". Hardy also said that he “saw--they had put a cloth over the face--how, as the cloth got
wet, her features came through it. That was extraordinary.” (Millate 62-3) So impactful was this
event, that it haunted him all his life. His literature mirrored this trauma from the past and it is
obvious that this unknown woman, Martha Brown, was the source of inspiration for the character
of Tess. Richard Clark recounted that Hardy was only sixteen years old when, accompanied by a
friend, climbed a tree to have a better view of the execution scene. Martha Brown was a lower
class woman, married to John Brown, twenty years older that her. He did not truly love his wife
and the two had an unhappy conjugal life. The drop of water that has made the vase overflow
was the discovery of her husband’s affair. She was furious and later that day, when he came
home drunk, they argued and he became violent. Not being able to control her impulsses, she hit
him to death with an axe. She later declared that her husband’s injury was caused by a horse, but
her version did not convince the jury, who accused her of murder. Some people understood her
anguish and the reasons for her actions, they intended to help her, but she was not granted a
reprieve. Martha was enprisoned and eventually confessed the truth, bravely accepting the
verdict. He was hunged in front of three, four thousands people, by a renowed hangman in
England, know for his sadist techniques which assured a slow death. (Clark)

The prudish society of the nineteenth century viewed with reluctant eyes Thomas Hardy’s
intention to expose a multiplicity of contemporary issues regarding sexual relations and
marriage. The publication of Tess was therefore a difficult process, the book having to be
revised. In “A Biography Revised”, Michael Millgate accounts how the British author had to
mould his piece of work according to the demands of the publishing houses. Few months after
starting to work on the Tess manuscript, Hardy had already written almost half of the whole,
until the part with Tess’s arrival at Talbothayas. He sent it to the Tillotson & Son and they
printed it, without asking Hardy to give more details about his intentions. They later seemed to
be not contempt with “the narrative content and the moral emphasis” and decided to withdraw
from the initial agreement. Hardy tried again, this time at the Murray’s Magazine. The editor
Edward Arnold, although did not agree with the author desire to expose of the badness and
sinfulness of this world, accepted to publish the manuscript. After consulting his superior, they
decided that the story is not suitable to be published in their magazine. The same thing happened
with the Macmillan’s Magazine, their rejection having the same justification: Tess’s story was
morally inappropriate. Hardy revised the novel, deleting and changing some offensive scenes,
and sent it to the Graphic, which accepted to publish it in series, weekly. The process of
publishing Tess and some other works was humiliating for the British author, considering his age
and his status. Hardy was saddened by the reactions of the critics and of the public. The first part
of the manuscript was finally published in October 1890, one month later than it should have
been. Many parts of it were adjusted, like the parts referring to Tess’s baby, his birth and death.
Some were even removed, like the scene in which Alec seduces and rapes Tess, which was
ulterior replaced by a marriage. He tried once again to send his writing, this time to a newly-
established firm of publishing, named McIlvaine & Co., part of the larger New York house of
Harper & Brothers and the serialization of Tess was scheduled in the near future. It began in the
winter of 1890 and it brought a considerable joy for the author, although he was no fully content
with its layout, he considered that it was typed very small, and also it was not divided clearly for
each week. In the summer of 1891 he was preparing Tess for its delayed publication in volume
form. He restored the sections which were previously bowdlerized and the changes the writing
suffered though the process of serialization. Some scenes, like the dance at Chaseborough, was
reintroduced in the book many years later, in 1912. In October, 1891, he proposed Osgood,
McIlvaine a title page for the book, which emphasized the subtitle which asserted upon Tess’s
purity. (Millgate 276-93)

In the biography written by Michael Millgate, the issue of the title is also discussed. The author
considered many titles for this novel. When he began writing it, he had in mind the name Sue for
his protagonist. The initial title of the book was “The body and soul of Sue” and reflected the
emphasis the author intended to put upon the duality of the human being. Hardy was determined
to defend his protagonist, because he knew that in her simplicity she distinguishes between flesh
and soul. She had something special which detached her from the others, a sparkle kept hidden
inside of her, unseen by many who tend to judge her on the surface: moral strength, conscience,
spirituality. She may not have a pure body, but what is most important is that she demonstrates
throughout the novel that her soul is pure. Not long after, the author replaced the title with “Too
late, Beloved!” which was excessively melodramatic. Hardy then took in consideration “A
Daughter of the d’Urbervilles”, this phrasing including the allusion to the issue of heredity.
Tess’s dignity was highlighted , as she had royal ancestors.
The author placed his moral evaluation of his disputable protagonist in the very beginning of his
book. This subtitle encapsulates all the Hardyan beliefs and attitudes towards sexuality and social
acceptance. The author supports his Eve who has fallen by defying the conventional notions and
perceptions of purity and unjust moral standards. In the preface of the novel, Thomas Hardy
explains that the controversial subtitle-A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented- “it was appended at
the last moment, after reading the final proofs, as being the estimate left in a candid mind of the
heroine’s character- an estimate that nobody would be likely to dispute. It was disputed more
than anything else in the book.” He also says that “the novel was intended to be neither didactic
nor aggressive … charged with impressions than with convictions.” (Hardy, Tess of the
d'Urbervilles (with the author's prefaces))

Considering his family background, Hardy was familiarized with questions related to passions
and impulses. His mother, named Jemima, was pregnant when she married his father, this was
not the only case in his family. His great-grandmother and both his grandmothers gave birth
before exchanging the wedding vows. They “flouted the rules of sexual behavior as laid down by
the Church and gentry.” (Tomalin 17) Resembling them, many of Thomas Hardy’s female
characters had the same fate and he shows sympathy to his struggling fictional characters rather
than condemnation. He empathizes with them, but does not intervene, letting them be judged by
the laws of the society.

Critics focused on the attachment of the author to his victimized protagonist and his tendency to
protect her. Mowbray Morris, a contemporary critic of Hardy, expresses in an article for the
Quarterly Review, his indignation towards Tess’s purity. He claims that the novel does not stand
on a solid basis, because Tess’s behavior is unfitting for a pure woman: “she rises through
seduction to adultery, murder, and the gallows.” (qtd. in Cox 232) Mrs. Oliphant gave another
critical response in a review for Blackwood’s Magazine, attacking the disparity between the
expectations created by the subtitle and Tess’s behavior. The story alone provokes pity, but the
subtitle intrigues her. She questions Tess’s intentions in the scene where she chooses to go in the
middle of the night with Alec, whom she despised for his insistences, instead of remaining with
her companions, who were drunk, but who could have offered her protection. However, leaving
behind her annoying companions gave her a sentiment of superiority. Hardy described in detail
her feeling of disintegration in the decayed situation, emphasising her preoccupation to return
home safe with a trustworthy company. When Alec invited to take her home she preferred not to
accept his help, because he did not saw him with good eyes. The fact that the author added the
detail that she would not have done that in other circumstances did not change Mrs. Oliphant’s
opinion, who claimed that Tess left herself be dominated by impulses and chose to go with Alec.
(qtd. in Cox 222) In the preface from 1892, Hardy declares his indignation towards the critics
who showed no mercy and understanding for Tess’s decisions. They judged her actions alone,
which are indeed unconventional, but they did not take in consideration her intentions and what
determined her to react like that. Hardy claims that they “drag in, as a vital point, the acts of a
woman in her last days of desperation, when all her doings lie outside her normal character.” She
was at the brink of despair, she was striving to survive the long winter at Flintcomb-Ash being
haunted by the solitude her husband left behind him when he abandoned her without saying
many words. He left his vulnerable wife in the grips of the man who triggered her suffering when
she was just a child. (qtd. in Pinion 132)

Thomas Hardy illustrates in his novel how human consciousness is in conflict with itself and
with others. Michael Millgate also insists on the wave of opinions the British author’s novel
received soon after publication by quoting various remarks. Thus, Frederic Harrison regarded the
book as “a positivist allegory or sermon” and Charles Kegan Paul considered it “a really great
novel”, although he finds the episode with the burial of the baby is exceedingly problematic. The
Speaker, Pall Mall Gazette and The Chronicle proclaimed Tess the most outstanding novel from
lately British literature and agreed with the author’s emphatic attitude towards his protagonist.
(qtd. in Millgate 293) Although the book received many appreciations from publications such as
St James’s Gazette, the Athenaeum and The Times, the critiques and objections to the novel were
sure to follow. Thomas Hardy was affected to find out that George Saintsbury wrote for the
Saturday Reviw that “Tess’s sexual attractions were too much insisted upon.” Andrew Lang
expressed his disagreement on the scene from the ending with the “President of Immortals’”. He
wondered ironically “If there be a God’, who can seriously think of Him as a malicious Fiend?”
(qtd. in Millgate 294) All the comments about a book in which he invested so much feelings and
in which he saw a chance for change left a mark on him. As Michael Millgate revealed, the
author was hurt and disappointed. Hardy had no desire to continue his mission as a novelist,
wondering “how strange, that one may write a book without knowing what one puts into it-or
rather, the reader reads into it! Well, if this sort of thing continues no more novel-writing for me.
A man must be a fool to deliberately stand up to be shot at.” (qtd. in Millgate 295)

The Status of Women in the Nineteen century

Queen Victoria’s reign, the longest in the history of Britain, covered the years between 1832 and
1901. Under her ruling, Britain became one of the most influential countries in the world, and
because of the territorial conquests, it was called the empire in which the sun never set. The
Victorian Era was characterized by paradox and contradiction, because although it was a time of
prosperity and many progresses in science, there was also injustice and social unrest, existing
disparity between the poor and the rich. In other words, only the upper layers of inhabitants who
controlled the manufacturing resources were living their existence in abundance and prosperity.
The lower classes, at the other end of the spectrum, were less privileged, being in a continuous
state of concern about their material stability.

In his book entitled English Social History, George Macaulay Trevelyan illustrates the condition
of Britain in the nineteenth century saying that there was “...constant and rapid change in
economic circumstance, social custom and intellectual atmosphere…… …the whole period
was marked by interest in religious questions and was deeply influenced by seriousness of
thought and self-discipline of character, an outcome of the Puritan ethos.” (522) It must be
emphasized that the Victorian age was a time of antithesis, when the depraved practice of
prostitution clashed with the high ethical aspirations.

The prostitution flourished because the first decades of the nineteenth century were
overshadowed by poverty and deplorable conditions of living. The Industrial Revolution and the
Reform Bills implied radical changes: the social structure changed and new classes emerged.
This climate fostered women to enter the workforce, which regrettably brought the degradation
of their moral character. Women lived in horrible conditions in the overcrowded industrial
centers and they were exploited by the men in superior positions. Mistreated and underpaid,
women were put in a very weak position, the only solution for their survival being prostitution.
(G.M.) In contrast with this disgraceful reality, The Evangelical movement, which exerted a Commented [m1]: Ce este G.M?
considerable influence on the principles of the Victorian society, promoted strict moral standards
and discipline. The end of the nineteenth century “had been a period … of puritanism in ethical
and sexual ideas, qualified by the too frequent weakness of human nature in practice.” (G.M.
576) The Evangelicals rejected the libertine morality and considered the loss of chastity to be the
worst of all sins. Their set of values provoked a general repulsion and apathy at unchaste women.
They gave a great importance to woman’s purity and respectability, her role in the frame of
family, as a mother and as a wife, expecting from her to be self-less and devoted. Therefore, the
Victorian age can be defined by a strict social code and strong sense of morality. The Victorians
set really high-standards, honouring the purity of body and soul, but they might be regarded as
hypocrites in sexual matters, because they had a pretence respectable society, which in fact was
depraved by prostitution.

For many centuries, the conception that a women’s sex life is allowed only within marriage
predominated. But why was such high value put upon a woman’s immaculateness? Unfairly,
only women were expected to follow this principle of chastity, whereas men were exonerated
from all responsibilities and consequences of an affair. John Ruskin, a famous British critic, in
his famous essay, “Of Queen’s Garden”, part of the volume Sesame and Lilies, illustrates the
angelic presence of women in the family. She had a capacity for “sweet ordering” and she was
considered a refuge for man who was the explorer of the turbulent public life. Woman was
therefore sanctified, being seen as “the angel in the house.” (Ruskin 91) The violation of the
principles of chastity brought terrible consequences for a woman, regardless the circumstances,
she was labelled as morally depraved, she was seen with different eyes, abandoned by the man
she loved and even by her family and friends. Moreover, all persons who had connection with
her and intended to help her were endangering their reputation. In other words, the life of a fallen
woman was compromised and once ruined she could never go back. When Tess, her mother and
the kids have to move because of her status It is indisputable that the loss of chastity was
considered blameworthy, but upon whom shall the blame fall? The inclination of the
traditionalist Victorian society was to put the blame for sexual deviance on the woman’s
shoulders, the man being seen as simply misguided.

Since Antiquity woman was not perceived as being equal to man. The justification of women’s
subordination lies primarily in religion. Women have been associated with Eve’s transgression in
the Garden of Eden. She was deceived by the Devil, embodied in the serpent, to eat the apple
from the forbidden tree, leading also Adam to sin. Her fall triggered humankind’s suffering.
Since then, it was expected from women to endure and to pay for the mistake of their
predecessor, through childbirth and submissiveness. John Stuart Mill brings into relief woman’s
statue in relation to man, saying that “(Women) are brought up from their earliest years in the
bilief that the ideal of character is the very opposite to that of men; not self-will and self-
government by self-control, but submission, and yielding to the control of others.” (qtd. in Maier
9)

This presumption of subordination prevailed for many centuries in human history and in the era
of Enlightenment, it was supported by emblematic figures like Jean-Jacques Rousseau who
claimed that “nature herself decreed that woman, both for her and for her children, should be at
the mercy of men’s judgment.” (392)

From a more scientific approach, women’s condition was also associated to their psychology.
They were portrayed as being delightful and sensitive, but also susceptible to their emotions,
often inclined to be hysterical, as Jane Austen illustrates in her novel “Pride and Prejudice”:

[Mr. Benet], captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humor which
youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and
illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her.
(250)

The second half of the nineteenth century was a period of great changes in many aspects of life:
social, moral and political. Little steps were made from tradition to modernism without a distinct
line of demarcation. Queen Victoria’s reign was at its sunset. In the late eighteenth and the early
nineteenth century in the minds of women arose a spirit of revolt against the inequitable
treatment. After a long period of resignation, women become increasingly aware of the injustice
of the laws and the issue of women’s rights. Their status in society has received considerable
critical attention.
Marry Wollstonecraft views on women’s condition

In 1798, a politically turbulent decade at the close of the eighteenth century, the novel “Maria:
or, The Wrongs of Woman” was posthumosuly published. It was written by Mary
Wollstonecraft, an English writer and advocate of women’s rights, whose radical books illustrate
the condition of contemporary women, who were frequently wronged and subjugated. The novel Commented [m2]: Citat?

tells the story of a woman named Maria imprisoned by her husband in an asylum for insane
people. Her book undoubtedly has some autobiographical traits. There are links between Mary’s
own family relations and the depiction of Maria’s family. Like Maria, Mary had an unhappy
family life: her father was violent and spendthrift, her brother was favourized and being a male,
he inherited everything, according to the primogeniture practice. Not content with this way of
living she considered that “it is time to effect a revolution in female manners-time to restore to
them their lost dignity. It is time to separate unchangeable morals from local manners.”
(Wollstonecraft 51) Writing about female education, she points out that women were perceived
as frivolous, this being used as an argument against their participation in serious male-dominated
pursuits. She argues that women are indeed foolish, but they are not born this way, but instead
they are made this way. The eighteen century ’polite society’ encouraged certain patterns of
behaviour, women were intelectually subordinated and discouraged from exercising reason.
(Clemit)

Another theme presented in Wollstonecraft’s novel is women seen as property. Her views on
marriage were radical, maybe due to her own experiences or her husband’s influence. She had a
child with Gilbert Imlay, an American, although not married. After the birth of their daughter he
left her. This hearbreacking event left her in depression and she attempted suicide twice. A
couple of years later Mary Wollstonecraft met William Godwin. They fell in love, married and
soon after she gave birth to a girl, named Maria, the future author of Frankenstein. (Hampsher-
Monk 104-5) In a world ruled exclusively by men, women were totaly relying on their husbands,
not having the opportunity to express their will. With this in mind no wonder that Wollstonecraft
wanted to escape and to be financially independent. Bravely she decided to leave family, and
tried to make it on her own persuing all the occupations open to middle-class women, which
were few: a lady’s companion, a schoolmistress, a governess and a writer. (Clemit 71)
Wollstonecraft attacked the sexual double standards of the period and the idea of the ruined
woman. She is intrigued by the fact that only women suffer, they are left with the burden of the
child and of the shame, being driven to desperate measures.

Thomas Hardy’s opposition towards the 19th century double standard is illustrated in the scene of Commented [m3]: Aici va trebuie o fraza de tranzitie, pentru ca
treceti de la Wollstoncraft la Hardy si apoi la confession scene fara
the confession, where he accentuates the different reactions towards the same issues, from man’s sa fie clar la ce va referiti. Eventual, ati putea spune ca Hardy seems
to share the same ideas expressed by W and he reflects them in the
and also from a woman’s view. He objects to the patriarchal judgment that focuses exclusively novel. For instance, the scene in which Tess confesses to Anger her
past transgressions.....
on women’s purity, and ignores the behaviour of men, wanting to modify social expectations
regarding sexual relations and marriage. Knowing this double standard, Tess foresees her future
troubles. Thus, as the day of the wedding was fast approaching, the suffering Tess, haunted by a
strong sense of guilt, finds the bravery to confesses to her husband her past. At first, she writes
him a confessional letter and slips it under his door. Unfortunately, her effort is in vain, because
he never sees it. She cannot bear the burden anymore and in the morning of the wedding wants to
tell him the truth about her condition. He does not seem to be very curious about Tess’s
concerning attitude. He idealized her from the beginning and not a single thought that she might
not be pure had ever crossed his mind. He postpones the discussion thinking that after marrying
they will have a lifetime to discus all that is to be discussed. Tess submits herself to Angel’s wish
and they do not talk about this issue, up until the wedding night. The revelation of the events
from her past, her relation with Alec and their illegitimate child, are an overwhelming shock for
Angel. He cannot accept her anymore as she truly is, although in his youth, he also had an affair
with an elder woman. As he was blinded by a strong feeling of disappointment, he abandoned
her.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles – A naturalist novel

In discussing Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, I will concentrate on the author’s
preoccupation with the alienation of human consciousness. The British author captures in his
book the struggles of the individual, who from the beginning of his life is subjected to the social
and cultural requirements of society. The novel follows the course of life of Tess, a tragic
character, who wears on her shoulders the burdens of her mistakes as well as the others’, striving
to keep her head above water. Symbolically, Tess’s turbulent life is like an ocean and she never
reaches a state of stability and peace. She is in a continuous conflict with herself and with the
outside world, being caught between her arduous emotions and the rigorous discipline of the
nineteenth century.

Hardy presents in his novel the inner self of the individual in relation with the outer environment.
When reading Tess of the d’Urbervilles in 1929, Sigmund Freud was profoundly impressed by
the psychoanalytical insight reflected in Thomas Hardy’s impressive tragedy. (Martin) Freud
remarked that

“...creative writers are valuable aliies and their evidence is to be prized highly, for they
are apt to know a whole host of things between heaven and earth of which our philosophy
has not yet let us dream.” (Freud : 8/... Commented [A4]: Citatul l-am gasit pe siteul
http://psyartjournal.com/article/show/a_martin-
he_knew_psychoanalysis_thomas_hardy_and_
Sigmund Freud’s theories about inheritance Citatul e din Freud, S. (1959a). Delusions and dreams in
Jensen's Gradiva. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard
edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol.
Sigmund Freud is an outstanding figure in the realm of psychology of the 20th century, his fame 9, pp. 7-95). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1907)
Nu stiu exact cum ar trebui sa citez.
continuing to increase in the years that followed, up until present times. In an epoch when
society was highly conservative and the inner processes that governed the life of the individual
were treated with rather indifference than interest, Freud sheds light to this aspect, asserting that
“a great deal of what one thinks and does is determined by the unconscious processes.”
(Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 660) It was set a clear line of distinction between feelings and
rationality. Therefore, his theories had a considerable impact over the contemporary society,
being perceived with astonishment. He developed numerous innovative theories about human
psyche, the most influential of them being the therapy based on free association, consisting in the
flow of apparently insignificant words, which in fact lead to the source of the patient’s illness, as
well as the division between the conscious and unconscious and the structure of personality.

In Introduction in psychology (2005) it is mentioned the fact that Sigmund Freud acknowledged
the depths of human mind and saw the personality of the human being in a continuous defining
process under the action of opposing psychological forces. The renowned psychologist
Commented [A5]: Aici ar trebui sa zic : “In the book entitled
‘Introduction in Psychology’ sau ‘Introducere in psihologie’(cartea
este in romanasi are sase autori) it is presented the fact that FREUD
AKNOWLEDGED THE DEPTHS.....” si abia la finalul paragrafului sa
pun sursa?

Nu stiu daca in cazul in care parafrazez cateva fraze trebuie sa

associated the mind with an iceberg, which functions at three levels: conscious, preconscious and mentionez titlul cartii inainte sa incep sa parafrazez sau doar sa
citez sursa la finalul paragrafului, intrucat sunt multe referinte din
unconscious. What can be seen above water represents the conscious, the current conscience, as aceasta carte in acest capitol.

well as the preconscious, the facts that are not immediately accessible, but which can be
remembered using a certain amount of effort. What cannot be seen at the surface, the part hidden
under water, symbolizes the unconscious, the source of desires and impulses.
(Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 661)

Can the biological inheritance as well as the family’s atmosphere influence the course of life of a
person? What contributions have these factors to his development? Freud focused on the study of
the cryptic side of the mind, the unconscious, centring his attention towards the determinism of
human behaviour. This notion encapsulates the essence of the bound between past and present
experiences.

As it is presented in Introduction in Psychology (2005), John Locke, a British philosopher who

lived in the age of Enlightenment, developed an innovative theory of mind, which contradicted
many of the contemporary beliefs. He claimed that a child does not possess innate ideas and
competences, his minds being rather a tabula rasa, meaning a blank slate. Knowledge is acquired
from the early stages of life only by experiences through senses. In contradiction with this, at the
end of the nineteenth century, Charles Darwin’s revolutionary theory of the evolution of species
brought into relief the role of heredity, his beliefs influencing many theoreticians. He asserted the
importance of inherited traits necessary for survival and reproduction, believing that these factors
contribute to a natural selection. The twentieth century theory of Behaviourism focused on the
importance of education. Remarkable figures who promoted this belief, like John B. Watson and
B. F. Skinner, affirmed that human nature is entirely flexible. Therefore, the heritage has no
influence because an education started in the early stages of life can mould the child’s
personality. (Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 96)
However, nowadays psychology acknowledges the influence of both education and heredity in Commented [A6]: Acest paragraph e parafrazat din aceeasi
carrte “Introduction in psycholohy”
the process of development. The brain of a newborn has 100 billions of neurons, but few
connections. In his first years of life the brain begins an abrupt process of development, his
volume increasing by three times. This process is determined by the genetic characteristics
inherited and by the sensorial perceptions from the familial environment. (Smith/Freedrickson et
alii : 96) The individual also relates to school, church, society, authorial figures and other facts,
depending from case to case, being guided by their morals and principles. Without doubt, the
most influential is the family, the environment in which the bases are set and from which
commence all other paths the child will follow. He observes what surrounds him in an analytical
manner and seeks to adapt his conduct according to its requirements. (Smith/Freedrickson et alii
: 662)

Critics regarded Tess of the d’Urbervilles as a naturalistic novel. The literary style which has its
origins in France developed in the second half of the nineteenth century. The writer has an
objective attitude towards his literary work, as well as an unbiased perception of its content,
representing the details of life “with clinical accuracy and frankness.” (Dictionary) Naturalism
derived from the literary movement known as realism, which depicted reality in a highly
accurate manner, capturing the effects of the contemporary society upon the individual.
Naturalism was inspired to a certain extent by Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species by Means of
Natural Selection, 1859, the publication of this controversial book shaking the foundations of
numerous societies and their religious beliefs.

So to the Naturalists man is an animal whose course is determined by his heredity, by the
effect of his environment and by the pressures of the moment. This terribly depressing
conception robs man of all free will, all responsibility for his actions, which are merely
the inescapable result of physical forces and conditions totally beyond his control.
(Laubová: 5, apud. Furst, Naturalism: 18) Commented [A7]: La fel ca si la pagina 16.
Citatul (din catea ‘Naturalism’ de Lilian R. Furst si Peter N. Skrine,
Methuen, 1971 ) pe care l-am gasit intr-o lucrare de PHD
(file:///C:/Users/ADMINN/Downloads/BPTX_2008_2_11410_OSZD0
In other words, the central idea around which this movement developed is that the course of life 01_196974_0_74474%20(2).pdf)

of the human being is determined by the environment and his heredity, the naturalistic novels
abounding in detailed descriptions of the milieu. The character cannot oppose to the force of
determinism, wandering in a labirith and not being able to find a way to escape. This condition
of the struggling personage dictates a general atmosphere of hopelessness and melanchony.

In the very first pages of his novel Thomas Hardy exposes the central theme of heredity. Jack
Durbeyfield is told that he is “the lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the
d’Urbervilles.” (5) Throughout the novel, heredity proves to have a considerable influence upon
Tess’s course of life and the development of events. As every act a human being performs is
more or less connected to a previous event, Tess’s behaviour should be analyzed in relation with
the external factors which shaped her consciousness and led her to act in a particular way. As it
is mentioned in Introduction in Psychology, nothing happens by chance, but it certainly happens
for a reason. Freud considered that all thoughts, emotions and actions have a cause and he went
forward analyzing their source. He concluded that behind most of them stand the unfulfilled
desires and repressed sensations. (Smith/Fredrickson et alii : 660)

In Introduction in Psychology it is illustrated the noteworthy influence that parents have upon
their children’s mental outlook, with whom they share many traits. In an unconscious way,
children often attribute themselves some of their parents’ characteristics, as result of their belief
in the inheritance principles. This process is known as identification. If a child perceives his
parents as being affectionate and inspiring, he will suppose he also possess some of these virtues.
He will be confident in his own forces and will overcome problems with easiness. In the contrary
case, when a child is aware of his parents’ predominant defects he will develop repulsion
towards them. He will feel ashamed thinking that is very probable that he also possesses these
displeasing traits, his confidence and trust in his own forces being debilitated. Consequently, a
person feels annoyed when his family is criticized for this particular reason that he associates
himself with his parents and in an unconscious way he redirects the critique towards himself.
(Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 145) All through the novel this character appeared to be respectable
and proved to have a strong dignity, an illustrative scene being her reaction to her father’s
humiliating manifestation of joy in front of the community. As everyone from Marlott knew that
Jack Durbeyfield was an impoverished man, seeing him passing by in carriage singing about his
nobility was ridiculous. She tried to keep up appearances, although she felt deeply affected by
this. When her friends made jokes of him, she defended her father’s strange behaviour, saying
that he is very tired.
In Introduction in Psychology it is mentioned that in the first stages of life parents guide the
behaviour of their child through rewards or punishments. As growing up, the child, who becomes
aware of his parent’s standards and demands, begins to have control over his own conduct. The
anxiety emerges when some of the principles generated by them are violated. The child, not
having yet developed a fully sense of reality, fears that his actions would have the consequence
of losing the parental love. Although unconscious, this fear degenerates into a guilt obsession.
(Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 662)

An emblematic scene in the novel, which triggers all sufferings for Tess of the d’Urbervilles, is
the death of the family’s horse, Prince. This episode has its roots on this Freudian theory of
infantile perception and repercussions of a shocking event. Jack Durbeyfield planned to go to
Casterbridge early in the morning to sell some beehives. He could not follow his initial plan, as
the night before the departure he got very drunk. When seeing her father in such a deplorable
state, Tess realized that she would be charged with this task. Jack Durbeyfield could not walk on
his own feet, his wife and daughter having to sustain him. They were looking very humorous as
they were returning to their home in the middle of the night. Joan accompanied her husband that
night and she seemed not to be very angry with his behaviour, this reflecting their irresponsible
conduct. However, for Tess this occurrence was highly shameful, as the author himself judged
that as “... most comical effects, this scene was not quite so comic after all.” (35) Once arrived
home, everyone went to bed, as if they had nothing to do the next day. Few hours later, Joan
Durfeyfield enters the room where Tess and her little brothers were sleeping so peacefully. She
woke up Tess, asking her in a flattering way to find a solution for the beehives issue, because
“the poor man can’t go.” (36) She suggested Tess to talk to one of the boys she had danced at the
Cerealia procession, but the girl refused categorically this embarrassing proposal. She assumed
the responsibility to go at Casterbridge by herself, accompanied by Abraham, her little brother,
not knowing that things will turn out badly. On their way to the Sunday market early that
morning, as her little brother fell asleep, she “become abruptly still, and lapsed into a pondering
silence” (38), watching the stars and meditating at the latest events in her life, her parents
unrealistic expectations of nobility and their marriage proposal for her.
 She seemed to see the vanity of her father’s pride; the gentlemanly suitor awaiting
herself in her mother’s fancy; to see him as a grimacing personage, laughing at her
poverty and her shrouded knightly ancestry. (40)

She could not think of an luxurious living, considering the fact that all her life she was a prisoner
of poverty, the idea of taking advantage of someone else’s fortune being inadmissible for her.
With all this thoughts revolving in her mind, little by little she detached from reality, to wake up
brutally when the horse was killed by a mail-cart. When realizing the gravity of things she went
white as sheet and a strong feeling of guilt dominated her. All the childish fears vanished
immediately and Tess began acting like an adult, thinking about her family’s future, now that
because of her negligence one of the few sources of incomes was gone. Usually, people tend to
avoid looking at a shocking scene, turning their heads around. However, in those moments of
despair, Tess did an unexpected gesture: she approached the agonizing horse and put her fragile
hand in his bleeding wound from the chest. Defying any dreads, she went towards the core of the
problem and little drops of the horse’s blood splashed on her. Tess imagined that because of
Prince’s death, although an old and weak horse, the situation of the Durbeyfield family would
significantly worsen and so it was.

In an unconscious way, little Tess feared her parents’ reaction. She was still under their wings
and considering her age, still not experienced to fully appreciate their incompetency as parents.
All her life the strong feeling of guilt, which dominated her, left permanent scars on her innocent
soul. This tragic event in her childhood urged her to take the responsibility on her shoulders and
to think about a solution. Surprisingly, her parents did not react as bad as Tess thought initially.
The author emphasised the Durbeyfield’s foolishness from the beginning of the novel.
Surprisingly, when experiencing the considerable problem with the death of the horse, which
affected the entire family, Tess’s parents did not come down to earth from lofty heights to
reality, but instead they

rendered the misfortune a less terrifying one to them than it would have been to a
thriving family, though in the present case it meant ruin, and in the other it would only
have meant inconvenience. (43)
They reacted this manner because of their idleness and also because they had a backup solution,
although illusory. One of their most defining characteristic is their inclination to thrive on false
impressions. From the moment Parson Tringham brought to light Durbeyfield’s family noble
roots, Jack and his wife Joan dreamed of a sumptuous life and prestige, although they were stuck
in their miserable state, with no intention to change it. Knowing that Tess was not only beautiful,
but also endowed with many qualities, Joan Durbeyfield proposed her daughter to ask her
aristocratic aunt who lived nearby for help. Although Tess acknowledged that her parents’
behaviour was irresponsible and revolting, she was mature in thinking beyond her age. She
eventually accepted her mother’s idea to send her at the residence of the d’Uurbeville family,
although she did not agree to humiliate in front of some strange people. “The oppressive sense of
the harm she had done led Tess to be more deferential than she might otherwise have been to the
maternal wish.” (46) Therefore, her departure at Sheston was highly influenced by her parents’
insistences, especially her mother’s.

As she grew older and wiser, Tess developed a strong feeling of indignation towards her parents.
She could not understand their serene attitude in front of the tormenting problems of life and the
fact that they were acting more like children than like adults with numerous responsibilities.
While she was in a constant state of awareness of the struggles life implied, being determined to
go beyond, they simplified their existence, relying solely on providence.

Sigmund Freud investigated the reactions of a human being towards a traumatic experience. To
discover how the individual develops some defence mechanisms, which help him overcome the
problems he encounters in his life, represented one of his main concerns. (Kahn) At an
unconscious level, all people adopt these measures of protection and, as Freud claimed, “we
couldn’t get along without them.” (Kahn 122)

A defense mechanism is a manipulation of perception intended to protect the person from

anxiety. The perception may be of internal events, such as my feelings and impulses, or it
may be of external events, such as the feeling of other people or the realities of the world.
(Kahn 135)
One of the most common is rationalization, which occurs when the individual struggles to accept
a tormenting experience by trying to find reasons for what happened or by sharing the guilt with
other persons who contributed to it. (Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 664) Sooner or later, the
uninitiated child confronts with a wider social world. The discipline and guidance inflected by
parents play a crucial role, as he has not acquired a fully developed sense of reality. The
protagonist of the novel left home at a young age to adventure in an unmerciful world full of
mysteries. The Durbeyfields were not involved in their children’s education, being more like
(personaje figurante) rather than active participants in this extensive process of formation. When
Tess was overwhelmed by the traumatic incident of rape, she returned home to cry on her
mother’s shoulder.

Why didn’t you tell me there was danger in men-folk? Why didn’t you warn me? Ladies
know what to fend hands against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks;
but I never had the chance o’ learning in that way, and you did not help me!’ (120)

Although Tess did not have a close relation with her mother, in those moments of despair she
was the only human being she could confess to. Joan’s first reaction was not to comfort Tess, her
child who was soon to give birth to another child. Instead, as she was dominated by anger, she
reproached Tess “Why didn’t ye think of doing some good for your family instead o’ thinking
only for yourself?” (119) She vented her spleen at his suffering daughter, reminding her the
miserable state of the family, which by Tess’s fault became even more deplorable than it was
before. The reaction of the mother is revolting, considering the fact that she was the one to throw
Tess to the lions. After Parson Tringham’s confession, days passed quickly and without much
time to meditate, Tess just found herself in an unknown village, surrounded by people she never
saw before and faced with problematic situations for which she was completely unprepared. All
these sacrifices were for her family’s sake.

Her mother felt deeply disappointed, knowing that her daughter’s future would be affected by
this irrevocable occurrence. From a compassionate perspective Joan’s reaction was normal for a
mother of girl. The society would judge her for her acts, and also her family, analyzing the
appearances and not the whole context. The fact that she gave birth to an illegitimate child would
eclipse all her other qualities. It was also difficult, almost impossible for a fallen woman to find a
husband, this implying continuing to live with her family. Tess returned home pregnant and this
meant an additional burden for her family, considering the standard of living for the numerous
Durbeyfield family, apart from the ruined reputation and the many critiques which were sure to
follow.

The higher Joan’s expectations were the more devastating was the disappointment. All her
dreams about her daughter marrying a rich man, who would help his parents-in-law, vanished in
seconds and she had to face the painful reality. Joan considered marriage to be the only solution
for this problematic situation her daughter was involved in. She insisted that Tess should merry
her Alec, because in her opinion they made a great couple. Joan d’Urbeyfield was a mediocre
human being with a limited perception of reality. Like many working people from rural areas,
she was hindered by hard work, not having much time to meditate about philosophical aspects of
life. When urging her daughter to marry, she did not take into consideration Tess’s feelings and
the fact that she would spend the rest of her life with this man. Joan did not know Alec’s
character, she judged him solely from appearances. He won her admiration only because he was
rich and good looking. He also achieved the Durbeyfield family’s confidence by bringing gifts
for the children and buying them a horse. In other words, what Tess’s parents did was to sell
their daughter, symbolically speaking, to an unknown man who at the beginning showed them
respect, but as soon as he obtained what he wanted, he changed radically his attitude.

The entire family was upset when Tess left home for the first time to work at the d’Urberfield’s
residence. Her little brothers were crying, because they were separated from their caring sister.
Joan, in turn, was also dominated by melancholy. The thought that her daughter was far from
home, making her way in an unpredictable life, was concerning her. When night fell over the
village of Marlott, she began reflecting on this issue.

’[P]erhaps it would ha’ been better if Tess had not gone’... ‘if ‘twere the doing again, I
wouldn’t let her go till I had found out whether the gentleman is really a good-hearted
young man and choice over her as his kinswoman’. (70)

While Joan was having a qualm of conscience, John d’Urbeyfield, as the supposed dominant
figure in the family, was completely indifferent to this important event in the life of his eldest
daughter. Apart from not investigating effectively the details about the persons Tess was sent to,
instead of spending with her the few hours left before her departure, he preferred to be in a state
of euphoria caused by drinking. He said goodbye to Tess quickly, “raising his head from his
breast as he suspended his nap, induced by a slight excess this morning in honour of the
occasion.” (67)

For a child, heredity and education have a substantial impact in the forming process of his
conduct, his mental processes being determined by these aspects. A great percent of the
teenagers who struggle with depression have suffered in their childhood from anxiety or from
other psychological disorders. (Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 140) Tess’s parents did not involve
actively in the process of education and she felt neglected and vulnerable in front of the
problematic situations she faced. Being raised in a questionable environment with parents who
fed themselves with illusions, the eldest daughter of the Durbeyfields developed a feeling of
uncertainty, tending to get lost in her thoughts. The only possibility to escape from the hostile
reality was to let herself shrouded in a state of dreaminess.

Victorian society’s ideal of purity

In Women’s Studies Encyclopedia, Karen J. Taylor examines an influential ideology in Great

Britain of the nineteenth-century: “the cult of true womanhood” or “the cult of domesticity”,
which promoted a female ideal characterized by “piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity”.
(Karen J. Taylor) Women were seen, as Karen herself tells, “the moral guardians of the family”.
As they were endowed with feminine features such as tenderness and patience, they were best
suited to take care of the principles of this sacred institution, a symbolical piece of heaven in the
middle of a contaminated world. Men, on the other side, were departing from the holy ambiance
of family to gain a living by working in an industrialized environment, which degraded their
moral integrity and virtues. Women contact with the outer world was minimized and they were
spending most of the time taking care of children as well as of the house’s chores, this permitting
them to preserve their righteousness and principles, and above all, a closer relation with divinity.
Karen J. Taylor gives a very poetic definition of woman’s crucial role in the frame of family,
saying that she
 “… nurtured her children both physically and spiritually, comforted her husband and
soothed away the wounds of his encounters with the outside world, and stood as an
invincible sentinel at the portals of the home to keep worldly pollution from entering and
despoiling the family.” (Karen J. Taylor)

The historian Barbara Welter focused her studies on the first decades of the nineteenth century,
analyzing the expression of sexual stereotypes. In this period, it was promoted a set of beliefs
concerning woman’s conduct. She had the sacred responsibility “to uphold the pillars of the
temple with her frail white hand.” (Welter) The principles of true womanhood were incontestable
and society view with reluctant eyes anyone who intended to alter them, as if these rebels were
acting against religious and social moralities. Barbara Welter reflected upon this phenomenon of
the nineteenth century, affirming that

in a society where values changed frequently, where fortunes rose and fell with
frightening rapidity, where social and economic mobility provided instability as well as
hope, one thing at least remained the same - a true woman was a true woman. (Welter)

The preservation of the four fundamental attributes of an ideal woman, “piety, purity,
submissiveness and domesticity” (Karen J. Taylor), assured her the road towards a tranquil
family life and a good reputation. The infringement of this attributes would put the woman in the
centre of attention of her neighbours and the rest of community. An unmarried woman would
ruin any chance to find a good man, as she will be labelled as flawed, being seen with different
eyes for the rest of her life. The religious devotion was the most valued quality a woman could
posses.

The vestal flame of piety, lightened up by Heaven in the breast of woman diffuses its
light and warmth over the world; and the dark would be the world (Bailey : 168 apud
Thatcher/ Walter)
Human’s sexual behaviour is heavily influenced by culture, as every society imposes a set of
Commented [A8]: Aici ar trebui sa pun siteul unde am gasit
acest citat din Bayley.
Am citat anterior acest site si mi-a aparut in paranteza Walter. Nu
stiu daca aici sa las doar asa.
Linkul este : http://www.pinzler.com/ushistory/cultwo.html

rules and restrictions. In those times, mothers or aunts were limiting their girls’ contact with the
outside world supervising them very closely, as they were conscious that the world was full of
dangers which could stray their girls’ purity, this ruining their marriage expectations. This was
not the case for Tess d’Urbeyfield, who was not kept under the protecting wing of her mother.
Instead, the one who should have supervised her threw her in the arms of the man who ruined her
life. Joan was fascinated by Alec with his wealth and good manners. In her imagination, he was
the perfect match for her beautiful daughter, the perfect man to drag her out of her miserable
existence and to offer her a luxurious living. She instilled her children the idea that their elder
sister is going to marry a rich man and will live a happy life. Tess was revolted by their innocent
reactions, always explaining them how things really are, bringing them down to earth. She had
developed repulsion towards her mother’s initiative.

Being mentally older than her mother she did not regard Mrs Durbeyfield’s matrimonial
hopes for her in a serious aspect for a moment. The light-minded woman had been
discovering good matches for her daughter almost from the year of her birth. (64)

Joan wanted to be sure that her daughter would not lose this perfect opportunity, this portal
towards a better life. She was excited when receiving the letter from Mrs. d’Urberville, in which
she expressed her wish to welcome Tess to take care of her fowls. Joan also affirmed that this
proposal is only a pretext, believing that their aristocratic relatives want to keep Tess closer to
them, as the charming girl was an enjoyable presence and a good company for Mrs.
d’Urberville’s son, Alec. Tess, due to her inexperience and also of her detachment, was not fully
aware of what these persons were planning for her. The day she left her parents’ house to move
to Sheston, she dressed neutral, with no intention to stand out, this decision shocking her mother
who clearly had other intentions for her. Eventually, “the girl put herself quite in Joan’s hands,
saying serenely—‘Do what you like with me, mother’”, accepting her ideas with a “calm
abandonment”, trusting that she “knows best.” (65)

... [S]he put upon her the white frock that Tess had worn at the club-walking, the airy
fulness of which, supplementing her enlarged coiffure, imparted to her developing figure
an amplitude which belied her age, and might cause her to be estimated as a woman when
she was not much more than a child. (66)

The Victorian era was defined by a strict social code and strong sense of morality. In that period,
sexual relations inside marriage were considered to be the only acceptable manifestations of
sexuality. The Victorians set really high-standards, honouring the purity of body and soul,
appreciating the value of work and charity. Although for all this goals to be accomplished, they
paid with many sacrifices, repressing their feelings and emotions.

In Introduction in Psychology it is stated that Sigmund Freud appreciated the theories of the
German physician Herman von Helmholtz, being highly influenced by him. Helmholtz found a
connection between physics and human nature in terms of energy. His theory focuses on the
principle of the conservation of energy, Helmholtz claiming that, similar to the objects from the
realm of physics, the individual is an isolated system whose energy is never wasted or created,
but instead takes different forms. The human being posses a psychological energy, which Freud
called libido, term which in Latin designates sexual desire. According to the principles of the
conservation of energy the repression of an impulse perceived by the mind as being prohibited,
although redirected and under a different form, is trapped inside the boundaries of conscience.
All the individual’s desires are charged with psychological energy and repression is not a
solution for preventing their externalization. (Smith/Freedrickson et alii : 663)

Michal Kahn investigates in his book, Basic Freud, the sexual anxiety which, as he says,
“cause[s] repression of the sexual impulses.” (109) He gives an example of a person who was
taught that sexual relations are shameful. Most probable, at some point, this person will face a
sexual opportunity, but he will not follow this impulse right away, as his conscience controls
him, reminding him that this act is not acceptable. Therefore, he is caught between two opposed
forces, desire and guilt.

The very anticipation of satisfying some of the impulses raises the specter of punishment
and thus produces great anxiety. A conscious decision to forgo the impulse, however,
may be severely fustrating.” (Kahn 122)

As Kahn explains, anxiety appears when a person is tempted by impulses to do forbidden acts.
As a defence mechanism, the person tries to change the outlook of his impulses in order to make
them socially acceptable and to avoid judgments from part of the others and also from part of his
consciousness. He is aware that not respecting what he was taught would have consequences, but
not fulfilling its desires causes regret. The individual searches for a solution for this conflicting
situation, in many cases, ending repressing his impulses.

In Introduction in Psychology it is discussed the issue of repression, which is a very common

defence mechanism and is characterized by the exclusion from conscience of the impulses and
traumatic experiences, as well as memories of shame and guilt. Repression is not the same with
suppression, as the first term designates an unconscious process and the second represents a state
of conscious self-control. Freud believed that repression is not an effective manner of easing the
pain of negative emotions because there is a high probability of them to return even after a long
time. The individual might be puzzled by the overwhelming thoughts which unrest his
conscience, not knowing that they were kept inside him all along. (Smith/Freedrickson et alii :
664)
Eve between Adam and the Serpent

Thomas Hardy portrayed Tess as being a spiritual human being ... characterization of tess Under
a childish angelic appearance is hidden an astonishing depth of thoughts and feelings. Due to her
dualist personality, the author often associated her with nature. On the one hand she has a radiant
beauty, a comforting presence, but on the other hand she is unpredictable and towards the end of
the novel, the reader gets to know also the cruel side of her.

Surprisingly, the forest was her refuge when she could not find peace in the immoral society,
although little time before she was filled with alienation, the forest was the scene of her tragedy,
the seduction and rape.

Alec and Angel

Sigmund Freud structured human personality in three theoretical components. As the

psychologist illustrated in New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis (1932) each person has
an id. From birth, it is obvious that the body demands a number of needs necessary for survival.
The id is the basal part, which takes the form of strong impulses, the brain aiming to fulfil them
as promptly as possible. Their fulfilment brings a state of pleasure and satisfaction, or in the
contrary case frustration, accompanied by tension or aggressiveness. The id is described as being
unconscious. It can be regarded as the

… dark, inaccessible part of our personality, (…) most of that is of a negative character
and can be described only as a contrast to the ego. We approach the id with analogies: we
call it a chaos, a cauldron full of seething excitations. ... It is filled with energy reaching it
from the instincts, but it has no organization, produces no collective will, but only a
striving to bring about the satisfaction of the instinctual needs subject to the observance
of the pleasure principle.

Alec represents the id, as he is passionate human being controlled by strong impulses. He is the
only son of the d’Urbervilles, a wealthy family with an enigmatic history. Their initial name was
Stokes, but his father Simon wanted to disappear from the public scene and to commence a new
life in a different area, where he could not be traced anymore. He was a merchant who in his life
had gained a fortune, however, with doubtable honesty. After doing some short researches, he
appropriated the name of an unknown old family which was in a process of disappearance.
Although parson Tringham knew that “the Stoke-d’Urbervilles were no more d’Urbervilles of
the true tree then Jack was himself” he did not say a word. (50) His confession would have
changed radically the situation which followed, preventing Tess from stepping in the dangerous
environment. Considering that Tess lived all her life in a rural area, she was amazed when she
saw for the first time the imposing residence of the supposed relatives, partly because it was
luxurious and impressive, but mostly because it did not match her expectations. In her simplicity,
she imagined it to be an old place full of history, but instead she encountered a building erected
recently. When she realized she was on her own in a confusing situation, she was dominated by a
state of uncertainty, starting to feel reluctant to her parents’ idea to send her there. As she
walking alone many thoughts revolved in her mind, being very tempted to leave that place, but
her cousin appeared.

He had an almost swarthy complexion, with full lips, badly moulded, though red and
smooth, above which was a well-groomed black moustache with curled points, though his
age could not be more than threeor four-and-twenty. Despite the touches of barbarism in
his contours, there was a singular force in the gentleman’s face, and in his bold rolling
eye. (51)

Fate has arranged the scene for the encounter between the victim and her abuser. Without having
the slightest suspicion, the innocent Tess was standing right in front of the man who would
destroy her life. Due to his sly character, Alec can be associated with the Serpent from the Eden
Garden which tempted Eve and drag her towards her fall. At the beginning, Alec treated her with
great attention and did his best to please her, although his first impression of her was not very
good. In his eyes, she was a poor country girl which came to him with a pathetic demand. Tess
was always remarked for her outstanding beauty, her mother considering that she could win the
heart of any man. She was right, because Tess’s physical appearance, as well as her naivety,
triggered Alec’s interest. “It was a luxuriance of aspect, a fulness of growth, which made her
appear more of a woman than she really was.” (55) He flattered Tess and make her feel like in a
dream by addressing her compliments, giving her roses and strawberries.
 Tess Durbeyfield did not divine, as she innocently looked down at the roses in her
bosom, that there [in front of her was standing] the ‘tragic mischief’ of her drama—one
who stood fair to be the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life. (55)

In fact, Alec was behaving falsely, hiding his real self, allowing Tess to see only a mask of him.
After she left, he “reflect[ed], with a pleased gleam in his face. Then he broke into a loud laugh.
... [W]hat a crumby girl!’” (57) In reality, Alec is nothing more than a villain with a rebel
attitude, who believed that he controls the world. His parents’ fortune and the absence of a father
figure fed his impulses to always break with conventions, without fearing the consequences. He
did not have a strong bound with his blind mother, the old Mrs. D’Urberville, who deep inside of
her acknowledged that she “was not the first ... compelled to love her offspring resentfully, and
to be bitterly fond.” (83)

Alec’s mother accepted Tess’s proposal to work at their house, without knowing that she is the
member of the old Durberville family. From that moment on, her supposed cousin changed
radically his attitude. If at their first encounter he was doing his best to make her feel
comfortable, in order to convince her to work for them, after managing to have her near him he
changed the strategy. Right after he took Tess from her parents he started to make advances
towards her. He began, little by little, to reveal his negative traits, especially his uncontrolled
wild spirit. As Tess was moving away from the comforting space of her natal village she felt
increasingly worried. Her supposed cousin drove very rapidly and even told her that horse once
killed a human being and was very close to kill him as well. “Sometimes a wheel was off the
ground, it seemed, for many yards; sometimes a stone was sent spinning over the hedge, and
flinty sparks from the horse’s hoofs outshone the daylight.” (Hardy 73)

The second side of the psyche is the ego, which has a strong connection with the id, as the
psychologist himself asserted that “where id is, there shall ego be…” (Freud, New Introductory
Lectures ) The individual, unlike the creatures lacking of rationality, little by little becomes
increasingly aware of the restrictions of the outer environment and keeps under control his id,
which sends him signals to follow the path towards pleasure. Therefore, the id represents the
forbidden desires and hidden intentions, unaccepted by the rules of society in their blunt outlook,
taking in consideration that it “knows no judgments of value: no good and evil, no morality.”
(Freud, New Introductory Lectures 107) This component of personality, the ego, intends to do
only what is acceptable from society’s perspective and as well from his consciousness,
conforming to the requirements of the real world. It does this by controlling the impulses and by
trying to find a middle way. In other words, it fulfils the urges without altering the social
expectancies. Freud illustrates the relation between these two interrelated components of the
psyche, the id and the ego, by associating them with a rider and his horse, underlying that the
rider does not always have total control over the horse, which sometimes does not obey, but
instead follows its own desires.

The horse provides the locomotor energy, and the rider has the prerogative of
determining the goal and of guiding the movements of his powerful mount towards it.
But all too often in the relations between the ego and the id we find a picture of the less
ideal situation in which the rider is obliged to guide his horse in the direction in which it
itself wants to go. (Freud, New Introductory Lectures )

Alec was driving very fast and Tess, inevitably, held him, as she was trying not to fall from the
carriage. What could have been judged as a daring gesture from part of Tess is immediately
clarified by the author, who all through the novel strengthens his protagonist’s moral purity. Alec
began flirting with her, asking for a kiss as a reward for getting her home safely, on an ironic
tone, of course, because what he did was to intimidate her. From the beginning she rejected
firmly his advances and felt repulsion towards the manner he addressed to her, with words such
as “my Beauty” (74) Eventually, Alec manipulated Tess to let him kiss her cheek at least, if not
her lips, as he wanted initially. Considering that she was a young girl who did not have contact
with men before and with no experience of their behaviour, the emotional impact of this scene
was devastating, causing her tears to fall from her eyes. She lost her trust in her cousin and
regretted the departure, reproaching him that he is not the good man she expected. However,
Alec was not affected by her opinions, being visibly annoyed because due to her cold attitude he
did not achieve what he wanted.

However, Alec’s dominant characteristic is his persuasion. Her rejections din nothing more than
to provoke him. Tess fascinated him from the beginning, and he did everything to obtain what he
desired, no matter the circumstances. His strategy was to insist, and when things were pushed too
far, causing Tess a feeling of anger mixed with repulsion, he stopped, changing totally his
behaviour, just not to lose her completely. He then assured his cousin that his intentions are good
and that he will keep distance, although he admitted being tempted by her good looking.
Inexperienced, Tess was enchanted by his words, although in reality what he did was to play
with her mind using the power of rhetoric, an area which he mastered. Alec’s power of
conviction is illustrated in the scene when Tess accepted eventually to go home with him,
because her companions were drunk and were making her feel uncomfortable due to their
inappropriate jokes. During the night she refused radically his many proposals, hoping to find a
solution. Realizing that she alone in the night with a bad company, she eventually accepted to go
with her cousin, although having many doubts. The innocent Tess did not knew at that time that
in the attempt to avoid a bad situation, she was trapped in a far more terrifying one, from which
she would have no way out.

As the two were walking in foggy dark he asked her the reason for not accept his gestures of
affection. Many girls, especially from rural areas, would have accepted the advances of a
charming aristocrat, but this was not the case for Tess who was reserved and refused him all
along. Although not having knowledge of these feelings, considering her mother’s absence in the
process of the education of her daughter, she listens to her unblemished conscience and answers
him in simple words that she does not love him. When realizing that they were wandering in a
different direction and he did not keep his word to take her home she felt deeply angered and his
first impulse was to go home on her own. Alec managed to manipulate her once again only with
words, appearing to be complied with her wish. Admitting that he was the one who brought her
in this situation, he felt responsible for resolving this inconvenience. He made her feel safe,
saying that he is going to search for a solution. He also mentioned that her “father has a new cob
to-day. Somebody gave it to him.” (Hardy 104) He knew this is her sensible point and that she
would be touched by this news, because her family’s grinding condition was affecting her. Tess
was a faded white silhouette swallowed in the darkness of the forest. When Alec returned, found
Tess asleep and approached her, feeling her breath. The atmosphere was so mysterious and calm
... more about
 [W]here was Tess’s guardian angel? where was the providence of her simple faith? ...
Perhaps, like that other god of whom the ironical Tishbite spoke, he was talking, or he
was pursuing, or he was in a journey, or he was sleeping and not to be awaked.
Why it was that upon this beautiful feminine tissue, sensitive as gossamer, and practically
blank as snow as yet, there should have been traced such a coarse pattern as it was
doomed to receive;” (Hardy 107)

In only one dark night, on its own meaning and also symbolically, the life of Tess changed
completely. It was the begging of her tragic ending. From the innocent creature she was in the
past, being always remarked for her outstanding beauty and kindness, as it illustrates first chapter
with a highly symbolical title - The Maiden, her status degraded entirely. She was the same Tess,
in principles and morality, although in the eyes of the others she was a completely different
human being. “Most of the misery had been generated by her conventional aspect, and not by her
innate sensations.” (Hardy 134) Without having knowledge of the danger she was exposed to,
Tess played with the devil. Sadly, she was overshadowed by him, ending up defeated. Her
innocent soul did not foresee the danger hidden behind the beautiful words, the fate condoning
her to learn the hard way that “the serpent hisses where the sweet birds sing.” (Hardy 110) Nor
she, or her parents, did not think that in the beautiful estate of the D’Urbervilles, heavenly in its
abundance, the serpent was waiting for its victim, hiding under the image of the sympathetic
cousin. Tess, as Eve from the Old Testament, was seduced by the Serpent, which convinced her
that biting from the forbidden apple would not have such terrible consequences as she was told.
Only after committing the act Eve becomes aware of the gravity of her decision, regretting the
situation. Sadly, the grieving regrets do not change her condition.

In one of his famous books, On Metapsychology - The Ego and the Id, Sigmund Freud explains
how the ego arbitrates between the demands of the id and reality, striving to maintain
equilibrium. The ego keeps under control powerful contrasting impulses, represented by desires
and needs, which flow from within in contrast with the demands and rules from the outside
setting.
 "The ego is that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the
external world. ... The ego represents what may be called reason and common sense, in
contrast to the id, which contains the passions.” (Freud 363-4)

After the terrible incident, Tess returns home, leaving Tandridge with many regrets in her soul.
Dominated by an acute feeling of disappointment and sorrow, she says to her cousin who does
not understand her decision to leave on a rush, without saying a word: “I wish I had never been
born. … I didn’t understand your meaning till it was too late.” (Hardy 111-12) With a strong
confidence in him, Alec assures Tess that she will return to him. She discredits his opinion, being
determined to break any ties with him. The unfortunate Tess did not think at that time that no
matter how much she will try to run from her past, life will bring her again in from of the person
who ruined her. Few months later, she gave birth to a child whom she named Sorrow, who did
not live long, his death accentuating Tess’s state of despair.
[An] intrusive creature, that bastard gift of shameless Nature, who respects not the social
law; a waif to whom eternal Time had been a matter of days merely, who knew not that
such things as years and centuries ever were; to whom the cottage interior was the
universe, the week’s weather climate, new-born babyhood human existence, and the
instinct to suck human knowledge. (Hardy 140)
He was the fruit of the wicked relation she had with Alec. She develops a defense mechanism,
known as the reaction formation, characterized by the concealment of a traumatic event. The
individual hides his true feelings and instead, expresses an opposite attitude. An example for this
would be a mother who feels guilty for giving birth to an illegitimate child. She does not feel
aversion to his innocent infant, but does her best to protect and to love him. (pg 665) Tess felt
deeply remorseful and she hid her beautiful face from the eyes of any human being. In the human
nature there is a strong impulse, more or less conscious, to analyze and sometimes to criticize
someone else’s acts. This process releases a neurotransmitter known as dopamine, which is
responsible for happiness??. Being aware that comments about her situation were almost
inevitable, Tess wanted to limit interactions with the curious inhabitants of the village. The little
room she was sharing with her brothers was her refuge. “She watched winds, and snows, and
rains, gorgeous sunsets, and successive moons at their full.” (124) Tess was a prisoner between
these cold walls, troubled by the multitude of thoughts which revolved in her mind.
Life followed its course and nobody ever knew what devastating storm was in the heart of the
poor girl. Being dominated by depression, Tess found alleviation in the forest, the only place
where she could found “mental liberty.” (124) Surprisingly, the forest was her refuge when she
could not find peace in the immoral society, although little time before she was filled with
alienation, the forest was the scene of her tragedy.

She had no fear of the shadows; her sole idea seemed to be to shun mankind—or rather
that cold accretion called the world, which, so terrible in the mass, is so unformidable,
even pitiable, in its units. (124)

Unusual for a girl at her age, she was not afraid of the solitude of such a vast space, nor of the
shadows, because through the traumatic experiences, she became aware of the existence of far
more frightening things in life, such as the emptiness from a person’s heart and their immoral
intentions. However, her choice to avoid people could not be permanent, and at some point she
found the strength to face them. In the middle of the summer she joined a group of people for
harvesting. Obviously, people discussed her controversial situation, however, with a slight
compassionate attitude as they knew what a kind girl she is. Realizing that “[s]he was not an
existence, an experience, a passion, a structure of sensations, to anybody but herself.” (Hardy
133) Proving dignity as she always did, she exposed herself with her child, not having restraints
to breastfeed him on the field, while the others were around.

When the infant had taken its fill, the young mother sat it upright in her lap, and looking
into the far distance, dandled it with a gloomy indifference that was almost dislike; then
all of a sudden she fell to violently kissing it some dozens of times, as if she could never
leave off, the child crying at the vehemence of an onset which strangely combined
passionateness with contempt. (Hardy 131-32)

The superego represents the conscience of the individual, as well as his aspiration towards a
perfect morality. The superego, at the boundary between conscious and unconscious, illustrates
the norms and expectations of the dominant institutions in the life of the individual. (662)
Redemption through suffering

The attitudes of the British author towards religion were conflicted. It is impossible to associate
Hardy with a particular religion. He was christened in the Church of England. Religion occupied
an important place in his family. In his childhood he was attached to the church and attended it
frequently. His grandfather, father and uncle were part of the choir. As he grew up he was more
and more captivated by the religious realm and wanted to enter the Church. He had “a personal
faith that was ardent, orthodox, and evangelically inflected, hence fundamentally different in
order and magnitude.” (Wilson 72) Hardy’s beliefs significantly changed in the years that
followed, as he had distanced himself from the institutions created by men, preserving though a
firm conviction in a divine power.

His acute identification with the world’s suffering rendered him incapable of belief in a
benevolent, omnipotent God, and ultimately led him to conclude that the Cause of Things
must be unconscious, “neither moral nor immoral, but unmoral.” (CL VI: 54 ???) (Wilson
74)

-more to be written-

The religious doctrine influenced considerably the psyche of the Voctorian people in many
aspects of everyday life, as they were exceedingly devoted to divinity. The Bible, regarded also
as the most important book ever written, stands at the basis of the Christian religions. It is a
sacred collection of historical accounts and allegories, which gives its readers plenty of advice.
The Bible refers to many situations from the life of a human being, approaching issues related to
sexuality as well. An extensive amount of passages are about the significance of the colossal
union between man and wife in marriage and also about the punishment of those who, though
sexual immorality, profane the sanctity and purity of their bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, God expects from humans to preserve their moral integrity.

In the New Testament is included a series of letters of Paul, the disciple of Christ, addressed to
the community he had pastured from many regions of Asia and Europe. Paul is an outstanding
figure in the religious realm, leaving a valuable treasure in the hearts of the Christian people. The
eminent German scholar, Adolf Deissmann, said that the Apostle Paul “rising from the mass of
the insignificant many...is still molding the world at the present moment.” Although at the
beginning he was a persecutor of the Christians, symbolizing the Church of Christ, he had a
revelation that changed his life completely. (Jackson) One day while Paul was on his way to
Damascus, God appeared to him as an intense light and castigated him for his unmerciful acts.
Paul remained blind for three days, but this encounter changed completely his life, he becoming
a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. All his life he travelled a lot, struggling to make the people
aware of the consequences of their sins.

In his fourteen books from the New Testament the apostle Paul expresses his disapproval attitude
towards carnal sins. In the first epistle he wrote for the people of Corinth, Greece, he tries to
awake their consciousness by exposing them the gravity of their acts in front of God. In the sixth
chapter, verses twelve and thirteen, he preaches:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me,
but I will not be dominated by anything...The body is not meant for sexual immorality,
but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

Later on, the eighteenth and nineteenth verses say:

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but
the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that the body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your
own.” (source: the Bible)

Tess encounter with the word of God. Ch XII. She feels profoundly ashamed, this meaning that
she feels guilty. She reports herself to divinity and is conscious she has commited an error, which
she regrets.

“If Tess is trapped by the fatalities of her heredity and environment, 34 she is equally caught
between the contrasted personalities of the two men – both superior to her in class, wealth, and
education – who dominate her life.” (Milliegate 275)