Tess of the d'Urbervilles : Themes

Themes

Themes

Injustice and Social Criticism : In “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” Hardy shows how unfair society is. Tess is a victim of Alec’s crime, yet people blame her instead of supporting her. She is judged for being “impure,” while men like Alec and Angel are easily forgiven. Society is harsh to women and the poor, but soft to the rich and powerful. Hardy criticizes this injustice through Tess’s life.

Fate: Hardy strongly believes in fate, and Tess’s story shows this again and again. Many small accidents changed her life completely. For example, when Tess writes a letter to Angel, it slips under the carpet and he never reads it. This mistake ruins her marriage. Hardy shows that no matter how good or pure Tess is, cruel fate always works against her. She cannot escape it. Fate seems blind, cruel, and stronger than human will.

Nature : Nature plays a very important role in the novel. Hardy often connects Tess’s life with the beauty of the countryside. At Talbothays Dairy, the peaceful green fields and rivers reflect her love and hope with Angel. At Flintcomb-Ash, the harsh, cold fields reflect her suffering and hard labor. Nature is like a silent witness to Tess’s life. It sometimes gives her comfort, but sometimes it seems uncaring.

Purity and the Condition of Women : Hardy questions what it means to be “pure.” Tess is pure in heart and spirit, but society says she is impure because Alec ruined her. Angel also cannot accept her, even though he himself slept with a lady. This shows the unfair condition of women in Hardy’s time. Women were judged more harshly than men. Tess’s story shows how society destroyed women with its false ideas of purity.