|
||||||||
Tess of the d'Urbervilles | ||||||||
Summary | ||||||||
Tess of the D?Urbervilles was subtitled A Pure Woman and published in 1891. It is one of Hardy?s saddest tales of rural troubles. Tess is the daughter of the poor John Durbeyfield who learn from the village parson that his family is related to ancient nobility, being the last of the family the D?Urbervilles. In trying to make use of this connection, Joan - John?s wife - suggests that Tess pursue the son of the local family of Mrs D?Urberville. As it turns out the Mrs D?Urberville has merely taken the name for convenience but Tess becomes involved with her son Alec nonetheless who gives her employment but takes advantage of her and in unpleasant circumstances seduces her. They have a child together who dies early and cannot be baptised because he is illegitimate. The second stage of the novel concerns the family of the Reverend Mr Clare and his son Angel. Angel and Tess marry but when she admits the incident with Alec their relationship is torn apart leading to Angel?s departure for South America and Alec?s second attempt to ensnare Tess. This leads to murder, escape and superficial impurity on the part of Tess who is finally brought to "Justice". This is an exceptionally bleak novel that offers little relapse from the persistent cruelty of fate (or as the novel would have it the President of the Immortals) against Tess. At the time the novel was considered pessimistic and immoral, and Henry James though it thoroughly poorly conceived which reminds us of a certain conversation between a pot and a black kettle.< | ||||||||
Table of contents | ||||||||
Preface to the Fifth and Later Editions | ||||||||
Chapter 1 | ||||||||
Chapter 2 | ||||||||
Chapter 3 | ||||||||
Chapter 4 | ||||||||
Chapter 5 | ||||||||
Chapter 6 | ||||||||
Chapter 7 | ||||||||
Chapter 8 | ||||||||
Chapter 9 | ||||||||
Chapter 10 | ||||||||
Chapter 11 | ||||||||
Chapter 12 | ||||||||
Chapter 13 | ||||||||
Chapter 14 | ||||||||
Chapter 15 | ||||||||
Chapter 16 | ||||||||
Chapter 17 | ||||||||
Chapter 18 | ||||||||
Chapter 19 | ||||||||
Chapter 20 | ||||||||
Chapter 21 | ||||||||
Chapter 22 | ||||||||
Chapter 23 | ||||||||
Chapter 24 | ||||||||
Chapter 25 | ||||||||
Chapter 26 | ||||||||
Chapter 27 | ||||||||
Chapter 28 | ||||||||
Chapter 29 | ||||||||
Chapter 30 | ||||||||
Chapter 31 | ||||||||
Chapter 32 | ||||||||
Chapter 33 | ||||||||
Chapter 34 | ||||||||
Chapter 35 | ||||||||
Chapter 36 | ||||||||
Chapter 37 | ||||||||
Chapter 38 | ||||||||
Chapter 39 | ||||||||
Chapter 40 | ||||||||
Chapter 41 | ||||||||
Chapter 42 | ||||||||
Chapter 43 | ||||||||
Chapter 44 | ||||||||
Chapter 45 | ||||||||
Chapter 46 | ||||||||
Chapter 47 | ||||||||
Chapter 48 | ||||||||
Chapter 49 | ||||||||
Chapter 50 | ||||||||
Chapter 51 | ||||||||
Chapter 52 | ||||||||
Chapter 53 | ||||||||
Chapter 54 | ||||||||
Chapter 55 | ||||||||
Chapter 56 | ||||||||
Chapter 57 | ||||||||
Chapter 58 | ||||||||
Chapter 59 | ||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||