Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Outline

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891) follows Tess Durbeyfield, a young woman from a poor rural family in England whose father learns that they descend from an old noble family. Sent to seek help from wealthy relatives, Tess suffers deeply at the hands of Alec d’Urberville and later faces rejection from the man she loves. Thomas Hardy’s novel explores injustice, social hypocrisy, and the harsh judgement faced by women in Victorian society.

• Tess Durbeyfield's poor rural family learns that it descends from an old noble family, and that news sets her story in motion.
• Sent to seek help from wealthy relatives, Tess suffers deeply at the hands of Alec d'Urberville.
• Tess later faces rejection from the man she loves, adding a second heavy blow to her life.
• Hardy shows how Victorian society judged women harshly while excusing hypocrisy in others.
• The novel, published in 1891, sets a young woman's innocence and resilience against an unforgiving world.

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet whose works are mostly set in Wessex, a fictional region based on southwest England. He is known for his realistic portraits of rural life and his tragic view of fate. His other novels include Far from the Madding Crowd and The Mayor of Casterbridge.