Using chapters 34 & 35 show how Hardy presents Angel’s Essay Example

past and her memory of him will always remain. During this chapter she is apprehensive but endeavours to look happy, this is shown when Tess and Angel are washing their hands.

Angel asks, 'Which are my fingers and which are yours? ' 'They are all yours', she responds. She desperately wants to please him however her secret is weighing heavily upon her mind. Hardy reminds the reader that Tess is impure by using imagery of a golden staff marking a paint spot upon her skirt. The position of this spot symbolises that she is not a virgin and also the idea of the golden staff being pure light from the heavens is marking her out is a bad omen, and suggests that terrible things will come as a result of this confession. The real Tess contrasts greatly from Angel's perception of her. He believes her to be pure.

This is important as the reader is aware of how devastating her confession will be to her image. In his thoughts he describes Tess as being a 'little womanly thing', viewed patronizing and sexist in modern day society. The thought 'if I should ever neglect her', quotation is also relevant as it hints to the reader that he portrays a strong love which may forgive all. The diamonds which he receives from his father are important as it shows Angel's hypocritical nature. He likes the fact that she looks like a d'Urbiville aristocrat wearing them, although in a previous chapter he denounces these lineage families. This shows he is two faced.

He would like her to be aristocratic; this is shown when he imagines Tess to be dressed in fine

gowns. 'You would look best in a wing bonnet and cotton frock', this implies that perhaps he is not satisfied with her dress and standing of being a milk maid. It is apparent Angel says one thing but as here we wonder what his true values really are. Further on in the chapter it is revealed that on of the maids had tried, unsuccessfully to kill herself as she was so distraught about Angel's marriage. This depresses Tess even more and makes her feel even more unworthy of Angel. There is a climax to Tess's confession.

Hardy surprises the reader by Angel's untimely confession about his affair. Hardy allows this to happen to lead the reader and Tess to believe that she will receive some forgiveness as he has past discrepancies. Hardy presents Tess to be almost relieved at this revelation as she will expect to be forgiven. 'I am almost glad-now you can forgive me', therefore encouraged she confronts angel about her past. Shock and disbelief are felt by Tess and the reader when Angel rejects her on hearing her confession. The description of the fire featured throughout chapter 34 symbolises the love and passion between Tess and Angel.

The reader is first aware of the presence of the fire when Hardy describes the candle flames drawing towards the fire place. At this stage the fire was ablaze showing their warmth and passion for one another however, as the chapter progresses the fire gradually goes out as quoted 'flameless embers' which portrays their love dying, moments before her confession. This allows the reader to formulate his own conclusions to the outcome of the situation before it

is confirmed by Hardy, the ultimate rejection of Tess followed by the sad finality of their love as described by the last description of the fire 'the ashes under the grate.... ike a torrid waste. '

Angel's hypocrisy is prominent and the reader is made aware of it throughout chapter 35. After his confession he expects forgiveness from Tess however he will not accept Tess's confession this confirms that he is a hypocrite. Soon after his confession he wanted to dismiss it and bury his confession. 'Then we will dismiss it at once', however after Tesses confession he continually drags it up and uses it as a stick to beat her with. He uses the quote 'of your want of firmness', this shows that Angel is being unreasonable and blaming Tess for what happened to her with Alec and therefore he will not accept her confession.

He makes his rejection of her clear by cruelly saying 'you were one person-now you are another. ' He implies that she is not the woman he married and his view of her as being a pure virgin is shattered by her confession. His hypocrisy is further shown when he calls Tess a 'belated seedling of an effete aristocracy. ' This remark is important as it shows that Angel uses the information of her lineage in a negative manner when it suits him, this contrasts greatly to before in the previous chapter when he liked to be associated by this name by choosing the old d'Urbiville mansion for their honeymoon.

Therefore Hardy presents Angel's rejection of Tess in a purely hypocritical way. We also see that Angel is not a forward thinker

as the reader was lead to believe in earlier chapters and also weak in mind for not accepting her past. There are many reasons as to why Angel rejects Tess. In those day's inequality existed between men and women. Although it was acceptable for a man to have an affair before marriage it was deemed scandalous if a woman was not a virgin. This was therefore part of the reason why Angel rejected Tess. In modern day society this issue would not exist.

As Angel was of a superior social and wealth standing to Tess the only quality she possessed to Angel was her purity. Angel rejected Tess as his image of her pureness was shattered and for a inferior woman like Tess to be inpure was deemed unacceptable to both Angel and society. Angels prejudice towards people of lower class is shown when he says to Tess 'different societies different manners. ' A harsh comment, meaning that what is acceptable in the lower classes is not necessarily acceptable in the upper classes. This shows that he is prejudiced against lower classes and would use her low social standing against her.

In today's society these social standings do not exist and it would be unacceptable to judge a person by their class. Tess was made to feel guilty by her secret and believed that she deserved no better treatment by Angel as she believed that she had sinned. This is shown when in her desperation she said to Angel that she would throw herself off the bridge 'in account of my shame. ' As modern day readers it is hard to understand her reaction as in today's

society women would not accept the cruel remarks construed by Angel.