Research Paper on Thomas Hardy Essay Example

the rape and questions why she never warned her about the dangers posed by men. Mrs. Durbeyfield clings to the belief that Tess should have forced Alec to marry her for her own and the family's benefit. Tess is now miserable and the subject of village gossip, finding no solace in her friends or attending church services. She spends most of her time in the bedroom she shares with some of the children, and at this point, almost everyone believes she has left. The following year in August, Tess works in the fields and takes breaks to feed her unbaptized baby.The text describes how the woman takes matters into her own hands when her baby becomes sick. She decides to perform a baptism, giving her child the name Sorrow. Unfortunately, shortly after, she is faced with the heartbreaking task of laying her infant son to rest in a neglected area of the cemetery. "Consequently, the baby was placed inside a tiny coffin... and laid to rest with only a lantern to guide the way... in that neglected section of God's designated space where He allows nettles to thrive..."

In the second phase, Tess decides to re-enter society and find a job that matches her social standing. She resolves to become a dairymaid at the Talbothays Dairy, owned by Richard Crick. Being in the beautiful countryside lifts Tess's spirits, as she no longer feels judged by others. It is at the dairy that she meets Angel Clare, a young man who wants to own a farm instead of becoming a minister like his father wants. Although Angel is new to dairy farming, he has an educated and

reserved demeanor that fascinates Tess. A deep love between them starts to develop, with each revealing more of their true selves to the other. Tess had been trying to suppress her vitality, but she underestimates its strength.Meanwhile, a crisis arises at the dairy when the milk fails to churn into butter. Rumors spread among the superstitious crowd, strongly implying that this anomaly conceivably indicates someone's amorous emotions within the dairy.

In the end, the butter forms and tranquility returns. One of the milkmaids, Retty Priddle, notices that Angel is in love with Tess. Angel has been watching Tess, waiting for the right moment to confess his love. However, Tess believes that a relationship with someone of Angel's social status would not last and resists him. Despite her doubts, Tess will eventually marry Angel Clare. The narrator hints at this possibility at the end of this section. The narrator suggests that a new horizon will open up for everyone, whether it be for a short or long period of time. "Text Citation: Bloom, Harold, ed. "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Thomas Hardy, Bloom's Major Novelists. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www. fofweb. com/activelink2. asp? ItemID=WE54;SID=5;iPin= BMNTH60;SingleRecord=True (accessed May 4, 2010)." The novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles explores the subjectivity of experience and judgment.

Hardy expanded upon the principle of subjectivity in his work, which was a unique approach at the time. This concept of subjectiveness was introduced to Western culture by Rousseau, particularly in his Confessions, and its impact is still noticeable. Examples such as Keats's odes, Wordsworth's The Prelude, Conrad's novels, and Faulkner's novels demonstrate the power of the

mind to create a meaningful world. Hardy shares a similar romantic perception with these writers, albeit in a less refined manner.

The principle of subjectivity as an index to tragedy is evident in all of Hardy's work, especially in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. However, it is in this novel that Hardy fully explores and exploits this principle. Tragedy was not a popular genre during the romanticism era when common humanity was emphasized, but Hardy was the first to create a tragedy based on an individual's understanding of themselves rather than their relationship to society. This idea was previously seen in The Return of the Native, but it is in Tess of the d'Urbervilles where it is fully developed.

Hardy's tragedies advocate for the importance of individual freedom, with Tess of the d'Urbervilles taking this further by emphasizing the freedom of conscience alongside freedom of consciousness. According to Hardy as the narrator, the world is merely a psychological phenomenon. Throughout the novel, he illustrates the inability to objectively observe and evaluate life through various means.

The meaning of an action depends not only on the unique situation and the characters involved. Angel tells Tess that she is not the same woman he married earlier in the day, and Tess herself realizes that she has become a different person after marrying Angel compared to her past with Alec. These declarations highlight the transient nature of life and illustrate Tess and Angel's confusion about morality and their evolving personalities. The focus on subjective experience suggests that the tragic emotion in Tess of the d'Urbervilles arises from individual consciousness rather than external factors like environment, relationships, or moral order.

While there are social and interpersonal connections, Hardy also portrays how they influence the individual's consciousness. However, the tragic emotion itself is subjective as the characters are essentially isolated within themselves and their identities are not constant even within themselves.

The text citation for this information can be found in Dale Kramer's book "Thomas Hardy: The Forms of Tragedy" (1975), specifically on pages 111-14. It is quoted as "The Tragedy of Consciousness" in Harold Bloom's edited book "Thomas Hardy, Bloom's Major Novelists" (2003). This edition was published by Chelsea House Publishing in Philadelphia, and there is an updated version from 2007. This information is available on Bloom's Literary Reference Online, a database provided by Facts On File, Inc. The URL for the source is http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54;SID=5;iPin=BMNTH78;SingleRecord=True, and it was accessed on May 4, 2010. Tess, one of Hardy's most memorable and cherished heroines, plays the central role in the novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles."

The main character in the novel is portrayed as "A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented" as stated in the subtitle. She is the oldest among the numerous Durbeyfield children and is known for being the most responsible member of the family. When she is first introduced, while walking with the May Day Club in Marlott, she exudes a sense of freshness. She is described as a "fine and handsome girl" with a lively mouth resembling a peony and innocent eyes that are large in size. She is depicted as someone who is driven purely by emotions and lacks worldly experience. During a dance with the village girls before the arrival of the young men from work, Angel Clare and his brothers pass by.