Tess of the d'Urbervilles

?
View mindmap
  • Tess of the d'Urbervilles
    • Childhood
      • The story begins when Tess is a young girl.
      • Tess's childhood is cut short when she has to move away to work for Alec d'Urberville, she looses her innocence to him
      • Tess's younger siblings are also stuck because there father believes that Tess going to Alec means that the family will get money- none of the children get a normal childhood
      • Tess's baby dies before it can experience childhood
    • Sexuality
      • Tess's innocence is seen as a desirable feature by Alec
      • Tess uses her sexuality to kill Alec, she makes him believe that she wants to be with him
      • Angel uses Tess's sexuality against to- he blames her for the fact Alec ***** Tess whereas Angel doesn't anything wrong with him sleeping with someone
    • Death
      • Tess's fathers death means that the family is put into further poverty
      • Alec's death (murder) reflects that Tess is finally free from her tormentor, however it means she will be imprisoned
      • The death of Angels parterner when he abroad means that his farming business could suffer
      • Death of the family horse means that the family can't make money because they can't transport things to market
      • Tess's baby doesn't survive- the misfortunes that Tess has suffered
    • Religion
      • Alec turns to religion- redemption for future actions
      • Tess christens her baby so that she can bury it in church graveyard
      • The man painting religious teachings to highlight the wrongs Tess has done- sex before marriage (***** by Alec)
      • Angel- protecting and guiding humans. Meant to support Tess ( her saviour)
    • Class
      • Angels parents don't approve of the marriage because Tess is of lower class sitting
      • The Durbeyfield family are always trying to escape from the poverty they are in
    • Contrasting Regions
      • The town- struggling for jobs- living in poverty
      • More wealth in the countryside and job opportunities
      • In the town Tess can escape her past- in the countryside she is recongnised as the girl who was with Alec out of wedlock
    • Gender
      • Totally acceptable for Angel to sleep with someone out of wed-lock. Also Alec is not frowned upon for ****** Tess
        • Link to HYPOCRASY
      • Then women on the farms are made to complete labour by hand whereas the men are able to take advantage of modern machinery
    • Fallen Woman
      • Tess is considered a fallen women with no way of redemption- she struggles to hold down a job, gets left by Angel who she marries and even though she kills Alec- she stills isn't redemed because she is arrsted aand then killed- only way of redemption for her is death

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar English Literature resources:

Tess
Tess
See all English Literature resources »See all EN5002 Victorian Lit resources »