Tess of the D'urberville: Tess Quotes

Character of Tess Quotations

• First appearance of Tess is during Chapter 2 (Page 12) as she is participating in the May dance, she is described with 'large innocent eyes', 'handsome' and 'elegant' - a creature of tempatation (perhaps foreboding that this is her downfall (with Alec)). 'Innoent' also suggests a connection with nature and perhaps the idea of innocent nature being corrupted by hummanity - Tess being a metaphor for this as she is corrupted by others (city people/victorian society).
• The above idea of innocene is also supported by a later reference (Page 13) as ‘Tess Durbeyfield at this time of her life was a raw vessel of emotion untinctured by experience’ - comparing her almost like a child, full of innocence as she is untinctured (has not) expereicnced society outside of her country life - (secluded). This foreshadows that bad things are going to happen to her (like her seduction) as she is uneducated about the real world and later this is evident as she is angry at her mother for not 'warning her'.
• Tess's 'pride' is also seen on Page 13, as 'Tess's pride would not allow her to turn her head again' - again another downfall she has (perhaps portraying her as a tragic hero) as it is her pride that does contribute towards her 'fallen woman' status (as she refuses to marry Alec), but also makes her different from the other women in her society (countryside). This is later seen (Page 31) as Tess said 'O no- I wouldn't have it for the world!' Tess declared proudly (when her mother suggests another gentleman to take the hives to the market - again if Tess didn't have this pride and just said yes she might have not crashed the horse and then not go to Trantridge and even met Alec D'urberville.
•  In Chapter 3 (Page 18) Hardy portrays that Tess 'has no spirit to dance again for a long time', this could foreshadow the rest of the novel - Tess's downfall and knock on her spirit, as right here in Marlott is her happiest and from now on everything is going to change.
• However Tess is a bit more educated that most of the country people - she is 'the daughter with her trained National teachings and Standard knowledge' (Page 23), which in contexts is comparing Mrs D'urberfield to Tess, as Tess has a 'standard knowledge' it gives hope for her to escape basic uneducated country life and make something of herself.
• Throughout Chapter 3 she is portrayed as a caring character, (arguably the only logical one there) as she cares about getting her father home from 'Rollivers' so he can go to the market the next day. As none of her family are capable of doing it themselves (again compares her intellegance), she exclaims that 'I must go myself' despite…