Six Strings & Paperbacks

Always say yes to adventures
SPOILER ALERT!

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy Tess of the D'urbervilles was not a book that I would have chosen to read voluntarialy. However, this term in English that is what we are "studying" per say. Seeing as I am the only one in the class to have read it-so far- I hope I get a little advantage.

Tess, to begin with is unworldly and naive. The question often gets raised whether Alec "sexually taking advantage of her" or rape in our society, was actually rape or seduction... I believe it was rape, and I also partly blame her parents for almost "forcing" more like guilting her into going. She seemed to evolve as a character throughout the book and I was happiest when reading about her and Angel at the farm. However I felt her backslide in the end, resulting in her marriage to Alec and her eventual murder of him. All pretty stupid if you ask me... She could have just ran away! Urgh.

Something that did get me wondering though was Alec. It is obvious that he was meant to be the main antagonist in the story but I couldn't help but wonder if- after the rape part- he actually did love her? Why else would he be so inclined to follow her around like a little lost puppy? Surely not for Lust. I fail to understand. And I feel slightly bad for not hating him as much as I should.

Angel, he left. Yes, you probably would to this day in age if you found out that your wife had I dunno, been apart of a murder? It would take some time to get used to. People have to remember that not being virtitous in that time was one of the biggest sins around, and for him he would have felt pretty upset, almost as though his wife wasn't really his. Still I found his insecent mind changes to be rather annoying and his immaturity drove me crazy- ie, when he asked Izzy to leave with him.


Either way I found Tess of the D'urbervilles to be an up and down experience with both mega interesting parts and MEGA boring ones- reference phase two.