Love in Tess of the D'Urbervilles

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Is being in love always a happy experience? With references to

the main characters in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, show the range

of emotions love can bring.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Is being in love always a happy experience? With references to the

main characters in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, show the range of

emotions love can bring.

Thomas Hardy was born in June 1840 and was educated until he was 16

near Dorchester. By 1867 Hardy had begun to write his first

unpublished novel, ‘The Poor Man and the Lady’. By the time he had

married his wife in 1874 he had written four novels and was earning a

living as a writer. It total Thomas Hardy has written eleven novels,

one of which is ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ set in ‘Wessex’. The

novel was first introduced to the public in 1891 after three

publishers who all said it would be born into controversy had rejected

it. This was because it was unheard of for a young woman to be

unmarried with a young baby because of the social aspects of that

time. Despite this, many women readers considered Tess to be the

heroin of the novel.

In ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ it is clear that love is not always a

happy experience as shown by Tess, Angel and to some extent Alec

D’Urberville.

The first experience of love in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ is when

Tess, a 16 year old working class girl, is sent to claim kinship from

the D’Urberville residents because Tess and her family believe they

can help them. This is when Tess meets Alec D’Urberville for the

first time. It is instantly clear there is a physical attraction when

Alec begins flirting with Tess. This continues when Tess is offered

work at the D’Urberville resident where she has to look after Mrs

D’Urbervil...

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...spend their last happy night together. This part in the book is where

the couple are at their happiest together because they truly love one

another without having any secrets from one another. Angel feels the

need to protect Tess but in the morning guards arrive to take Tess

away. Although they are both expecting this it is hard for them to

separate for the final time. A black flag goes up at a castle at the

end of the book to symbolise Tess’ execution.

‘A few minutes after the hour had struck something moved slowly up the

staff, and extended itself upon the breeze. It was a black flag.’

‘Tess of the D’ Urbervilles’ is a clear example that love is not

always a happy experience. There are many joyous, happy experiences

but with these come many sad, unhappy experiences of love. Despite

all of these events, Hardy still makes Tess the heroin of the story.

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