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Tess as a Pure Woman according to Hardy
Thomas Hardy used the title of the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles and A pure woman is the subtitle of the play. So, its means that Hardy himself consider Tess as a pure woman.
Pure in attention and soul, not physically
Tess is not pure physically as Hardy himself calls her “maiden no more” but the loss of virginity under the circumstances like rape does not loss the purity. She is pure in her attention and soul.
Tess’s association with Alec
Tess’s association with Alec shows her unwillingness at every point. When Alec seduced her she was in sleep. She becomes his mistress when her family out of shelter. Murder of Alec also shows her unwillingness of this association.
Tess’s irritation at Alec‘s progresses
When Alec tries to put strawberries into her mouth she tells him that she eat herself and also shows irritation from this type of behavior of Alec. Then on the way to Trantridge Alec tries to kiss her but she tries to avoid him she dropped the hat and came down and pass the remaining way by foot. As his employee she reserved her but Alec advances.
Seduction under situations
When Alec seduced her at that time she was physically tired, mentally drowsy due to clash with mates and In half sleep condition. Tess says to Alec when leaving Trantridge: “My eyes were dazed by you for little, and that was all. I didn’t understand your meaning till it was two late”.
Tess’s intense sense of guiltiness
Tess is a sensitive girl she feels guilt on death of prince (horse). Her sense of guilt coming back to home after seduction by Alec. And her sense of guilt at home and during agriculture labor on seduction. Her sense of guilt when love with Angel that she many times tried to confess her secret to Angel but fail. All these events shows her purity of mind and thought.
Angel’s conventional thinking
Angel’s conventional code of morality only thinks her impure but later he realizes his mistake when he become sick in Brazil. When he comes back from Brazil he trace her and meet her.
Tess portrayed faithfully
Hardy portrays her unbiased and impartial in this novel. Hardy portrays her working as peasant with her baby, feels miserable, when she thinks about her seduction. Her misery due to the conventional aspect, not by her innate feelings. Before the marriage Angel sees her as “idealistic spirit of woman”. Her portrayal also show her pure.
Circumstances of Tess’s surrender to Alec
Tess has wrote two letters to Angel when he was in Brazil but have no response from Angel. Secondly her father had died, her house was forfeited and her family was without a shelter. Thirdly she felt her existence as a burden. Under these circumstances she surrender to Alec.
Tess’s killing of Alec
When Angel came back and meet with Tess. Tess stabbed the Alec and captured after passing few days with angel in happiness and love. Legally she was guilt but our sympathies with her and the execution of Tess seems like wild justice because she was pure in her mind and spirit.
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