Tess becomes very reserved and says she will do what ever Angel asks. This does make a modern reader mad because she should not be begging his forgiveness, she has done nothing wrong but she is made to feel guilty and unwanted. Tess says she will go and stay with her parents even though she hates the thought of going home. She will be shamed.
She gets a job digging up frozen potatoes. It is very physically demanding and an awful job to have to take. Despite this even when Alec offers her a life of luxury she refuses, her pride and love of Angel stop her from accepting his attempt at clearing his conscience. He asks her many times and she continually says no.
In my opinion Tess would have starved before going to Alec for help but just like before the needs of her family push her into a situation she doesn’t want to be in. In a final attempt to rectify the situation Tess writes to Angel, when she hears nothing she assumes he has abandoned her and goes to Alec. We sympathise with Tess because she is forced to be with a man she despises while the man she loves is nowhere to be found.
When Angel returns, Tess is filled with a conflict of emotions. She is upset because he is too late she is with Alec and cannot leave with Angel. She is happy because she loves him and angry he never wrote to her.
Tess then realises she loves Angel and wants to be with him. I was surprised how small Hardy made Alecs death compared to the emotional pain Tess had suffered because of him. Nowadays Tess would not have been driven to the extreme of murder. We are free to be with whom we choose now and so Tess could leave Alec to be with Angel. Tess must have been pushed too far to commit such an atrocity, because she is a very gentle person by nature.
When she joins Angel it is the first time in her life she is truly happy. It is very touching and we feel truly happy for Tess but it cannot last, and we are waiting for her arrest all the time.
When she is caught she accepts her fate very calmly ‘I am ready’ this comment really does show Tess is ready to die and does not fear it. We admire her courage and feel very sorry, but also relieved her suffering is over.
At her execution she still has the self-respect she started out with and she tells Angel to look after her sister, even when she is about to die she is thinking of others. For me this shows Tess’ true personality caring, gentle and kind.
Tess suffers a life of pain, even when she is happy there is always something waiting to ruin her happiness. However she doesn’t see herself as a victim. She is a strong character with high moral values and self-respect. Her kind and forgiving nature shines through during the novel. She is a victim of her time because she would not have suffered like she did now. She was a wonderful character, but always had problems due to Alec. Never did she use her looks or bring things on herself she was a complete victim who couldn’t take any more suffering. I completely sympathise with Tess and feel no one could feel anything else but sorry for the poor child who’d suffered so much.
