TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES

Thomas Hardy was an English novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He destroyed the manuscript of his first, unplaced novel, but -- encouraged by mentor and friend George Meredith -- tried again. His important work took place in an area of southern England he called Wessex, named after the English kingdom that existed before the Norman Conquest. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman, Faithfully Presented shows Hardy's typical concern for the plight of the mostly working class people he portrays. The Industrial Revolution is coming, railways are extending across Britain, and Victorian morality and hypocrisy will take their toll. Tess, the eldest daughter of a poor carter in Marlott, goes to work for the rich d'Uberville family, where she becomes pregnant with the child of Alec, the d'Uberville's son. This action makes her a fallen woman, and leads to tragedy. Tess of the d'Urbervilles got mixed reception when it was published because it portrayed Tess sympathetically and challenged the prevailing sexual mores. A copy was burnt by the Bishop of Wakefield.