Tess Essay -- essays research papers

Tess Durbeyfield is a dupe of both external and internal forces. Passive and yielding, unsuspicious and fundamentally pure, she suffers a weakness of will and reason, struggling against a fate that is too strong for her to overcome. Tess falls victim to circumstance, society, and male idealism. Tess may be unable to overcome these spare difficulties is destroyed by her ravaging self-destructive sense of guilt, life denial and the cruelty of two men. It is primarily the death of the horse, Prince, the Durbeyfields main source of living that commences the web of circumstance that envelops Tess. The imagery at this arcdegree in the novel shows how distraught and guilt ridden Tess is as she places her hand upon Princes wound in a futile attempt to prevent the blood loss that cannot be prevented. The imagery is equivalent to a photographic proof - a lead-up to the events that will shape Tesss life and the inevitable evil that also, like the crimson blood that spouts from Princes wound , cannot be stopped. The symbolic fact that Tess perceives herself to be comparable to a butcheress is an insight into the murder that she will eventually commit and is also a reference to the level of guilt that now consumes her. Nobody blamed Tess as she blamed herself... she regarded herself in the brightness of a murderess. Tess views herself as the cause of her familys economic d makefall. Tesss parents, aware of her beauty, view Tess as an opportunity for future accumulation of wealth. With the unfortunate circumstance of Princes death Tess, is urged to venture from the engirded and secluded region of Marlott to seek financial assistance from the Durbervilles in nearby Trantridge. It is here in Trantridge that she first encounters the versedly dominating and somewhat demonic Alec Durberville. Alecs first words to Tess, Well, my Beauty, what can I do for you? indicate that first impression of Tess is only of sexual magnetism. Alec then proceeds to charm Tess by pushing straw berries into her mouth and pressing roses into her bosom. These fruits of love are an indication of Alecs lust and sexual desire for Tess as he preys upon her purity and rural innocence. Tess unwillingly becomes a victim to Alecs inhumane, violent and aggressive sexual advances. Alec, always the master of opportunities, takes advantage of her while unsocial in the woods and proceeds to rape ... ...as subjected her to the cruelty of love. Tess, a victim once again is now broken both spiritually and emotionally. It is at this point in the novel that she begins to come to the realization that her beauty is part of the cause of her destruction. In answer to this she dons her oldest field gown, covers half her face with a handkerchief, and snips shoot her eyebrows to keep off these casual lovers. Unfortunately for Tess she has come to this realization to late. She now is unable to save herself from Alecs lustful actions and Angels idealized reasoning. The impregnable tragedy of Tesss life is that her decisions have always been made with good and pure intentions, but have resulted in damaging consequences. Tess is undoubtedly a victim as misery punctuates her life. Tess is a victim of circumstance in that her individuality makes little difference to her fate. She is a victim of society in the sense that she is a scapegoat of narrow-mindedness among her fellow man. She is a victim of male ideology on the grounds that her powers of will and reason are undermined by her sensuality. Tess herself sums up her own blighted life best, Once a victim, always a victim - thats the law.