Angel And Tess example essay topic

The poor peddler John Durbeyfield is stunned to learn that he is the descendent of an ancient noble family, the d'Urbervilles. He and his wife decide to send their oldest daughter, Tess, to the d'Urberville mansion, where they hope Mrs. d'Urberville will make her fortune. In reality, Mrs. d'Urberville is no relation to Tess at all; her husband, the merchant Simon Stokes, simply changed his name to d'Urberville after he retired. But Tess does not know this, and when the lascivious Alec d'Urberville, Mrs. d'Uberville's son, procures her a job tending fowls on the d'Urberville estate, Tess has no choice but to accept. After Tess spends several months at this job, Alec finally manages to seduce her, taking advantage of her in the woods one night after a fair. Tess knows she doesn't love Alec, and she returns home to her family to give birth to Alec's child, which she christens Sorrow.

Sorrow dies soon after he is born, and Tess spends a miserable year at home before deciding to seek work elsewhere. She finally accepts a job as a milkmaid at the Talbothays Dairy. At Talbothays, Tess enjoys a period of contentment and happiness. She befriends three of her fellow milkmaids, Iz, Re tty, and Marian, and meets a man named Angel Clare with whom she falls in love. They grow closer together throughout Tess's time at Talbothays, and she eventually accepts his proposal to marry him.

Still, she is troubled by pangs of conscience and feels she should tell Angel about her past. She tries to write him a confessional note and slip it under his door, but it slides under the carpet; Angel never sees it. After their wedding, Angel and Tess both confess indiscretions: Angel tells Tess about an affair he had with an older woman in London, and Tess tells Angel about her history with Alec. Tess forgives Angel, but Angel cannot forgive Tess; he gives her some money and boards a ship bound for Brazil, where he thinks he might establish a farm. He tells Tess he will try to accept her past, but warns her not to contact him until he comes for her. Tess struggles: she has a difficult time finding work, and is forced to take a job at an unpleasant and unprosperous farm.

She tries to visit Angel's family, but overhears his brothers discussing Angel's poor marriage, and she leaves. She hears a wandering preacher speak, and is stunned to discover that he is Alec d'Urberville, having been converted to Christianity by Angel's father, the Reverend Clare. Alec and Tess are each shaken by their encounter, and Alec appallingly begs Tess never to tempt him again. Soon after, however, he is again begging Tess to marry him, having turned his back on his religious ways. Tess learns from her sister Liza-Lu that her mother is near death, and she is forced to return home to take care of her.

Her mother recovers, but her father unexpectedly dies soon after. The family is evicted from their home; Alec offers help, but Tess refuses to accept, knowing he only wants to obligate her to him again. At last, Angel decides to forgive his wife, and he leaves Brazil desperate to find her. Instead he finds her mother, who tells him Tess has gone to a village called Sand bourne. Here, he finds Tess in an expensive boardinghouse called The Herons, where he tells her he has forgiven her and begs her to take him back.

Tess tells him he has come too late; she was unable to resist, and went back to Alec d'Urberville. Angel leaves in a daze; heartbroken to the point of madness, Tess goes upstairs and stabs her lover to death. When the landlady finds Alec's body, she raises an alarm, but Tess has already fled to find Angel. Angel agrees to help her, though he cannot quite believe that she has actually murdered Alec. They hide out in an empty mansion for a few days, then travel further. When they come to Stonehenge, they go to sleep; in the morning, they are discovered by a search party.

Tess is arrested and sent to jail. Angel and Liza-Lu watch as the black flag is raised over the prison, signaling Tess's execution.