How Does Hardy Shape Our Responses to Tess in Tess of the D’uerbevilles in Chapters one to Nine?

18th September

How does Hardy shape our responses to Tess in Tess of the D’uerbevilles in chapters One to Nine?

Throughout chapters 1 -9 Hardy evokes a certain degree of sympathy towards Tess from the reader. This response is shaped through various aspects of the novel including her striking inner innocence which is contrasted with her alluring appearance, which then also leads to her constant objectification. As a reader we further empathise with Tess sue ;to her selflessness in her actions and recurring want to please others which is was ultimately draws her towards her fate.

Hardy conveys Tess’s inner innocence throughout chapters 1-9, however, this is then continuously conflicted with her attractive exterior, creating a degree of sympathy towards Tess as we see her innocence begin to deteriorate.  We are first introduced to Tess at the celebration of May Day, a fertility and pagan ritual, so immediately associating her with chastity.  She is described to be “dressed in white” providing the reader with a symbol of innocence and saintliness and gaiety at the celebration; serving a certain angelic image throughout the whiteness and purity in her attire. Hardy describes that “phases of her childhood lurked in her aspect still”, the direct reference to childhood further creating connotations of purity, for as a child you are untouched and there is a certain level of naivety, simplicity and lack of awareness which Tess owns.  She is thrown into the world of male dominance and predatory intentions before she is even aware of such, causing her to be an unintentional seductive figure, her  beauty functioning as a kind of weakness, attracting and making her the innocent object of mens lust. For example, Tess is easy to ensnare as she calls attention to her sexuality without realising, the way in which “she wore a red ribbon” exemplifies the contrast between the whiteness and purity in her dress and the danger that the red colour suggests. This is further shown through the use of nature.  Alec is described to cover Tess in flowers, offering a picture of her as an innocent child of nature or a sort of pagan fertility goddess; yet it is told that a ‘thorn of rose remaining in her breast accidentally pricked her’, further showing her fate rejecting her innocence and causing her hurt.  Furthermore, the way in which Alec comes on to Tess destroys aspects of her purity, for as “he gave her the kiss of mastery”  she had wished for him not to, not only showing his dominance and her inferiority as   a woman, but the way in which she has no control over her innocence. This is merely something that a man has the ability to take. This could be seen as foreshadowing Tess’s future, her innocence met with her dominating fate of danger, in which she owns no control of, thus creating the reader's response to be significantly empathetic.

Tess’s innocence if then further diminished as she is continuously objectified by not only Alec but her family too, thereby creating a degree of concern towards Tess from the reader as her feelings are constantly neglected. From the immediate start of the novel, there is a certain obsession with wealth and the dominance the coincides it, the extent of such is shown through Tess’s parents willingness and eagerness to send her away in order to make future and marry her into a wealthy family. This subsequently causes her family (Joan her mother especially) to eliminate the thought of Tess as a person and a daughter but more like an object with whom she can trade. For example the way in which Joan describes herself as the “painter”, and Tess being her “easel” , shows this sense of ownership she holds over her daughter, with the ability to shape her how she chooses without her consultation, being completely in demand. Furthermore, the way in which Tess’ parents belittle her and laugh at her saying how her “trump card” is her beauty, showing how her parents see her only as a sexual object, whose value is simply as part of a commercial transaction, to save her families financial situation.  Her mothers comment stating “as t’was mine” further creates the image of her believing Tess is in her possession, for she reiterates how she gave birth to Tess and her features are directly from her mother, present a certain sense of ownership she subsequently feels towards Tess.  There is further an element of prostitution in the way that Joan attempted to make her look beautiful in the hope that Alec would want to marry her for profit, placing her in a “white frock … that might cause her to be estimated as a woman when she was not much more than a child”. Joan is attempting to destroy Tess’s innocence as a child and cause her to be seen as a more alluring figure in order to achieve her aims of “claiming kin”.  Alec also  objectifies Tess, continuously referring to her as his possession. From their first encounter he immediately references to her as “my beauty” as if she was his belongings and he owned her body. Furthermore, the way in which he is insistant that she eats the strawberry from his hands, despite her implying her want not to. This creates a biblical reference of the garden of eden in which eve was encouraged to eat the forbidden fruit from the snake. It then describes the way in which Tess “stared up as those of a wild animal” suggesting he is a predator and she the prey in which she owns no dominance or strength. Both her family and Alec are quick to treat Tess as an object to fulfil their satisfactions with, not caring for her wants or needs thus creating compassion towards Tess as we see her struggle out of her comfort zone.