Tess of the D'Ubervilles This story is about a young girl by the name of Tess Durbeyfield. She comes from a poor family with many younger brothers and sisters. Her father drinks on many occasions. One night as Mr. Durbeyfield was working, a young man passes him and says, " Good night, Sir John." Well, since his name was simply Jack Durbeyfield, he asks why he called him by such a name as Sir John. The man simply replies that Mr. Durbyfield came from a long line of d'Ubervilles, a wealthy family of the past. Through the years the name has been changed to Durbyfield. At the hearing of this, Mr. Durbeyfield begins to tell all that he is a descendant of the great d'Urbervilles.
A woman who lives in Trantridge was one of the few d'Ubervilles left. Tess's mother and father wish her to go see her and claim that she is family.
original cover of Tess of the D'Urbervilles
English: Thomas Hardy Locations, Tess of the d'Urb...
English: Thomas Hardy Locations, Tess of the d'Urb...Since Mrs. d'Urberville was quite wealthy, she might could help her own family in their time of need, but Tess refuses their wish. She changes her mind when she has an accident with her father's horse. Sadly, the horse dies, and Tess blames herself. In order to correct the wrong she has done she agrees to go to Trantridge to help Mrs. d'Uberville tend her fowls.
Mrs. d'Ubervilles's son, Alec, also stays with her. From the first time he and Tess meet, she does not like him. Yet, during her time there, he begins to fall madly in love with her. He continually tries to pursue her love, but Tess has no feelings of love towards him. Despite her disliking him, they have one night together which leads to despair in the future.
After about four months of living in Trantridge, Tess decides to return home. Life back home is hard. The dieing of her father's horse causes things to take a turn for the worse. Tess and Alec's one night together causes her to become pregnant. She has the baby, but it becomes ill and dies shortly after its birth. Because of all the snickering from the town's people and the hardships, Tess decides to go to work at Talbothays Dairy farm. Their things start to look up for her.
No one at the dairy knows of Tess's past, which she definitely prefers. Everyone is actually very kind. There she meets a handsome man by the name of Angel Clare. She, including the other three dairymaids she worked with, are in love with him. Yet, all are able to tell that it is Tess who he loves. They work on the dairy together, and everyday they become more and more affectionate towards the other.
After some time, Angel finally asks Tess to be his wife. Although she is deeply in love with him she refuses. She could not marry him without knowing about her past, and she does not have the courage to confess it to him. He asks her continually why she will not allow herself to be his. Tess gives him no answer. She only says that she loves him but she cannot marry him. Finally, after many months of pursuing her, she agrees to be his.
They agree to be wed on New Year's Eve. The day of the wedding Tess tells him she must confess her past faults to him before they marry. He tells her that will done by both her and himself after the wedding. So, when they reach the place in which they would be staying until Angel found a farm for them, they confess their faults. Angel begins by confessing past relations with another woman. Tess forgives him and then begins to tell him of her relations with Alec d'Uberville and her baby. Angel became furious with her. How could she not have told him this before? He decides it would be best for them to separate while he went to Brazil to find a farm for them. She agrees.
Before going to Brazil, Angel stops at his parents home. He informs them of the marriage, but not of Tess's confession. They fing it strange that he is leaving so soon after the marriage, but they dismiss it from their minds. He then begins he long,, hard journey to Brazil.
Meanwhile, Tess goes back to her home. Things are no better there. After a short stay there, she decides to go to work at the Flintcomb- Ash farm. The money Angel had given her was running low and she has too much pride to ask her father- in- law for money. Work there is hard, but things are not too bad because her dear friends Marian and Izz from the dairy are working there also.
While she is working there she comes across Mr. Alec d'Uberville. He has become a preacher and is preaching to a crowd of people when Tess passes and sees him. She is not happy about seeing him again, for he is the reason her husband is not with her and her life is such a mess. She begins to walk at a quicker pace, but he catches up with her. They begin to talk. After this day, Alec often comes to see her against her wishes. Seeing her again brought back the love he once felt for her.
She has been working some time at the farm, and is continually annoyed by Alec's presence. One night, the oldest of her younger sister come to inform her that their mother is dieing and their father is not well. She returns home immediately and begins to work in place of her father. Then, one day things took an odd turn. Her mother is feeling much better, but her father's heart is giving out and he passes on.
Because of Jack Durbeyfield's death, the family is forced out of their home. They decide to relocate at the place where their d'Uberville ancestors lay, but there is no room for them. They camp out near an old family vault. Before they left their home, Alec informs Tess that her family is welcomed to stay at his home. Seeing that her mother and family would be alright, she goes to live with him.
Life in Brazil is hard for Angel. He is sick most of they time he is there with a fever. He meets a man and they journey on together. The man who he journeys with catches a bad fever and dies. Angel then returns home. When he reaches his parents home, they hardly recognize him. He was skin and bones. After reading a few letters which Tess had sent to his father's home, he went to search for her. He went everywhere. From her home in Vale Moor to her mother's new home he journeys. Her mother informs him where she is staying. He goes there and eventually finds her, but since she now belongs to Alec she turns him away.
Seeing that Angel has come back for her, she realizes that Alec has been telling her lies and deceiving her. She then kills him and runs after Angel. The two of them hide out in an old deserted mansion, but move on. While walking through the woods Tess decides she needs rest, but Angel fears they are in a place where they will be seen when daylight comes. Obeying her wishes, they settled their to rest. Soon Tess was sound asleep; nothing could wake her. Suddenly, Angel hears and feels the presence of men around them.
He reaches for a weapon of some sort, but one of the men speaks and says, " It is no use. There are 15 men here surrounding you." Angel asks them to please let her sleep. They obey his wishes, but she never woke up.
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English: West Stafford. Angel and Tess were suppos...
English: Tess of the D'Urbervilles This is where A...