Essays in Criticism: Hardy's "Tess of D'Ubervilles"

Essays in criticism transcend merely recommending or exclaiming distaste for Hardy's novel. They instead strive to provide useful insight into the depth of the literature. The first essay I read for this selection was "Hardy's Moments of Vision" by Virginia Woolf. Woolf, herself, is a profound writer and is respected for her beliefs and views. She praises the novel for its blatant beauty and Hardy's talent which is "magnificent in achievement" (401). Her essay focuses on Hardy's skills and that although his writing appears to have short comings, it is actually a blessing. She is enthralled with his natural beauty "which are to be found in every book that he wrote" (401). The next essay I read which breaks completely away from Woolf's close reading is "Neo-Dawrinian Fate in Tess of the D'Ubervilles" by Peter R. Morton. It offers a useful reading though the inheritance theory after establishing that Hardy was a large fan of Darwinism. Morton builds his argument through assurance that Hardy liked the theory then demonstrating evidence for those beliefs in the novel. His theory states that there is intention behind his writing and plot. Morton states that Hardy's moves which appear to be mere effects of "bad luck" are instead representations of Darwinism. Morton specifically claims "accidents in Tess are raraly if ever a product of the random... but rather... outcome of the immediate narrative context of their own personalities as conditioned and limited by the forces of heredity and environment" (444). This claim that Hardy completely fashioned his novel around this theory offers a much different reading than Woolf offers who reads the piece from a complete place of artistic wonder.

In my analysis I would like to examine Virginia Woolf opinion on the topic that our class discussed this Wednesday the 13th of November. We circled around and questioned why Hardy seems to leave questions unanswered and conversations undeveloped. The most pivotal moments are often marked by a brief glossing, like the confession of Tess to Angel about her previous affair and child. The way it is written states " ... she entered on her story of her acquaintance with Alec D'Uberville and its results..." (177). Here the reader understands what is at stake for Tess as she must tell her new husband all about her past. But instead of detailing her conversation so we know who to blame how to react the text cuts to a new chapter. In addition to this circumstance, we also never really understand the murder of Alec and what her motives or triggers were. All the reader has to go off of is the brief information offered by Hardy as to how those moments occurred, leaving much to inference up to the readers themselves. Woolf see's this tactic of Hardy's as part of the beauty of the piece "We do not remember how they talked and changed and got to know each other, finely, gradually from step to step" (403). She see's it as Hardy not spending much time on character development because the beauty of the story lies elsewhere. The tragedy is in the unknown and helplessness of the reader to intervene.

Contemporary Critical Reception of "Tess of D'Ubervilles"

The contemporary critical reviews that were published following the release of the novel generally all gave rave reviews. "From The Pall Mall Gazette" is a review that commends Hardy for producing a novel that shatters all reader's expectations. It claims that "... he has never exercised it more powerfully-never, certainly, more tragically, than this..." (381). He regards that while the novel is not like the author's previous works, it is masterful in its ability to shape a rather simple plot masterfully. "From The Athenaeum" creates an argument for Tess as a sympathetic woman. It praises the novel but claims to be quite annoyed with Hardy's choice of language. The review "From The Illustrated London News" also praises the novel for breaking out of conventional and comfortable story lines by showing the truth that it is the pure-minded and narrow course girls who most often fall out of favor. "The Saturday Review" is completely unlike the previous reviews because it claims that "Mr. Hardy, it must be conceded, tells an unpleasant story in a very unpleasant way" (384). Some other reviews were also unsure about a few of his writing techniques but this review takes his criticism to another level completely distrusting it. Mostly, the reviews were positive because they were surprised by Hardy's shift in style and plot. The narrative was a risk well received.

In my analysis I would like to examine the perception of Tess by the Victorian audience. "From The Illustrated London News" spends much time giving credence to the protagonist's role in the novel and praising Hardy for his work. The review states that lives are often not defined by one moment but are the collection of moments and reactions to those. While the novel may be shocking for its honesty, its character lies in "leading him to deal with serious moral problems, will assuredly cause this book to be reprobated by numbers of well-intentioned people who have read his previous novels with complacency"(382). Tess's life is not a happy tale to follow but it does show an ironic truth that the more pure her intentions, the worse the mess is that she ends up in. The article likewise states that the novel is "founded on a recognition of the ironic truth which we all know in our hearts... that the richest kind of womanly nature... is the most liable" (383). Tess never means to loose her virtue, lie to her husband, or leave Angel for that matter but unluckily her life leads her into unfortunate circumstances. I think that the location of Stonehenge for the conclusion of the tale is most symbolic because no one know why the monument was build or for that matter how. Likewise, there is no real fault to blame other than Alec in Tess's somewhat miserable story. And even for that matter, she could have just married Alec and her life could have possibly been much different, it would have been much richer no doubt. Fate in a sense ruins Tess and it seems unanswerable, like Stonehenge, where she is arrested. Both her fate and the location of her arrest seem unanswerable. This concept of fate fits nicely into the popular style of naturalism that was prevalent during the time.