A Fallen Woman's Purity

A detailed Summary of A Fallen Woman's Purity


Tess Durbeyfield, is a timeless heroine portrayed with qualities which Thomas Hardy felt to be most perfect, admirable, and ultimately tragic in womankind (Hardy 80-85). In Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Tess, the most memorable of all his characters, is described throughout the novel with essential purity(80). In writing this novel, Hardy asked that she should not be judged by her label of 'fallen woman', but instead be seen in her entirety of her unforturnate tragedy (83). Contrary to society's opinion of Tess Durbeyfield, Hardy portrays her as a pure woman.

Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840 in Higher Bockhampton, Dorsetshire, England. He was educated at local schools and left formal schooling at the age of sixteen to

become an architect's apprentice (1579-1580). Although he never attended college, he continued to read and teach himself. In 1862, he went to London to work in an

architect's office but returned to Dorsetshire in 1867 to begin a career as a writer. He married in 1874 to Emma Lavina Gifford, which lasted


Hardy uses this description of Tess to give the reader a vivid image, throughout the novel, on how he thinks she is pure despite her downfall, with an illegitimate child born, by her unfortunate mishap of being raped by Alec D'Urberville. "[Alec] takes advantage of her innocence and independence and robs her of her maidenhood" ( "Hardy" 80).

by suggesting new solutions to current problems and also to inspirit, by moving the heart to new hope(England 547)

ninth sparkle from her eyes; and even her



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Approximate Word count = 710
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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