Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Tess Durbeyfield is a victim of external and inexplicable forces. Throughout Hardy’s novel, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, seemingly insignificant coincidences change Tess’ life for the worse. The belief that the order of things is already decided and that people’s lives are determined by a "greater power" is called fate. Many people, called fatalists, believe that they have no power in determining their futures. Despite fate, many others believe that coincidence is the only explanation for the way their lives and others turn out. Thomas Hardy’s portrayal of chance and coincidence can be seen in a number of events that are quite influential and create major effects on Tess’ future. The first event occurring when Tess Durbeyfield’s father, discovered that their family came from the oldest, and at one time most wealthy family in England. Parson Tringham reveals this to John Durbeyfield when he states, "lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the d'Urbervilles, who . . . came from Normandy with William the Conqueror."(p. 18) This news suddenly changes Durbeyfield's view on his family's lifestyle and he decides that they should be living as their knightly and noble ancestors once did. With this revelati . . .
This coincidence of Tess's father dying at just the right moment for Alec to marry her and Angel returning only a little after, leads to the murder of Alec d'Urberville. Knowing that if Angel ever found out about her past, she would feel horrible, Tess decides that before they get married, she would tell him. By pure chance, her letter was not only slipped underneath his door and into his room, but also slipped underneath his carpet, where he could not see it. Had Tess not been sent to the d'Urberville home, she would not have met Alec nor would she have bore his child out of rape and her life would have been completely different. No matter where she was--in the location of her birthplace, a sheltered little town, or in the comfortable landscape that surrounded the dairy, or even in the harsh scenery of the farm-- Tess always knew where she belonged and what she was meant to do in each place. 417)The potent tragedy of Tess’s life is that her decisions have always been made with good and pure intentions but have resulted in damaging consequences. But, because Angel did not get to see this letter or even find out about her past, (until after their marriage) Tess's life would no longer be as comfortable as it had been when she was at Talbothay's. Through each and every one of these coincidences, Tess's life changed quite dramatically. Tess is undoubtedly a victim as misery punctuates her life. Filled with guilt, Tess agrees to ask the true d’Urbervilles for money, where she meets Alec. The consequences that came, due to her decisions were all ones that Tess was ready for. Each event that occurred by complete chance left Tess in a predicament where she was compelled to take control and do something to improve the situation.
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