Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Social class and social mobility are important themes in the novel. How does Tess’s inferior social position affect the power dynamic between her and Alec? How does Tess view the prospect of social mobility differently from her parents?

The sexual encounter between Tess and Alec is deliberately ambiguous. What factors might have led Hardy to present the scene in the way that he does? Does the lack of detail heighten or reduce sympathy for Tess and her suffering? What differences do you think might exist between how a Victorian and modern reader perceive this scene?

What is the significance of Tess becoming pregnant after her encounter with Alec? How might her fate have been different if she did not become pregnant?

Why is Angel attracted to Tess? Why is Tess attracted to Angel? How do the qualities that draw the lovers together also set the stage for their future disillusionment and unhappiness?

Tess is very hesitant about accepting Angel’s proposal and questions whether to tell him about her past. Later, she refuses for a long time to become Alec’s mistress. How does Tess approach ethical decisions, and what does her decision-making reveal about her character? How does the role of decision-making undermine or support the role of fate in the plot?

Is Angel justified in his reaction to learning that Tess has been involved with another man and borne an illegitimate child? How does the information that Angel has also had another lover complicate this context? Would Angel’s reaction have been different if Tess had told him before their marriage rather than after?

Over the course of the plot, Tess moves between many different settings and locations. Which settings put her at ease, and which make her uncomfortable? How does Hardy juxtapose different locations to develop key themes and ideas within the novel?

The novel’s title emphasizes Tess’s ancestral connection to an extinct noble family, and the original subtitle was “A Pure Woman.” Why does Hardy emphasize Tess’s heritage rather than her reality as an impoverished country laborer? What does Hardy reveal by calling her “pure,” and why might this subtitle have been controversial?