Adyna
05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
Don't read this book if u are prejudice and already have an idea on what to expect.Because you will be wrong and miss the very core of it."Tess" is one of the best novels that Hardy wrote and he first exemplified his mastery on realism,the power of the gloomy and deterministic philosophy.The novel is built around some apparently simple and forward ideas but hides unconventional and new ideas concerning morality and even the very writing ,tone and setting presented.Challenging the Victorian ideas on love,marriage,social status and Christianity but building the character Tess on a mythical and even biblical basis brings to light a whole new approach and makes the novel challenging.The idea of Man in relationship with the non-human that he cannot control,the drama and struggle of only trying to fight fate but never succeeding are philosophical ideas that put the reader to the test of literary skills and understanding.The descriptions of the setting and the rural scene are more than that as they introduce the social surroundings and present setting as a vile character that fights Man.The visible world is a hide-out for the invisible it stands for so we can call it "hermetic",thus look for more than what seems to be on display when you approach descriptions.The higher authority that governs the characters, that usually have a tragic fate, is impersonated by two distinct aspects of life:Time and Chance.The main characters are usually victims of their surroundings and sacrificed in the end by society and circumstance.Tess can also be associated to the Greek heroins that sacrifice it all including themselves for justice or honour as she has to face the Mephistophelian acts of Alec d'Urberville and the condemming of the society.For a better understanding of the book i let u read it and have your own opinions on it