Tess of the D'Urbervilles Critic Analysis One

 Tess, though not well liked by those who have encountered the book Tess of the D'Urbervilles, was a complicated character who had befallen tragedy after tragedy. Before we even encounter Tess, her life was a struggle. She dealt with drunken parents while she was left to tend to the children. The life and situational calamity that followed after we meet Tess only go down hill from there. The critics of his time were not particularly fond of Hardy's works in general, but the critics were almost all negative aside from his own interview shown at the end. He set his sights on a naturalistic novel with Tess visualized as a pure women who befalls into the horrors that life can bring. However, the critics typically strayed from Hardy's desired view point, finding that in fact they did not see the novel as naturalistic and did not like Tess or much less think of her as a pure figure. Even with those issues that were brought up, most critics agreed that the novel was powerful.

The Saturday Review outright declared that they did not believe Hardy's novel had even a touch of nature expressed in the novel. The Critic goes on to even insult the main character Tess by comparing her character to that of simplistic character in theatre. During the last part of the critic on Tess of the D'Urbervilles the critic did mention that though he had difficulties in reading the book, the justice that was served in the end was much more satisfying than if Tess had lived or passed away at Stonehenge.

The Spectator had some troubles with the book also, but unlike the Saturday Review, this critic was a little more understanding of what Hardy was attempting to get at. “Hardy has written one of the most powerful novels, perhaps the most powerful that he had ever wrote” (384). The novel expresses the fate that can make a good soul stray from the expected societal path. The critic does not necessarily agree that Tess is this wonderful and pure women to the highest degree, but he believes her persona to be “well enough.” Tess did act in a pure manner, but much like this critic, I can agree with his distress of Tess's outlandish behavior that burst through the seams of this character towards the end. It was almost as though Hardy cheated by drastically taking Tess out of her natural state of being. “Though pure in instinct, she was not pure in her instinct” (384). Even with this in mind, Hardy did make a masterpiece of tragedy, and the Spectator certainly saw that in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

The last of the critiques during Thomas Hardy's time within the Norton edition was an interview of Hardy and his clarification and desire for readers to take from his novel. Though there were harsh statements about the book from the critics, it was refreshing to get an explanation and clarification of what the author had intended for his audience. His cynical method of writing is something that I truly enjoy. Instead of giving his audience a stereotypical happy ending, he displayed a tragic conclusion for the main protagonist. Not only did he do this, but he took pride in that. Most people would not appreciate such pride in that fact, but endings like that really express the naturalistic behavior of the novel. Some stories for people's lives do not always have happy endings. Hardy goes on and makes a great deal of sense as to why he also chose the outcome that he did beyond the simple fact of trying to create a naturalistic book. If the ending did not result in the death of Tess, he understood that anger and the heroine could never have lived happily. “Angel was far too fastidious and particular. He would have inevitably have thrown her fall in her face” (388). Keeping that in mind, I'm sure that other people would agree with his decision of the novel's ending.

This tragic novel may have flaws in the eyes of some people, but as The Spectator had clearly stated, this “powerful novel” has had impact on the readers since its existence. On top of that, the book is not of linear design. The interpretation can mold, shift and differ from person to person. One person may thoroughly enjoy the piece, but the next reader may despise it. Hardy truly has a way to achieve a slew of emotions from his readers, extending its life beyond that of just reading it, but allowing discussion and receiving a different take on the novel that may not have occurred to other readers.