Tess of the d'Urbervilles Group

Question:

pixie73
pixie73
Student
High School - 12th Grade

Did Tess get raped by Alec d'Urberville, or did she willingly have sex with him?

Rate question:

Posted by pixie73 on Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 6:40 PM and tagged with alec durberville, rape, tess, tess of the d'urbervilles.

Answers:

  1. tapdaisy
    tapdaisy Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    She was raped. He has a pitchfork in his hand during the undressing. It is understood that the details of the rape are existent, but subtle in implication.

     Let's put it this way... read carefully.... she is actually asleep when he proceeds to have sex with her.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by tapdaisy on Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 6:59 PM

  2. pixiesilver
    pixiesilver Student
    College - Freshman

    It depends which version you read...

    An earlier version shows Alec drugging Tess, with a druggists bottle. (see Penguin Classics edition, edited by Tim Dolin)

    Later drafts leave it ambiguous. It could have happened either way. If she was raped, the double standard and Angel's judgement are even more unfair since she had no part to play. However, the message I think is ultimately more powerful if you consider that he seduced her, or at least there was an element of consent/sexual attraction on her part. There was for Angel's indiscretion - should a woman not be permitted the same?

    The issue of consent is a tricky one though. You can see the rape/seduction event foreshadowed by Alec's 'forcing' Tess to kiss him, or where he persuades her to let him feed her a strawberry. Technically she consents. But the consent was forced. Rape/seduction?

    Later in the text though, Tess admits to being dazed by Alec, which suggests perhaps there was an element of attraction on her part.

    Read the essay on rape/seduction in the Tess of the D'Urbervilles Casebook for an interesting discussion of the possible angles.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by pixiesilver on Thursday November 27, 2008 at 1:24 AM

  3. mella512
    mella512 Student
    High School - 12th Grade

    There are many arguments that Tess did in fact love Alec because of her indecision to be with him.... it was a lust thing.. and maybe she did consent

    Rate answer:

    Posted by mella512 on Thursday November 12, 2009 at 11:19 AM