Tess of the d'Urbervilles Group

Question:

sahil
sahil
Student
College - Senior

What is the role of fate and destiny in the novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy?

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Posted by sahil on Tuesday November 4, 2008 at 6:46 PM and tagged with destiny, fate, role, tess of the d'urbervilles.

Answers:

  1. morrol
    morrol Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    It seems in Hardy's novel that murder and betrayal are not controlled directly by the characters in the novel. The plot is mired by tragedy after tragedy, all of which appear to be completely out of the control of Tess. Fate seems to be against her. The roll of fate in the novel is pervasive. It is in control of nearly every action the poor girl makes.

    It is important to know also that Thomas Hardy considered himself to be a fatalist. He believed that everything in life was predetermined by fate.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/oxsoc-encyclopedia/fatalism
    http://www.enotes.com/urberville/essays-criticism
    http://www.enotes.com/urberville/themes

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    Posted by morrol on Wednesday November 5, 2008 at 11:04 AM

  2. batuhan
    batuhan Student
    College - Junior

    Thomas Hardy, in one of his novels, writes that "character is fate" which is a quotation from a 18th cc. German writer Hardenberg. Hardy continues, "It is not destiny but your own weakness that is against you".

    In the novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles", we see that Tess is actually murdered by the conventional society, not because of her fate. So the role of destiny is little in the novel in the incidents like the Tess' letter's staying under the carpet, accident causing the killing of the Prince or late acquaintance of Angel and Tess.

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    Posted by batuhan on Monday December 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM