Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Suggested Essay Topics

Phase the First: The Maiden, Chapters 1–4
1. One of Hardy’s concerns in the novel is to describe the customs and manners of England’s rural life, which he felt were being lost to industrialization and modernization. What descriptions and incidents in the first four chapters build a picture of rural life in the late nineteenth century?

2. What parts do Fate, Chance, and sheer accident play in the beginning of Tess’s life story?

3. How is Tess contrasted to her parents?

4. How does Hardy make Tess appear as a representative example of her native...


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