In this blog post, we’ll explore the meaning behind Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ and its subtitle, “The Innocent Woman.”
The original title of Thomas Hardy’s (1840–1928) novel is ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’, and it bears the subtitle “The Innocent Woman.”
The novel’s protagonist, Tess, is an unwed mother who gave birth before marriage, and she is also a criminal who later commits murder and is sentenced to death. She clearly appears to be a character who has committed sins morally, legally, and socially.
Yet, through the subtitle, the author refers to her as “The Pure Woman.” Why, exactly, does the author say this? Is he trying to defend her? Could it be because the responsibility for her crimes does not lie entirely with her alone? Is he trying to suggest that social customs or prejudices drove her down that path?
Even so, is it appropriate to readily apply the title “innocent woman” to her? In the general sense, innocence refers to a state of purity, free from sin. Tess is clearly a person who has committed a sin. However, it seems the author is arguing that Tess did not become a sinner against her will, but rather was never a sinner to begin with.
If we do not view her as a sinner despite the fact that she clearly committed a sin, there is only one conclusion: our very perspective of viewing her as a sinner is flawed.
This line of thought brings to mind a biblical anecdote. Just as in the story where Jesus rebuked those who sought to stone the adulterous woman, saying, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” there is a reflection that prompts us to examine the hearts of those who seek to judge others.
However, ‘Tess’ speaks to us in a different way than the biblical story. In the Bible, both the adulterous woman and those seeking to judge her are revealed to be sinners. Hardy, on the other hand, does not view Tess as merely a sinner. Rather, he presents her as a pure being, seeing her not only as an object of sympathy or pity but as a role model to be emulated.
Through the subtitle, Hardy seems to ask the reader, “Can you, too, live as purely as Tess?” He encourages us to view this novel through a different lens.
Now, let’s accept the author’s intent and read the novel with a focus on the character of Tess. The first thing that stands out is her sense of responsibility. It is possible to interpret that her succumbing to Alec D’Urberville’s seduction stemmed from her sense of responsibility to save her impoverished family.
As the eldest daughter of a declining rural family, Tess takes responsibility for the family’s livelihood in place of her incompetent father and cares for her six younger siblings. While her mother has a childlike personality, Tess possesses a strong sense of responsibility to protect her family.
But that’s not all. She also possesses a strong will to live. Even in the midst of despair, she finds work, labors diligently, and endures hard labor while serving as the guardian angel of her home. The way she maintains her self-respect throughout this process leaves a deep impression on the reader.
Reading the novel from this perspective, one is moved or left shaking one’s head at Tess’s actions throughout the story. Her behavior and attitude are imbued with steadfast work ethic, self-respect, and devotion to her family.
Furthermore, she possesses a sense of greatness. For example, in the scene where she baptizes her dying child in place of the minister, we see a sublime humanity that transcends social status or formal procedures. There is not the slightest trace of her being treated like a sinner simply because she is an unwed mother. On the contrary, she is dignified and commanding.
Tess experiences “death” on several occasions, yet she never loses her vitality, sense of responsibility, or self-respect. The “death” referred to here does not mean only literal death. In the novel, she dies three times—symbolically and emotionally.
The first death occurs when Alec takes her virginity; the second, when she confesses her past to Angel and he breaks up with her; and the third, when she ultimately murders Alec and meets her end on the gallows. While the first two are symbolic deaths, these experiences do not destroy her; rather, they serve to rebirth her.
So what is Tess’s true essence? It is her oneness with nature. Tess is portrayed as a child of nature. As she tells Angel, she feels as though trees and streams gaze at and speak to one another, and she finds solace in nature.
Tess experiences extreme happiness while working at the Tolbesey dairy farm. Life with the people there is cozy and peaceful; she feels as though she is cradled in nature’s embrace. Unlike environments that are overly ostentatious or obsessed with appearances, there is no need to suppress her emotions there. Everything is natural, and that is why Tess is happiest there.
Tess feels that this is the happiest moment of her life. This is because the new, fertile environment suits her body and mind so well. The analogy of a young tree grown in barren soil being transplanted into fertile ground fits perfectly.
From a worldly perspective, one could interpret that the reason Tess became a “sinner” is that she, a daughter of nature, took root in barren soil where it was difficult for her to thrive. That barrenness is none other than social conventions and prejudice. By those standards, she is a sinner, but through the eyes of nature, she is a pure and healthy being.
In this context, Hardy seems to ask us: “Could you, like her, endure three deaths and still preserve your purity as Tess did?”
The “purity” referred to here is not moral or social purity, but spiritual purity. Even when faced with actual death, Tess did not lose that spiritual purity. Because she remained “Tess,” that purity comes across to us as a living force even after her death.
In this way, she poses a question to us: Can we truly break free from artificial customs and prejudices to live a life closer to nature, and can we maintain our self-respect and live with resilience even in the face of adversity?
Physically, Tess meets her end in the novel. By artificial social standards, she was effectively killed. Yet she survived—through what? Her spiritual purity, the purity of her soul. The presence of this pure woman touches the reader’s heart, giving the impression that she has entered within us and is alive.
If you have felt Tess’s breath within your heart, it means you have taken a step closer to her purity. You have, in that sense, become a little purer yourself.
Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in Upper Bocompton, Dorset, England, as the son of a stonemason. He showed a talent for writing as early as elementary school, even writing love letters for the villagers, and at age 16, he became a stonemason’s apprentice, embarking on a career as a surveyor.
In 1862, he moved to London, where he worked as a surveyor and began writing novels in his spare time, gradually gaining fame. He married in 1874, returned to his hometown, and devoted himself to writing in the mansion he had built himself.
His major works include ‘Tess’ (1891), ‘The Return of the Native’ (1878), ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ (1886), and ‘Jude the Obscure’ (1895), and he also left behind numerous short stories and novellas.
Hardy’s novels were met with fierce criticism from the social establishment and religious dogma of the time whenever they were published. He openly criticized the customs of British society and its narrow-minded religious attitudes, and his works sparked moral controversy because they depicted physical love between men and women.
‘Tess’ also caused a major sensation in its day. The story, which centers on a woman who sleeps with two men and then murders one of them, was difficult to accept by the ethical standards of the time. Nevertheless, within three years of its publication, the novel had been translated into several languages; it was particularly well-received in Russia and was soon adapted for the stage on Broadway in the United States and made into a film. The 1979 film directed by Roman Polanski is renowned for its artistic excellence.
Hardy ceased writing novels after ‘Jude the Obscure’ and devoted himself to playwriting, publishing ‘The Dynasts’ (a three-part epic set during the Napoleonic era, 1903–1908).
He received the Order of Merit in 1910. After the death of his first wife in 1912, he remarried two years later to a woman who had been his assistant at the time. In his later years, he established himself as a doyen of the British literary world. His remains were laid to rest in the Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey, while his heart, in accordance with his wishes, was interred beside his wife’s grave in his hometown.
