Tess of the D'Urbervilles; Thomas Hardy

TESS OF D'URVERVILLES
1− A summary of each of the chapters.
CHAPTER 1
In Marlott, England a parson has been doing historical investigation into the families in the district. He told
John Dubeyfield belong to the noble family of d'Urberville. Just then, John passed riding in a carriage and her
daughter Tess, blushed when saw his father there, because a handsome man began to dance with her friends
and she couldn't dance whit them for embarrassment.
Tess `mother, Joan was glad, when knew the notice that his husband discovered. For them, belong to the
family d'Urberville would bring great things.
CHAPTER 2
One morning, Tess and his brother Abraham, went to get money of the beehives of her family. The two
brothers rode in a wagon with the beehives, and they were carried by a horse, Prince.
During the way Abraham told Tess that her noble relations were going to help her marry a gentleman and the
conversation followed with the good and bad worlds; for Tess, they live in a bad world.
Suddenly a mail−cart had crashed into their wagon in the dark and killed Prince.
They returned to home and her parents were angry with Tess for the disaster, and she blamed it.
CHAPTER 3
Tess knew the poverty of her family now and thought of ways to help them. As she didn't find a job, decided
visit her relations from Trantridge. There, she wanted see to the old lady, but knew to Alec
Stoke−d'Urberville.
After she persuaded him, that they were relations, they walked towards the greenhouses, Alec started to
interest by Tess, putting her strawberries, rosesbecause he watched her beauty and said of help her, but in
truth, he doesn't want help Tess, only get her for him.
CAHPTER 4
The d'Urbervilles offered Tess a job talking care of their chickens and other birds.
Alec came to pick Tess in a carriage and Tess' family were happy because he was a handsome young man, but
when they rode in the carriage, Alec began to drive very fast and Tess wouldn't want, and if she doesn't kiss
him, the carriage would go more fast. Alec Threw Tess' hat out and she jumped down it and went walking to
Trantridge.
CHAPTER 5
Tess enjoyed her new work with the chickens and as the days passed, Tess began to lose her shyness of Alec
and started looking for diversions to break the monotony.
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On Saturday night, she went to drink and dance with farm's friends. There, she saw to Alec and a young girl
started a quarrel Tess, because she had once been Alec's mistress and she was jealous.
Finally, Tess rode in the Alec's horse and they went.
During the way to home, Alec had to stop his horse for the denser fog. There, Tess felt asleep in a tree and the
poor Tess was not strong enough to resist him.
CHAPTER 6
Tess went to Marlott and she accepts already her new life, but followed thinking the idea that she was going to
bring such shame on her family. Alec was sorry because he hurt her and he would send her whatever she
needs.
When Tess arrived, she told her mother everything had happened with Alec. Most people in the village began
to think that she had gone away.
CHAPTER 7
Tess was working the harvest to earn money for her family. She locked up to her family and they brought her
baby to her. A worker told badly of Tess and her baby; when she got home, her baby suddenly became very
ill. She couldn't save the baby's life and prayed for the baptise him and so she would save his soul. The baby
had died and he couldn't be buried in the holy ground, because the baby hadn't been baptised in the church and
Tess buried him in a corner of the churchyard.
After, she decided to take a job from Marlott as dairymaid.
CHAPTER 8
Tess knew to the head dairyman, Mr Crick and he said Tess that the cows weren't giving much milk and the
solution was singing it.
Mr Crick told Tess a story and when he finished, a man began to spike. Tess didn't saw his face but she knew
that he was the young man who had stopped to dance with the girls in Marlott. He didn't remember her and
one girl her bedroom told Tess, that man was Angel Clare and more things of his life.
CHAPTER 9
Angel had already noticed Tess and one day he began to speak in a field. He asked Tess of her life and she
answered him with sadness. He was surprised and she saw Angel a well−educated young man. The love was
starting.
The girls, who shared the room with Tess, liked Angel, but they knew that Angel liked Tess, but they said that
he won't marry with Tess.
Angel thought the contrary, when Tess told him about this topic. Tess tried to avoid being with Angel,
because he didn't understand her.
CHAPTER 10
Izz, Retty, Miriam and Tess were going to the church. In the way, Angel offered to carry them, because the
time was rainy.
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First, Angel carried to the three girls. When he carried Tess, he tried kissing her and the girls saw them. Tess
told them that she doesn't can marry anyone.
Angel respected Tess in her thought, but one day he saw Tess in the field and went to her and put his arms
around her. He felt love her and said her.
She was confused, but for him his life had just changed.
CHAPTER 11
In the next days, Angel thought Tess and decided to visit her family to discuss his plans. He supposed that her
family want he married with Mercy Chant (a rich woman), but for them the important in a wife was be
Christian and Tess was it.
She was a hard worker, but for the parents, nothing was important, if he love her really.
Angel went to tell Tess the opinion of her family. The two confessed his love, but Tess told him that she won't
marry never with him, because she thinks in Alec d'Urbervilleshe is hurt, but Angel was sure that Tess was the
right wife, and will say him, yes.
CHAPTER 12
Tess said Angel, yes, but before she wanted told him her secret, about the story with Alec, but she lost the
courage to tell Angel the truth. She told him other thing and he laughed as accepted it. Then, she wrote a letter
to her mother telling it. Mother's answer was Tess must never tell his future husband about her past. Tess
knew that her mother was right and she followed with Angel.
One day, Tess heard the man's comments about her past and Tess wrote Angel a letter told it, but he didn't
read it, because the letter was under the carpet, so Tess tried telling Angel her secret really but he didn't want.
Finally they married and in the honeymoon, Tess told Angel the whole story of Alec and her son.
CHAPTER 13
When Angel knew the secret, he didn't believe. She begged him forgiveness but he think that she isn't the
same woman, but he doesn't separate Tess, because he still love her.
CAHPTER 14
They followed in the house, but now they speak coldly and with a lot questions between them, so Tess had the
idea to go with her family and he accepted it.
During the night, Angel was walking in his sleep and carried Tess to an old stone tomb in the churchyard,
because he said her that she was dead. In the morning, he didn't remember anything about the incident. Then,
they parted for separate ways.
CHAPTER 15
Tess arrived to Marlott and her parents were disappointed when they knew the story of her marriage, so she
decided to leave Marlott.
Angel was going to Brazil. He invited Izz to go with him; she wanted but she wouldn't love him as Tess does,
and Angel was confused. Meanwhile, Tess went to work on a farm at Fhintcambe where Marian was working.
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Tess gave to her mother the address in order to possible letters from Angel. Tess and Marian wrote to Izz
talking her to come if she needed work and Izz joined them.
Izz said Tess the conversation she had with Angel and Tess tried to write a letter to Angel, but she couldn't.
One day she went to the church and hid her boots under a bush and she put her good shoes; Angel's family
was there and watched the boots Tess. They took it and she turned to the farm with her foots hurt. For the way
Tess shocked to see that a preacher was Alec d'Urberville.
CHAPTER 16
Tess was going, but Alec saw Tess and followed her. Alec told Tess that he had changed, but she didn't
believe. Tess told him the story of her son and she was married. He wanted help her, but she passed him and
Alec placed Tess in a backbreaking work and he tried to insist her in the circumstances that she was working.
Alec put his arm around her waist and Tess slopped him in the face. Alec hadn't changed.
Tess wrote a letter to Angel giving him help.
CHAPTER 17
The letter arrived to the house of Angel's parents. They sent Angel and he understood everything. Angel
would arrive with her. Tess decided look up her family because the things weren't very well and Alec insisted
to give her help.
When she went to her home, his father had died and her family had to leave the house. Tess wrote Angel
again talking him the bad that he was with her.
Her family and Tess went to Alec's house from Trantridge. Tess knew that she would pay the price from
Alec's help. One day Tess was walking for the house, saw Alec in a tomb. Alec was happy with this change of
life.
CHAPTER 18
Angel received a letter from Joan Dubeyfield telling him that Tess doesn't in Marlott; then he received other a
letter from Izz and Marian talking him that Tess was in serious trouble. He was decided to try to find her and
help her. First he went to the house Tess's mother; he begged her and Joan felt sorry him and told him that
Tess was in Sandbourne. There he found at Mrs Brooks' house where he saw Tess. She was changed and he
knows that he had been unfair with her, but Tess told him that with her was Alec...; Angel went disappointed.
Meanwhile in the house Mrs Brooks screamed, when she saw Alec d'Urberville was lying dead on the bed.
Tess had killed Alec and she went running with Angel. First they were in a house for five days, then they went
it and stopped them in a stones and Tess slept it. Before, they felt their love.
Finally the policemen saw them and take them. At least Tess was happy to be with him.
EPILOGUE
Tess was in prison. The end finish with the image of Liza−Lu held Angel's arm when they come to visit to
Tess. Their faces were sad.
2−Answer the questions of the book.
CHAPTER 1
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1. What did the parson tell John Dubeyfield? The parson told him that belong to the oldest branch of the
ancient and noble family of d'Urberville and her family once owned all the land in the district.
2. What happened when the three brothers passed the field where the girls were dancing? The youngest
and handsome of the brother, joined the dance with the girls, but Tess, one the girls was stood a little apart
from the others because she was still embarrassed about her father.
3. What kind of woman was Tess' mother?
Joan was a woman that had once been quite pretty. She loved singing and gossiping. She was quite positive
about life at the worst of times and to be sitting her in the pub beside her husband.
CHAPTER 2
1. Where did Tess and her brother go very early in the morning? Tess and his brother went to get money
of the beehives to the village.
2. Why did they have an ancient? How did Tess fell afterwards?
−Because the mail−cart man had crashed with the wagon of them.
−Tess felt to Prince lying bleed on the ground and she was very upset afterwards, because his house had
killed.
CHAPTER 3
1. What suggestion did Tess' mother make to her? Joan's suggestion was about her noble blood, where a
rich woman was probably a relation and Tess might persuade her to help them.
2. Why couldn't Tess see Mrs d'Urberville when she went to the house? Because Mrs d'Urbervilles was
old and blind.
3. Why was Tess nervous while she was talking to Alec d' Urberville? Because Alec in the greenhouses,
put a large red strawberry in her mouth and he began to fill her basket with roses.
CHAPTER 4
1. What did Tess' mother think about the letter from Mrs d'Urberville? Tess' mother thought about the
letter from Mrs d'Urbervilles, the form to recognise to Tess as part of the family.
2. What did Alec do to Tess on the way to Trantridge? Alec kissed Tess on the cheek, when she didn't
want. She quickly took at a handkerchief and rubbed the place where he had kissed her. Then, he next pointed
Tess hat blew off.
CHAPTER 5
1. What was Tess' job on the d'Urberville estate? Tess's job was whistle to the birds of Mrs d'Urberville
every day.
2. Why did one of the girls start a quarrer with Tess? How did it end?
−Because the girl was jealous of the attention that Alec was giving to Tess.
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−All ended seeing Tess ride away with Alec several of the other women. He rode with the girl and meanwhile,
Tess was seeing them.
3. What happened after Alec returned to Tess in the Chase? Tess was asleep in a tree. Alec lies down
beside her and put his arms around her.
CHAPTER 6
1. Did Alec love Tess? Explain your answer.
Yes he lover her, because he is sorry all the damage that had done her, and wanted compensate her whatever
she need. When he kissed her any real felt and said her that she was the prettiest girl in the district. For this
reason, Alec demonstrated that love her.
2. Why did Tess leave the d'Urberville estate? Because Alec left threw Tess.
CHAPTER 7
1. Why did Tess return to work after the baby was born? Because she needs earn money for her family
2. What did Tess do when she realised she couldn't save the baby's life? Why?
−Tess baptised to her baby.
She put her hand into the water and drew a large cross on the baby.
−Because Tess saw in her imagination the child in hell being tortures by the devil, so she wanted that his soul
was with god to the last.
3. What did Tess decide to do after the winter? Tess decided to look work away from Marlott, and she took
a job of dairymaid.
CHAPTER 8
1. Who did Tess meet at the Talbothays Dairy? Why was he working there?
−Tess met with Angel Clare, the soon of a parson, who he was the young man had a stopped to dance with the
girls in the field in Marlott.
−Because he is learning to be a farmer.
CHAPTER 9
1. Did Tess think she would make a good wife for Angel? Why? / Why not?
−she didn't think.
−Because Tess thought the girls who shared the room with her would make a better wife that her and they
didn't have the same unhappy past as she had.
CHAPTER 10
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1. Why did Angel carry Marian, Izz and Retty across the road? Because the church bell was already
ringing, the road had been flooded by rain, and Angel saw them and went to help them, so they didn't arrive
late,
2. What did Angel tell Tess one hot afternoon? Angel told her forgive him, because he didn't ask her first,
but he really does love her.
CHAPTER 11
1. Did Angel's family accept the possibility of the Tess being his wife? Why? / Why not? Yes, they accept
the possibly, because for them good wife was be a good Christian woman, so Tess was her.
2. Did Tess agree to marry Angel when he came back to the dairy? Why? / Why not? Tess didn't agree to
marry Angel, because she can't marry anyone. Tess still thinks in Alec d'Urberville and the night in the Chase.
She is afraid to happen same again.
CHAPTER 12
1. What happened when Tess decided to tell Angel the truth about herself?
She had lost the courage a tell Angel the truth.
2. What did Tess think might be a sing of bad luck?
A bad person or somebody near to his father.
3. What did Tess' mother advise her in her letter? She must never tell her future husband about what
happened in her past.
4. Why did Tess write a letter to Angel? Because two men know Tess has already had an affair, when they
began to say her lovely. She heard the man's comment and wanted write a letter to Angel before somebody
tell him.
5. Did Angel read the letter? Why? / Why not? Angel didn't the letter because Tess had pushed it under the
carpet by mistake and he couldn't see it.
CHAPTER 13
1. What was Angel's reaction to Tess' story? Why? He was disappointed and was in love with a different
woman, because he thought Tess was a pure, simple girl and now she wasn't for him.
CHAPTER 14
1. What did Angel do during the night? Angel came to the bed Tess, picker her up in his arms, carried her
downstairs and out into the night. He was sleepwalker and thought Tess had died; so Angel carried her along a
road and over a wooden bridge towards an old church. He laid her down on an old stone tomb in the
churchyard and he laid down on the ground next to her.
2. When Tess and Angel separated, what did Angel forbid Tess to do? What did he allow her to do?
−Angel forbade Tess don't try to come to him.
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−He allowed her can write to him.
CAHPTER 15
1. Why did Tess decided to leave Marlott again? Because she was hurt by her father's words, when her
farther said what the people will laugh at them again by the story of her marriage.
2. Why didn't Izz go with Angel to Brazil? Because Izz can't love him more than Tess does.
3. Where did Tess go in the winter? What kind of place was it?
−She went to work on a farm at FLintcombe−Ash.
−The ground was full of stones and the work was hard. There wasn't a tree or a green pasture anywhere in
sight. The kind of place was bleak and bare.
4. Why didn't Tess write to Angel? Because there were too many things she did not understand and the first
decided to visit Angel's family.
CHAPTER 16
1. How did Alec d' Urberville react when he saw Tess while he was preaching?
His voice began to shake and looked down in confusion.
2. Why did Tess get the most exhausting job the day that Alec arrived? Because that day, Alec was
talking with the farmer; this he will can better persuade her to go with him.
3. Why did Tess allow Alec to talk her home? Because Alec has enough money and too wanted help her
family.
4. Who did Tess write a letter to? Why? Tess wrote a letter to Angel, because she needs his help. She is
afraid; she stills love him and want Angel come to her or let her come to him.
CHAPTER 17
1. Why did Tess go back to Marlott? Because Tess' sister told her what their parents were both ill and they
didn't know what to do. Tess understood that in the family there were problems and she went to Marlott.
2. Why did Tess' family have to leave the cottage where they lived? Because her father had died and the
Durbeyfields' landlord said to the family had to leave the cottage.
3. What did Alec tell Tess when they met in the church? Alec told Tess that he was going to help her and
he'll convince to her mother.
CHAPTER 18
1. What did Angel do after he received the letter from Tess' friends? He went to look for her. Angel
hurried to the farm at Flintcombe−Ash, but Tess wasn't there; after he went to the Dubeyfields' old cottage in
Marlott, but nothing. Finally in Shaston, Angel could tell with Joan.
2. Did Tess want to see Angel when he arrived in Sandbourne? Why? / Why not?
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Tess didn't want to see Angel, because it was too late now.
3. Why did Tess kill Alec? Because he heard her crying and he said cruel things about Angel. She couldn't
stand it and killed him.
4. Where did Tess and Angel stay for a few days? Why did they leave?
−They stayed in an amply house of a wood
−because someone people will see them.
5. What happened early in the morning at Stonehenge? Angel saw policemen walking towards them
around the stones, but Angel said them wouldn't approach her until woke up her and they while stood quietly.
EPILOGUE
1. Who were the two people walking away from Wintoncester? The two people were Angel and Tess'
sister, liza−lu.
2. How did they feel? They stood with their heads lowered and of them spoke. They were sads.
3−Personal opinion.
I like the book because it hasn't been difficult to read and the vocabulary has been very useful and it helps too.
I disliked the end because Angel didn't finish with Tess. The book was boring in the first chapters but when
Alec started to be bad the book was more enjoyable and exciting, so Alec d'Urberville has been the better
character for me. I like Tess too, but she has given me penalty because she was a woman and worked very
hard, and Alec was unfair with her.
Angel has been a very good character. He gave the image of perfect man, for example: Izz, Rita and Marian
loved him; they hardly spoke in the book but they helped Angel to find Tess and were very pestle with Tess,
so for me too.
I disliked the parents of Tess because they didn't understand Tess in her marriage. Finally the book is
interesting but their stories don't seem very authentic; it tells the poverty, the hard work and the real love
unsuccessful between two persons finished for the revenge.
I think that I have learned with the book and with this reason, I recommend to read it.
The end
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