Self-Sacrifice vs Self-Preservation in Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Abstract

Thomas Hardy is distinguished by the controversy created by his special portrayal of the Victorian woman. Aiming at detaching the female figure from the contemporary ideal of the perfect and pure woman, his heroines are imperfect characters who commonly experience a process of suffering all throughout the book. This research paper examines the close connection between self-renunciation and self-preservation that the protagonist of Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles has, due to the nineteenth-century social judgement and prejudices. Consequently, her major decisions are analysed in order to find out whether her behaviour is determined by her blame or her natural instincts of survival. In addition, the BBC adaptation of the novel is compared and contrasted with the original literary version, taking into account the main findings regarding Tess’ feelings of self-sacrifice and self-defense. As a result, it can be assumed that depending on the conveyance of these emotions, the inner motives of the heroine as well as the audience’s perspective on this particular character may vary significantly.