Chapter 13

• Tess's Loss of Innocence


  The chapter marks the end of Tess's innocence as she realizes she's lost her purity and can never regain it.
• Foreshadowing


  The chapter sets the stage for tragic events, as Tess's decision to return to Alec will lead to devastating consequences.
• Character Development

  The chapter deepens our understanding of Tess's character, showcasing her resilience, desperation, and ultimately, her tragic flaws.
• "I saw it, I saw it. The very end. I'll never be maiden now."


  Tess's realization of lost innocence
• "You be, and so shall I!"

  Alec's cruel words to Tess, emphasizing his dominance
• "Then, if I can't be a wife, I may be a mother, and that's a sacred thing!"

  Tess's attempt to find a new sense of purpose and value
• The narrator describes Tess as 'a girl who had been spoilt by love', suggesting that it was Angel who ruined her
• Where does Tess try to resume her life?


  In Marlott
• What haunts Tess as she tries to resume her life?


  The weight of her past
• How does Tess's sorrow manifest physically?


  Her appearance has become pale and worn
• What does Tess contemplate regarding her future?


  The possibility of redemption
• What internal struggle does Tess face as she seeks a fresh start?


  Reconciling her lost innocence with her desire for a fresh start
• What profound feeling does Tess begin to experience?


  Isolation
• What does the quote about condemnation refer to in Tess's experience?


  The arbitrary law of society
• What does Hardy critique through the quote about condemnation?


  The harsh societal judgments that punish women
• What does the term "arbitrary law" signify in the context of the quote?


  Victorian moral standards imposed on women
• How does Hardy characterize Tess's suffering in relation to societal expectations?


  It is not based on her moral failings but on society’s unfair expectations
• How does Tess view herself in relation to innocence?


  As a figure of Guilt intruding into the haunts of Innocence
• What does the capitalized "Guilt" and "Innocence" in the quote suggest?


  Tess’s internal conflict is a universal struggle
• What does Tess's self-perception reveal about her character?


  She internalizes shame and guilt despite being more victim than perpetrator
• What does the quote about breaking an accepted social law imply about Tess's situation?


  She feels alienated from society
• How does Hardy contrast societal morality with the natural world in Tess's experience?


  He contrasts rigid morality with the freedom of the natural world
• 1. “She felt such a sense of condemnation under an arbitrary law of society which had no foundation in Nature.”
• 1. She looked upon herself as a figure of Guilt intruding into the haunts of Innocence.”
• 1. “She had been made to break an accepted social law, but no law known to the environment in which she fancied herself such an anomaly.”