Chapter 14

• What is the condition of Tess's baby after birth?


  The child is sickly.
• Why does Tess perform a private baptism for her child?


  Because the clergyman refuses to do it officially.
• What does Tess's act of burying her child in the churchyard signify?


  It signifies her deep sense of guilt and societal judgment.
• What themes are explored in this chapter regarding Tess's feelings and actions?


  • Deep sense of guilt
  • Maternal love
  • Efforts to find peace amid grief
• 1. “She thought of the child, consigned to the nethermost corner of the churchyard, where all unbaptized infants, notorious drunkards, suicides, and others of the conjecturally damned were laid.”
• Where does Tess bury her child?


  In a corner of the churchyard, in an area reserved for the unbaptized.
• What does the quote about the burial place of Tess's child reveal about her religious guilt?


  It reveals the tragic weight of her guilt and society's harsh judgment.
• How does Hardy criticize Victorian religious doctrine through Tess's experience?


  By highlighting the cruelty it inflicts on innocent people like Tess and her baby.
• What does Tess's plea to God reveal about her character?


  It shows her intense maternal love and sense of responsibility.
• What paradox does Hardy expose through Tess's character in her plea to God?


  Tess sees herself as sinful despite her moral compass and emotional depth.
• What does Tess do with her stillborn child during the burial process?


  She places the child in an improvised coffin and digs a small hole.
• How does the act of digging the grave herself affect Tess's relationship with society and religion?


  It underscores her isolation from society and institutional religion.
• 1. “‘O merciful God, have pity; have pity upon my poor baby!’ She cried. ‘Heap as much anger as you want to upon me, and welcome; but pity the child!’”
• What critique does Hardy make about organized religion through Tess's burial of her child?


  He critiques the cold, impersonal nature of organized religion and societal values.
• What are the key quotes from this chapter and their significance?


  1. “She thought of the child, consigned to the nethermost corner of the churchyard...”

  • Reveals Tess’s religious guilt and societal judgment.

  1. “‘O merciful God, have pity; have pity upon my poor baby!’”

  • Shows maternal love and Tess's sense of responsibility.

  1. “She placed the stillborn child in the improvised coffin...”

  • Symbolizes Tess’s isolation and critique of organized religion.
• 1. “She placed the stillborn child in the improvised coffin and dug a small hole where he might lie undisturbed.”