Social Criticism of 19th Century Society

• During which economic period is 'Tess of the D’Urbervilles' set?


  The Long Depression (1873-79)
• What does the name "D’Urberville" symbolize in the novel?

  A status symbol with diminished power in society.
• How was the sexual morality of the time described in relation to 'Tess of the D’Urbervilles'?

  It was very conservative.
• How is Tess treated by her community after her rape?

  She is criticized and cast aside.
• What is Hardy's view on the sexual double standard in Victorian society as depicted in the novel?

  It is oppressive, particularly towards women.
• How does Hardy challenge societal conventions through the title of the novel?

  By presenting Tess as an "impure woman" in a society that condemns her.
• What role does satire play in Hardy's social commentary in the novel?

  It highlights the absurdity of social class pretensions.
• What does John Durbeyfield's reaction to his ancestry reveal about social class in the novel?

  It shows the absurdity of social pretensions.
• How does Hardy depict the complexity of defining social class in the 19th century?

  By presenting intricate pictures of social class and its challenges.
• Class System in 19th Century England


  The social hierarchy of 19th century England, divided into classes based on wealth, occupation, and birth, with the Aristocracy, Middle Class, and Working Class each having distinct characteristics and experiences.
• Industrialization's Impact on Classes


  Awareness of industrialization's effects on social classes, including poverty, social mobility, proletariat, alienation, new social tensions, urbanization, and middle-class anxiety.
• Social Criticism in Tess of the d'Urbervilles


  Awareness of Hardy's critique of 19th-century English society, focusing on social hierarchy, women's rights, classism, industrialization's effects, institutionalized hypocrisy, and Victorian purity.
• Critique of Society


  Awareness of Hardy's critique of Victorian society, focusing on injustice, class divide, Victorian values, industrialization's social consequences, bureaucratic indifference, and human suffering in Tess of the D'Urbevilles.