Family

• "The pair of legs that carried him were rickety, and there was a bias in his gait."

  - Hardy's initial presentation of Tess' father. Their social class is made evident from the very beginning through John's presentation - a man who suffers of malnutrition, a sign of poverty, and the bias in his gait which represents his drunkenness and brains for alcohol.

  - Parental error; drunk father - not present, lacks parental characteristics.

  - Significant to the tragedy: parental error is what leads to Tess' downfall. Jack's worldly pleasures such as getting drunk leads him to the inn and therefore incapable of taking the bees to the market, forcing Tess to take on a responsible position.
• "You are the lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the D'Urbervilles."


  - Structurally significant: Hardy introduces Tess' ancestral lineage at the very beginning of the novel. In doing so, Hardy suggests that Tess' ancestry will play a crucial role in Tess' fate and her family's fate. FORESHADOW;

  - The offhand revelation about the D'Urberville name is the impetus for the rest of the action of the novel.

  - The local parson revealing to Mr Durbeyfield his grand lineage, sets in motion the events that change the fate of Tess forever.
• "I've got an old silver spoon, an old graven seal at home too."


  - The only items the Durbeyfields have left from their noble heritage are the spoon and seal. Thus, the smallness and uselessness of the items could be reflective of how the name is no longer worthy of anything to the family or people, they unnecessarily hold onto it.

  - In having minimal substantial evidence of their ancestry, it could be argued that Jack is holding onto his past and is desperate to change his fate and his family's fate.
• "You haven't any family mansions and estates."

  - Theme of deception and appearance vs. reality is introduced in the novel.

  - John asks the parson if there are any ancestors or any ancient constructions left from his ancestors, the parson denies.

  - Fate/Missed opportunity; the Parson makes it clear that the family has no possible kin or relative. Thus, foreshadowing Tess being sent to claim kin and being deceived into believing that the D'Urberville-Stoke mansion, despite looking 'all new' is part of the D'Urberville lineage. We feel angry at Jack knowing he encourages Tess to claim kin despite being warned.
• "Sir John D'Urberville - that's who I am."


  - Holding onto his ancestry which is irrelevant; a sense of desperation and pride, he tries to escape his situation of poverty temporarily.
• "There's a great rich lady out by Trantridge, on the edge of The Chase, of the name D'Urberville."


  - Fate/missed opportunity; John is made aware that there are no other D'Urberville ancestors alive or D'Urberville mansions/estates. Yet, his pride prevents him from telling Joan the truth.

  - We feel angry; Joan wants to send Tess to claim kin -> could have been prevented had John listened to the parson.

  - The family is deceived; theme of appearance vs. reality throughout. Tess is therefore wrongfully sacrificed and forced to 'claim kin'.
• "Tess ought to go to this other member of our family. She'd be sure to win the lady and likely enough lead to some noble gentleman marrying her."


  - Tess' body and beauty is being sold for marital prospects.

  - Tess as a passive character; her parents' control over her is becoming evident. Her parents, especially her mother has control over her fate.

  - Despite the fact that Joan is superstitious and claims to have put Tess' "fate in the fortune teller", Tess falls victim to Joan's plans. Joan as one of the tragic villains in her life.

  - Context: Marriages were financial transactions.
• "This because we be on a blighted star, and not a sound one, isn't it Tess?"


  - After the death of Prince; Abraham believes that what has happened to them and Prince is as a result of the star they live on a "blighted one".

  - Pessimistic view; Hardy draws in the idea of fate and social class; they are interlinked. The fact that Tess and her family are of a poor background, their fate is sealed to destruction, failure and struggle. Foreshadows the destruction that is to come into Tess' life as a result of poverty.
• "I won't sell his body."

  - John about Prince's body; ironic, they sell Tess' body. Tess as a scape goat for her family suffering.

  - Parental error; error of judgement, sees Tess as a valuable object which can be sold. Tragic -> Tess is sold and so is her innocence and her fate at the hands of poverty.
• "The bread-winner had been taken away from them. The haggling business had mainly depended on the horse."

  - Fate and social class interlinked; the family's fate is based on their current social and economic position.

  - Foreshadows Tess' family's desperation for money and Tess' sacrifice as a result of their desperation. Tess' social class as a working-class woman forces her to go against her free will and sacrifice herself for her family's financial stability.

  - Tess as a dehumanised victim at the hands of poverty, she loses everything about herself for her family. We feel angry.

  - The death of Prince has a lasting impact on the family and their livelihood, therefore, applying further pressure on Tess to claim kin and take on an active role of saving her family.

  - This economic fact will lead Tess into the clutches of the villain.
• "Father's been talking about his family getting back to their rightful position through you."

  - Victorian context: Marriage as a financial and social transaction.

  - Tess' parents as self-centred and full of pride; they are holding onto their irrelevant ancestry and their daughter's marriage in attempt to make a name for themselves. They are in denial of their working class position.

  - SIMILAR POSITION at the beginning of the novel; it is their pride and their denial of their working class position that leads to them forcing Tess to claim kin despite the fact that there are no "ancestral mansions".

  - Tess is excluded and ostracised as a result of her parents' error of judgement, delusion, pride and parental error.

  - Tess is being dehumanised in a way. Her mother is putting the family's social position above Tess' morality and desire to attempt to have a marriage based on truth. Significant to the tragedy -> foreshadows Tess having to abandon her morality for the benefit of her family.