Parents

• "You ought to have been more careful if you didn't mean him to make you his wife!"

  - Tess returns to Marlott and tells her mother of her rape.

  - Instead of taking on a maternal instinct, being loving, protective and consoling her daughter against the suffering and trauma she had experienced, Joan takes on an evil, villainous, indifferent stance towards her daughter's suffering. It is clear that although she is present as a mother in the sense that she is there to look after the kids, she is not present in terms of maternal characteristics and behaviours towards her children. She presents a sense of disappointment with Tess' truth, angered by the fact that her daughter had seduced him into "making [her] his wife".

  - Joan's mother's view is evidently very backwards and misogynistic as well; it is reflective of the Victorian standards of sexual morality which are weaponised against women, making them fear religion and victims of ostracism. Tess is ostracised by her daughter.

  - Moreover, this is also significant to the tragedy in the sense that Joan shows a sense of discontent and disappointment to Tess which would negatively impact Tess, considering she wants to please and provide for her family as much as possible. Thus, Joan's disappointment could act as a factor which determines Tess to become even more passive towards the disrespect she receives, in hopes of never disappointing her family again. Foreshadows Tess sacrificing herself out of fear of disappointing her family.

  - Religious view -> Tess is now Alec's wife because they have had sex together. Thus, when she meets Angel, she is committing adultery.
• "I was a child when I left this house four months ago. Why didn't you tell me there was danger in men-folk?"


  - Tess has a voice against her mother's disappointment with her. She is an active character. A common pattern: Tess allows other characters to exploit her physically and emotionally, and then, she speaks up for herself. She is too late in taking action which prevents her fate from getting better.

  - Focus on Tess' innocence and naïveté.

  - Bad parenting; parental error; Tess had to learn from consequences because her mother chose not to teach her of men's intentions. Yet, her mother blames Tess for the outcome. However, we question if Joan really wants to blame it on Tess or is it an emotional response out of shock because she is aware of the issues Tess will face as a non-virgin who broke social conventions?
• "On no account do you say a word of your bygone trouble to him."


  - Tess wrote a most touching and urgent letter to her mother making her aware of her marriage proposal. Joan advises her not to tell Angel her past secret.

  - Parental error; Joan encourages Tess to keep her past secret and therefore, lie. The relationship is built on deception, unrealistic perceptions of each other and lies; a weak foundation for the relationship. It is clear that their relationship will not work. BAD OMEN.

  - Considering Tess' typical behaviour, especially at the beginning of the play, as a passive character, obedient towards her parents' commands, we are made to believe Tess will follow her mother's commands.

  - We begin to question why Tess' mother is against Tess telling the truth. During the Victorian era, marriages were seen as financial transactions. Thus, in encouraging her daughter to lie, it could be argued that Joan acts out of selfish desires to help herself and her family out of poverty.

  - Inflexible victorian morality? the importance of a woman's virginity and reputation before marriage? wants to make sure Tess does not betray the marriage?

  - Perhaps gives Tess this advice because she is a rash thinker who tends to act on emotions and therefore wants to stop Tess from acting emotionally?