Tess Of the Durbevilles

• Chapter 1

  - John Durberyfield meets a Parson on his way home

  - Parson addresses him as "Sir" and explains that John's family descends from nobles (D'Urbervilles)
• Chapter 2


  - Introduced to Tess, she is performing the 'clubwalk'

  - She is embarrassed by her drunk father

  - She sees Angel but he dances with someone else and she is disappointed

  - Angel wishes he had danced with Tess instead
• Chapter 3


  - Tess returns home and is told about her ancestry by her mother

  - Her father is celebrating at Rolliver's (pub)

  - Her mother goes too, but doesn't return

  - Tess and Abraham (brother) go to check on them
• Chapter 4


  - Joan tells her husband about her plan to send Tess to the D'Urbervilles to claim kin

  - Tess finds out from Abraham

  - Tess falls asleep thinking about the suitor

  - She is awoken to find Prince (horse) is dead and she blames herself
• Chapter 5


  - The family are now in a bad financial state

  - Tess is sent to the D'Urbervilles + meets a flirty Alec

  - Alec lies and says that he has the same family crest

  - Alec admires Tess's beauty and considers kissing her
• Chapter 6


  - Tess goes home + receives a letter asking her to look after the birds at the D'Urberville estate

  - Tess looks for other jobs but cannot find any

  - She agrees to go back to Trantridge
• Chapter 7


  - On the day Tess leaves, her mother dresses her up

  - Alec comes to retrieve Tess

  - Joan (mother) is unsure whether they are doing the right thing

  - She and the children cry
• Chapter 8


  - Alec drives recklessly and tells Tess to hold his wrist + she agrees

  - Alec agrees to drive slower if Tess lets him kiss her

  - Tess agrees and he kisses her on the cheek

  - She wipes the kiss and Alec is angry + Tess finishes the journey walking
• Chapter 9


  - Tess meets Mrs D'Urberville + finds out she is blind

  - Mrs D'Urberville is unappreciative of Tess's work

  - She tells Tess to whistle to the birds every morning

  - Tess cannot whistle and so Alec agrees to teach her
• Chapter 10


  - Tess waits for her friends to walk her home but they are drunk

  - They are irritated that Tess has all of Alec's attention

  - The girls demand a fight + Tess declines + allows Alec to take her away
• Chapter 11


  - The horse wanders away + Alec tries to convince Tess to be his lover, Tess doesn't reveal her thoughts

  - They are lost and Alec tries to find out where they are

  - Tess falls asleep and Alec rapes her
• Chapter 12


  - Tess is not in love with Alec and decides to flee but she is caught by Alec, he lets her go

  - Tess sees a painter who writes "THY DAMNATION SLUMBERETH NOT"

  - Joan is frustrated she hasn't married Alec but softens when Tess tells her she never warned her of the dangers
• Chapter 13


  - Tess's friends visit her and she is temporarily happy and then becomes depressed

  - She tries to attend Church but hears people whispering about her
• Chapter 14


  - Her baby boy conceived with Alec falls ill + she is worried he will die without a christening

  - She christens him and names him Sorrow

  - He dies the next morning and she buries him
• Chapter 15


  - Tess wants to move away

  - She gets a job as a milkmaid at the Talbothays dairy

  - She notices the dairy is near the D'Urberville estate
• Chapter 16


  - Tess sets out to begin work

  - The day is beautiful and she is optimistic

  - She passes her ancestors grave's but keeps going
• Chapter 17


  - Tess starts work + notices Angel

  - He prefers life in agriculture and thus comes to work

  - The other dairymaids talk about him + crush on him
• Chapter 18


  - Angel's backstory

  - He's drawn to Tess's beauty + thinks she is a virgin

  - Tess stays away from him out of shame (rape)
• Chapter 19


  - Tess discovers Angel is breaking rules for her

  - They have an intimate conversation about life

  - Tess is interested in his education and he offers to tutor her, but she refuses
• Chapter 20


  - Angel and Tess become closer + enjoy the morning

  - He nicknames her 'Artemis' and 'Demeter'

  - Tess doesn't understand
• Chapter 21


  - Butter isn't churning and Crick (head of dairy farm) jokes this happens when someone is in love

  - Tess doesn't want to marry, she is ashamed (rape)

  - Butter churns and everyone is relieved except Tess
• Chapter 22


  - Crick receives a complaint that the butter has a 'twang'

  - Dairymaids find the weeds that gave this taste

  - Tess feels faint and Angel stops with her

  - Tess convinces Angel to like Izz + Retty but Angel admits he isn't interested in them romantically
• Chapter 23


  - Tess and her friends go to Mellstock Church but the roads are flooded + Angel carries them across

  - The girls realise Angel prefers Tess

  - Tess avoids Angel and overhears the other girls confessing their love for him

  - Tess feels guilty for taking so much of his time
• Chapter 24


  - Angel and Tess are milking cows and he hugs her

  - Angel tells Tess he loves her and they return to work
• Chapter 25


  - Angel visits his family to understand his relationship with Tess

  - Angel's realises his manners have worsened
• Chapter 26


  - Angel + his family discuss marriage + want him to marry Mercy Chant but Angel wants to marry Tess

  - Family agree to meet Tess + Angel's father tells him how he tried to tame Alec D'Urberville
• Chapter 27


  - Angel returns and finds Tess napping

  - He proposes to her and she says no but he gives her time to rethink her decision
• Chapter 28


  - Angel asks Tess to marry him again, she hesitates

  - Angel thinks this is because of her low social status

  - Tess decides she must tell him about her past
• Chapter 29


  - Gossip about Jack Dollop who married a widow, only to find out her money vanished after marriage

  - Tess is hesitant to tell Angel about her past
• Chapter 30


  - Tess tells Angel she descends from the D'Urbervilles and Angel is happy because his family will like Tess

  - Tess agrees to marry Angel
• Chapter 31


  - Tess's mother tells her not to tell Angel of her past

  - Tess is hesitant to marry Angel

  - Angel announces their engagement to the dairy and everyone is happy for them
• Chapter 32


  - Tess agrees to leave the dairy at Xmas + their wedding date is set for December 31st

  - Angel buys Tess clothes + takes out a marriage license
• Chapter 33


  - They encounter a man from Trantridge and he discusses Tess's virginity

  - Angel hits him + Tess feels guilty

  - She writes Angel her confession but he never read it

  - Tess and Angel get married
• Chapter 34


  - Tess receives jewels from Angel's grandmother

  - After their wedding, Retty attempted suicide + Marian became an alcoholic

  - Angel and Tess confess their secrets
• Chapter 35


  - Angel is distraught + leaves the house + Tess follows

  - Tess says she will do anything, even drown herself

  - Angel looks at how the D'Urberville portraits resemble Tess + then goes to sleep in a different room
• Chapter 36


  - Angel avoids Tess for 3 days and Tess contemplates a divorce

  - She then learns the law doesn't allow divorces

  - Tess offers to go home and Angel says she should go
• Chapter 37


  - Tess wakes up and sees Angel sleepwalking, he talks about how his wife is dead

  - Angel has no recollection of this

  - They make a stop at the dairy and act awkwardly

  - Angel leaves Tess near her village saying she shouldn't come to look for him and he will look for her
• Chapter 38


  - Tess comes home and confesses to her mother what has happened and her mother lectures her

  - Tess receives a letter from Angel saying he has begun looking for a farm in the North

  - Tess leaves to join Angel + gives her family money
• Chapter 39


  - Angel tells his parents he's going to Brazil w/o Tess

  - They say they'll meet Tess when he returns in a year
• Chapter 40


  - Angel travels to Wellbridge farm + sees Izz

  - He invites her to Brazil + she agrees (she loves him)

  - Izz says no one can love him more than Tess

  - He drops her home and leaves for Brazil ALONE