Tess of d'Urbervilles

1. Write a short biography of Thomas Hardy( 5 lines ). Do not copy and paste it from internet. Use your own language.
Thomas Hardy was born in 1840. His father was a builder and his mother a maid. He studied in the local school in Bockhampton where he learned Latin, French and German. He studied architecture and was an assistant of the ecclesiastic architect Arthur Blomfield. In 1867, he wrote his first novel: The Poor Man and the Lady.
He married Emma Lavinia Gifford.
He died in 1928.

2. Although the places that appear in Hardy's novels actually exist, in many cases he gave the place a fictional name. For example, Hardy's hometown of Dorchester he called Casterbridge in his books. Find some information about Marlott, Shaston, Chaseborough, Tantridge and Sandbourne: situation, real names, inhabitants
Marlott is Marnhull. Marnhull is a village in the Blackmore Vale area of north Dorset, England. Marnhull has a population of 1,951.
Shaston is Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury is a town in North Dorset, England.
Chaseborough is Cranborne. Cranborne is a village in East Dorset, England. Cranborne had a population of 779 people.
Tantridge is Tandridge. Tandridge is in Surrey, England. It is named for an ancient Tandridge hundred of Surrey that covered roughly the same area.
Sandbourne is Borough. Borough is a town in the Borough of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. The town has a population of 163,444.

3. Part I : The Maiden
-Write about Tess sad story of her stay at Tantridge
Tess decide to go to Tantridge to work there. She learns to whistle to the birds.
One night, Tess went to dance with the workers of the farm. When they were walking back home, one girl, who had been Alec's mistress, was jealous of Tess and she quarreled with Tess. Alec, out of sight, heard the woman shoutting at Tess. Tess went away with Alec.
Because that the fog was so bad, they stopped and sat down in the grass. Alec put his arms around her and began kissing her. She couldn't stop him.
-Watch the video number 1 and relate it to the novel
In the video, we can watch the fight between the girls and when Alec impose himself to Tess.
The movie has diferents things that the book.

4.Part II: Maiden no more
-Two years have passed since Tess left Tantridge. Write a summary of the main events that took place during these two years
*he left Tantridge.
*Tess realised that she couldn't go to the church because of the gossip-people.
*he worked picking up the corn.
*he had a baby.
*Her baby become very ill.
*her baby died.

-Why do you think Tess called her baby Sorrow?
Because at the beggining, she didn't love him and wanted his death.

5.Part III: A new life
-With all the information you get from chapters 8,9 and 10, write a description of Angel Clare
Is the son of a parson and he want to be a farmer. He plays the harp and looks sad. He is a strong man.

-Angel asks Tess: "Why are you crying ?" and she answers : " I don't know". Why do you think she is crying?
She was crying because she was ashamed about the relation that she had had with Alec.

-Watch video number 2 and relate it to the story
This is the moment when she try to tell him the truth with a letter. He doesn't realise that the letter was down the carpet. When he goes to his bethroom, she discovers the letter and she realises that he doesn't know the truth.

6.Part IV: Consequences
-Do you think Tess chose the right moment to tell Angel the truth?
No because she must tell him the truth before marry him.

7.Part V : The Woman pays
-Comment on Angel's reaction. Should he have forgiven her? Is it a question of prejudice or lack on confidence on Tess' part?
Angel reacts very bad. He decide that he can't forgiven Tess. He thinks about the society and talks about the purity of a wife and nothing else is acceptable. Is a question of prejudice

"I couldn't lie to him " ( pag.44 ). Are love and lies compatible?
I think they are compatible when you don't want the person you love suffer.

-Do Tess' parents really worry about her unhappiness ? What do they actually worry about?No, they don't worry about her unhappiness. The worry about people laughing at them again.

8.Part VI : A changed Man
-Why does Tess finally surrender and sucumb to Alec's powers?
Because she was tired of suffering and she didn't acept that the man she loved couldn't acept her past.
Would you judge her for such a decision?
No I don't. Because she needs money for her family.

9.Part VII : Tess' fate
-Write a short summary of chapter 18 ( 5-10 lines )
Angel comes back to her home from Brasil looking very ill.
He try to found Tess.
Angel asked Tess for her pardon but she didn't forgive him.
She was living with Alec.
Tess killed Alec with a large knife.
Tess and Angel run away.
The policeman found them.
Tess was hanged (epilogue).