THE INFLUENCE OF DESTINY ON TESS’S LIFE IN “TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES” BY THOMAS HARDY

Abstract

The primary aim of this paper is to illuminate the tragic and harrowing influence of fate on Tess, the protagonist of “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” (1891) by Thomas Hardy. Tess, the female lead in the novel, endures immense suffering not as a result of her wrongdoing, but due to the relentless grip of fate over her life. The narrative portrays her as a compassionate individual navigating a world rife with cruelty and injustice, yet ultimately succumbing to the whims of destiny. Throughout the story, Tess remains blameless, yet she is confronted with an unrelenting string of tragedies both within and outside her familial sphere. She emerges as a tragic figure, subject to the predetermined course of her life dictated by fate. Despite her inherent purity, Tess is deprived of even fleeting moments of happiness, her existence overshadowed by the inexorable hand of fate.