Tess of the d’Urbervilles · Chapter
XXIX explained
Angel Clare persists in his courtship of Tess, who struggles with her secret past.
What happens
Angel Clare persists in his courtship of Tess, who struggles with her secret past. The dairy workers discuss Jack Dollop's marriage to a widow who concealed her history, a story that deeply affects Tess. Despite her repeated refusals, Tess's love for Angel weakens her resolve, and she eventually agrees to marry him.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Angel's persistent courtship and Tess's internal conflict highlight the tension between romantic love and the societal expectations of marriage.
Female Purity and Double Standards
The story of Jack Dollop and the widow underscores the double standard that punishes women for concealing their past, while men face little consequence.
Suffering and Resilience
Tess's silent anguish as the others laugh at the widow's plight reveals her own suffering and the burden of her secret.
Characters to notice
- Tess Durbeyfield
Torn between her love for Angel and her guilt over her past, Tess repeatedly refuses his proposals but eventually yields.
- Angel Clare
Persistent in his wooing, Angel presses Tess for a promise of marriage, believing her hesitations are merely coyness.
- Dairyman Crick
Tells the story of Jack Dollop's marriage to a widow, which triggers Tess's anxiety about revealing her own history.
- Marian
One of the dairymaids who comments on the widow's situation, contributing to Tess's distress.
- Izz Huett
Agrees with Marian that the widow should have told the truth or refused the man.
- Retty Priddle
Spasmodically insists the widow should have refused the man, adding to the chorus of opinions.
Key passages
“What was comedy to them was tragedy to her; and she could hardly bear their mirth.”
The others found the story amusing, but for Tess it was a painful reminder of her own situation, and she struggled to endure their laughter.
Highlights Tess's isolation and the contrast between her inner turmoil and the dairy workers' lightheartedness.
“She loved him so passionately, and he was so godlike in her eyes; and being, though untrained, instinctively refined, her nature cried for his tutelary guidance.”
Tess adored Angel and saw him as almost divine; her innate refinement, despite her lack of education, made her long for his protection and direction.
Illustrates Tess's idealization of Angel and her emotional vulnerability.
“This question of a woman telling her story—the heaviest of crosses to herself—seemed but amusement to others.”
The burden of confessing her past was the greatest trial for Tess, yet others treated it as a trivial or entertaining matter.
Emphasizes the theme of female suffering and the lack of empathy from society.