# XXXIII explained — Tess of the d’Urbervilles > Chapter companion for Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. ## What happens On the eve of their wedding, Tess wrestles with the decision to confess her past to Angel. She writes a letter detailing her history with Alec and slips it under his door, but he does not mention it, leading her to believe he has forgiven her or not seen it. The chapter culminates in their wedding day at the dairy, with Angel's family disapproving and a brief altercation with a stranger who insults Tess. ## Themes in this chapter ### Social Class and Inequality Angel's plan to reveal Tess's d'Urberville lineage to his parents highlights the importance of social status; his family's disappointment at a dairywoman daughter-in-law underscores class prejudice. ### Female Purity and Double Standards Tess's agonizing over confessing her past to Angel reflects the societal expectation of female purity, while Angel's own faults are deferred for later discussion. ### Fate and Inevitability Tess's repeated attempts to confess are thwarted by circumstances, suggesting an inexorable march toward tragedy. ## Character check-ins ### Tess Durbeyfield Torn by guilt, she attempts to confess her past to Angel but is deflected; she writes a letter and later destroys it, then writes another and slips it under his door. ### Angel Clare Remains affectionate and preoccupied with wedding preparations; he defends Tess's honor by striking a man who insults her, and later dreams of fighting the same man. ### Dairyman Crick Prepares the dairy kitchen for the wedding, whitening the chimney and hanging a new blower as a noiseless celebration. ### Mrs. Crick Asked to accompany the couple as a witness at the wedding. ### Old Mr. Clare Writes a sad letter to Angel expressing disappointment but accepting the marriage. ### Joan Durbeyfield Mentioned as having written a letter to Tess, though not directly present. ## Key lines > To produce Tess, fresh from the dairy, as a d’Urberville and a lady, he had felt to be temerarious and risky; hence he had concealed her lineage till such time as, familiarized with worldly ways by a few months’ travel and reading with him, he could take her on a visit to his parents and impart the knowledge while triumphantly producing her as worthy of such an ancient line. Angel thought it too daring to present Tess as a d'Urberville lady straight from the dairy, so he hid her ancestry until after they traveled and he could introduce her to his parents as a worthy match. _Angel's romantic plan to elevate Tess's social standing through her lineage._ > She stooped to the threshold of the doorway, where she had pushed in the note two or three days earlier in such excitement. The carpet reached close to the sill, and under the edge of the carpet she discerned the faint white margin of the envelope containing her letter to him, which he obviously had never seen, owing to her having in her haste thrust it beneath the carpet as well as beneath the door. Tess found her earlier confession letter still stuck under the carpet, unseen by Angel, because she had pushed it too far under the door. _Tess discovers that her first attempt at confession failed due to a careless mistake._ > The insult to her stung him to the quick, and before he had considered anything at all he struck the man on the chin with the full force of his fist, sending him staggering backwards into the passage. Angel immediately punched the man who insulted Tess, without thinking. _Angel's impulsive defense of Tess's honor._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tess_of_the_d_urbervilles_se/chapters/xxxiii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tess_of_the_d_urbervilles_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tess_of_the_d_urbervilles_se/chapters