Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Detailed Plot Summary
The Durbeyfield Revelation
The story unfolds in the rural counties of Dorset, England, during the Victorian era. The narrative begins when Parson Tringham, an innocent village clerk, reveals to John Durbeyfield, an honest farmer, that the Durbeyfields are, in fact, descendants of the noble d’Urberville family. This lineage, almost extinct, extends back to the time of William the Conqueror. Such information initially seems useless, as the family lost its land and prestige when its male heirs died. The cleric simply believed John Durbeyfield would be interested in his origins as a mere historical curiosity.
Tess’s Encounter with Alec d’Urberville
Unfortunately, John Durbeyfield immediately becomes obsessed with the idea of recovering his lost nobility and using it, somehow, to increase the family fortune. Given the family’s dire financial situation, John sends his daughter, Tess (Justine Waddell), to the d’Urberville mansion to seek employment, leveraging their newfound kinship. However, the mansion is claimed by Alec d’Urberville (Jason Flemyng), who is delighted to meet his beautiful “cousin” and attempts to seduce her with roses and strawberries. It is soon revealed that Alec is not a true relative of Tess, having acquired his illustrious name and coat of arms through purchase. Alec falls in love with Tess and eventually seduces and violates her. Tess returns home pregnant; the baby is born ill and tragically dies.
Love and Confession with Angel Clare
After some time, Tess moves to a dairy farm where she begins work as a dairymaid. There, she meets her true love: a young aspiring missionary from a respectable family named Angel Clare (Oliver Milburn). Angel believes Tess to be a simple, unpampered, and completely innocent country girl. They fall deeply in love, but Tess, burdened by guilt, does not confess her previous relationship with Alec until their wedding night. Disillusioned, Angel rejects Tess, leaving her alone once more.
Return to Hardship and Desperate Measures
Abandoned by her husband, Tess encounters Alec d’Urberville again. At first, she ferociously repels his advances. However, after her father’s death, the Durbeyfield family faces severe hardship, struggling with lack of food, eviction, and destitution. Tess is forced to rekindle her torrid relationship with Alec, thus becoming his mistress in order to support her younger siblings and mother.
Alec’s Fate and Tess’s Flight
Soon after, Angel Clare returns from his trip abroad. A disastrous mission trip in Brazil had taken a toll on his health. Humbled and having had time to reflect, he now regrets his treatment of Tess. He finds Tess, only to discover her heartbroken and cohabiting with Alec. Tess realizes that Alec’s seduction and manipulation had destroyed her chances of happiness with Angel. She suffers a nervous breakdown and, in a fit of murderous fury, kills Alec.
Tess’s Final Moments and Tragic End
Tess escapes to Angel, and they are reconciled. He can finally accept her and kiss her as his wife, no longer judging her actions morally. They consummate their marriage and spend two nights together in happiness, fleeing the law. Finally, Tess is caught while sleeping at Stonehenge. Ultimately, she is convicted and sentenced to the gallows for murder.