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Tess, a young girl, falls asleep while riding with her horse and carriage, and the family horse is killed eliminating the families source of income.Tess’ family learn they are “relatives” of the wealthy d’Uberville family, and Tess is sent by her family to their mansion in hopes to help their financial despair. She is offered a job tending fowls, and reluctantly accepts due to guilt for the accident. There she meets Alec d’Uberville, who ultimately takes advantage of Tess. Tess is pregnant with Alec’s child, and gives birth to her son, who dies soon after birth. Years later she decides to accept a job at Talbothays dairy. She meets new friends, including a man named angel.

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Tess and Angel fall in love, and eventually become engaged. After their marriage, Tess confides in Angel about her past troubles, and Angel is deeply hurt and cannot defend Tess. He gives her some money, and leaves for Brazil attempting to establish a farm

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She returns home, and after a while runs again into Alec, who claims to be changed by Christianity. He then goes back to his old ways, begging her to marry him, and during this time Tess learns her mother is near death. When her father suddenly passes, Tess has all but no choice but to accept Alec’s offer of a house/marriage, and agrees. Soon after, Angel returns from Brazil only to find Tess now married, and he is very much heartbroken. Tess kills Alec, and runs away to find angel. They hide for little time, and Tess is caught and executed.

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Tess is a character whose life is deeply influenced by the societal expectations and past tragic circumstances of her life. Tess is very innocent and good willed, yet it always seems her past catches up with her and destroys her future. Tess faces numerous hardships, including sexual assault, betrayal, and financial hardship. We see this when her simple discussion of her past with Angel leads to him leaving her for a long period of time, and leaving her having to fend for herself in a society where men hold financial responsibility over women. Tess also has struggles with men, as the society she lives in nearly forced her to get married, or she will have no way to support herself. She is a character who’s life was tragically ended due to her past,which she had no control over.

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Alec is a very manipulative and controlling character. We see thus throughout his interactions with Tess, as he constantly tried to make advances on her, and when denied he became violent and assaulted her just to get what he wanted. We also see this attempted manipulation with his claim to be changed by religion, before reverting right back to his old behaviors and advances on Tess. He later takes advantage of her when she's extremely weak, offering her a place to stay she knows she needs, but only doing so for his own gain.

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Angel Clare is a complex character.He’s Initially presented as a very idealistic young man. His rejection of conventional norms, particularly relating to  social class and religion, makes him very unique. Angel's beliefs are deeply rooted in rationality and reason, and he is critical of traditional things  such as the church. His decision to pursue a career in farming, rather than follow the path set by his family, reflects his desire to be independent. However, Angel's ideas lead to his downfall. Even though he seems to be “progressive”, his treatment of Tess’s situation says otherwise. This is evident in his treatment of Tess, whom he initially idealizes as pure and innocent, but later condemns for her past. Angel's internal conflict between his progressive ideals and his other biases highlights the tension between individual wants and societal expectations.  In summary, Angel  is a character whose story  illuminates how complex Victorian society could be.

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“Since then my one desire has been to hand on the true view to others,  that is what I was trying to do today; though it is only lately I’ve preached hereabout”.-Alec to tess: This quote Alec’s attempted manipulation of Tess, as he plays into her emotions saying “That is what I was trying to do today”, in an attempt to appear innocent and having pure intention.

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“He looked upon her as a species of impostor; a guilty woman in the guise of an innocent one”-Angel about Tess. This reaction by Angel of Tess' past is an example of one of the many times her past has negatively affected her future. The use of the words “impostor” and “guilty” show angels almost disgusted feeling towards Tess, over learning something she can’t even control .

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“He kept  saying you would never come any more, and I’m a foolish woman”  -Tess about Alec. This quote shows Alec’s true monstrous behavior, as he attempted to gaslight Tess into thinking Angel would never return for her. This quote again shows an example of Alec’s thirst for power over Tess.

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In "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," Thomas Hardy touches on the theme of fate throughout the narrative, shaping the trajectory of Tess's life and exploring some of the novel's tragedy. Tess experiences a series of events that seem predetermined, highlighting the powerlessness of individuals caused by past events. From the start, Tess's family is driven by the belief in their noble ancestry, a belief that ultimately leads to their downfall. This false hope sets Tess on a path marked by a series of unfortunate events, including her encounter with Alec  and the everlasting effects of their encounter. Despite Tess's efforts to escape her past and make a better future, she finds herself repeatedly hurt by circumstances beyond her control. Hardy uses devices to emphasize the theme of fate, including imagery of inescapable cycles of the past. For example, the recurring image of the circular dance at the May Day celebration symbolizes the relentless cycle of Tess's life, in which she is trapped into, and she cannot control. Tess's life serves as a  reminder of the unpredictable and often cruel nature of life, and prompts thoughts about if individuals can shape their own destinies in a world controlled by forces beyond their control.