Group Reading of Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Phase the First: The Maiden

Chapter 1

Despite having loved Hardy’s other novels, this is my first reading of Tess. Right from the outset, all of the features that I recall from Hardy’s work stand out: his deep attachment to the landscape of the south of England; a thorough investment in his characters, their motivations and the (often unwise) choices they make; and a plot that is often driven by quirks of fate and/or triggered by seemingly trivial actions or events — in this case, the Parson’s decision to inform Jack Durbeyfield about his illustrious but long gone forbears.

In just a few words, Hardy makes it clear that Jack is a rather silly man, easily swayed by delusions of grandeur; the title of “Sir John”, casually bestowed upon him by the Parson, fits him like a dunce’s cap and is unlikely to improve his life — or that of the family that may depend upon him. Trouble is sure to arise.

Chapter 2

As the story unfolds, Hardy reveals his deep attachment to the Wessex countryside and its long established social traditions, such as the May-dance, complete with traditional white garments of the women and girls as they begin the dance — getting under way before any of their menfolk arrive home from work. Everyone is tuned in to the rhythms of daily life and the occasional special celebrations. The mannerisms of the young women when first approached by Angel, an itinerant student, reveal much about this village and its conventions. Very little happens in this chapter and yet we learn a great deal about the people. The student soon departs and nothing has changed. However, Jack Durbeyfield’s arrival by carriage stands out as a disruption of the usual way of life; Tess is embarrassed by her father’s antics. She appears to be more level headed than her father.

Chapter 3

 The contrast between the Durbeyfield home and the recent scene at the dance could hardly be more striking. Further, Mrs. Durbeyfield’s daily life of unrelenting work is entirely at odds with that of her husband, the “haggler” — who, despite needing to make a very early start on his next day’s journey, has decided to spend his evening at the local tavern. Hardy has chosen to present some very pointed social commentary here, while continuing to further define the character of each member of the household. Despite Jack’s readiness to hire a carriage to fetch him gaily back to the village, there are no spare shillings at hand in this family. Dazzled by past glory of his forbears, he scarcely considers the needs of today, never mind any thought for the future welfare of his family. There are troubled times ahead.

Chapter 4

Hardy now reveals the scheme of his narrative: Jack Durbeyfield’s delusion of wealthy and exalted ancestral connections has infected the rest of his poor family; his wife seizes upon a ploy whereby Tess may be the solution to their economic woes! And even though Tess shows herself to have a great deal more common sense than her parents, it remains to be seen whether she can avoid falling victim to their foolish ideas.

In fact, Poor Tess has already inherited the fruits of Jack’s folly: too far gone in drink and unable to rise to the occasion, it falls upon Tess to take Jack’s rickety horse and wagon on a 30 mile journey, starting in the wee hours of darkness. Disaster befalls, for which Tess blames herself. Hardy is quickly constructing a trap for his heroine, built of her parents’ foolish dreams.

Chapter 5

Right from my first reading of Hardy’s “The Return of the Native” many years back, I was immediately struck by his fixation on the workings of  fate. Time and again, he presents his protagonists as being virtually powerless to prevent the misfortunes that befall them. They happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or they encounter the wrong person, one who somehow brings about their ruin, either by deceit or simply through carelessness. And despite having been granted free will, they are somehow destined to make ill-advised choices. The influence of fate has already been pointed out several times in this novel and here in Chapter 5, Hardy explicitly presents Alec Stokes-D’Urberville as an agent fated to bring misfortune to Tess.

I’ve always been troubled by this fatalistic stance in Hardy’s work, since it’s not a philosophy I share. Nevertheless, I find so much to otherwise admire in Hardy that I long ago decided to treat his fatalism as the “thorn in the rose”. Thus I find myself cheering for his hero(in)es, hoping that they will somehow manage to overcome the fate-driven headwinds they face.

Chapter 6

When I wrote my comments about Chapter 5, applying the term “thorn in the rose” to express my willingness to tolerate Hardy’s fixation on fate, I had not yet read Chapter 6; but here I see him use the same term as an ill omen. Perhaps Hardy’s fatalism is influencing my thinking more than I thought!

The most troubling aspect of this chapter is that all of Tess’s instincts tell her that getting involved with Alec is a mistake, and yet her sense of obligation to her family finally convinces her to go along with what is (based on the masculine handwriting) not an honest offer coming from an aged woman (whom she has never met). Tess does exactly the wrong thing, for a reason that is not even valid, pushed along by the foolish hopes of her mother. A plot device that is typical of Hardy.

Chapter 7

On the surface, this short chapter seems to be quite a simple, straightforward episode: Tess allows herself to be dressed up and made to look attractive and somewhat more mature than she really is, a smart-looking carriage arrives, driven by young Alec, Tess mounts and they depart.

But there’s a disturbing subtext throughout the chapter: Tess envisions a very different future than that imagined by her mother; the sudden appearance of a very different conveyance than expected raises questions; and at nightfall, even Mrs. Durbeyfield (belatedly) begins to have second thoughts about the manner in which Tess has suddenly and permanently left the family. One senses that a true turning point has been reached; from this point onward, Tess will be entirely dependent on her own internal resources for her future wellbeing. And it’s very unlikely that Mrs. Durbeyfield’s naïve faith in “her face” as her “trump card” will be sufficient.

Chapter 8

During this journey of Tess in company with Alec, we begin to learn quite a bit more about the character of each of them. It becomes clear that Alec is a young buck with a surplus of testosterone, one who has obvious designs upon Tess as a tempting young lass. As would a similar youth in our day, he enjoys fast driving and dangerous pursuits and sees the opportunity to advance his suit quickly by frightening Tess. Callow, reckless and egotistical, he is probably not a particularly bad person but the penalty for his selfishness and carelessness may well be paid by Tess rather than himself.

Tess, on the other hand begins to show another side of her character; despite her innocence and inexperience and despite finding herself entirely in Alec's power, she soon gets fed up with his behavior and creating an excuse to dismount, refuses to ride with him any further. She will walk the rest of the way, a distance of several miles. In spite of his annoyance, Alec is impressed by her spirit. Hardy has planted a seed here, pointing a way forward; Tess may be in a difficult position but she will not be a helpless victim.

Chapter 9

The fact that Mrs. Stokes-D'Urberville, aging and blind, is a fowl-fancier raises some questions: Is this a passion that has arisen within the context of her blindness, i.e. a sort of hobby that works for her because she can have her prize specimens brought to her where she can "see" them first-hand, or is there some other back-story here? She treats them like pets; are they objects to which she can transfer affection, to compensate for he dissatisfaction with her son?

And most important, does Tess have any reason to hope that the by catering to the old lady's whims — caring for her prize chickens, whistling to bullfinches — she may gain some measure of protection or benefit, making he less vulnerable to Eric's schemes? Surely a slender thread upon which to hang one's fate! (Oh, yes, there's that word again!)

Chapter 10

Hardy never misses out on an opportunity to delve into the character, environment, social practices, and especially the unique local color of each small corner of the land that he loved. He vividly contrasts the rowdy habits of the women of Trantridge with the restrained, traditional celebrations of the white-clad dancers in Tess's home town.
Tess is finding herself increasingly an outsider; she follows the others but she remains at odds and has not made any real friend. The unwelcome attention she receives from Alec is also resented by some of the other young women. All of this is fatally contrived to leave her more vulnerable to Alec's schemes. It's easy to see that all of this is leading toward Tess's downfall, so as readers we're not surprised to see her allow Alec to carry her off in the night.

Chapter 11

It occurs to me that this entire first phase "The Maiden" may be seen as back-story; that is, we learn of Tess's origins, the family history and village society that made her the person she is and the series of events that placed he in this situation. Now, following her seduction at the hands of Alec, her true adult life begins. How will she fare from this point onward? Will she remain a victim of power disparity and the fate that has been handed to her or will she rise above her circumstances, come into her own as a competent young woman? Now her real story begins.

 

Group Reading of Bleak House — Chapters 54 - 67

Chapter 54
For the first time, I find myself at odds with almost all my fellow readers on this chapter. I agree that Bucket has handled the affair brilliantly, but as a detective novel, this chapter does not measure up. We are presented with a host of evidence that Bucket has collected but Dickens has shared almost none of it with his readers. e.g. Bucket has managed to get Hortense into his household as a tenant and set his wife to spy on her. And how he manages to magically get Smallweeds, the Chadbands and Mrs. Snagsby to show up right on cue to say their piece is never made clear. And how has he learned about Guppy's schemes? This is working out far too conveniently to be the least bit credible.
A disappointing chapter.

 Chapter 55
Guppy, that puny pest, has proven to be just as self-absorbed and dangerous as we anticipated. Despite how inept and inconsequential he is, he has, time and again, found ways to mess up the lives of other people. All of the efforts of Bucket, Mrs. Bagnet and Mrs. Rouncewell to set things right may well be negated by Guppy’s meddling.

 Chapter 56
Once again, Bucket really shows his mettle here. Not only is he keenly observant, but he is remarkably adept at making sense of what he observes. He is able to connect seemingly unrelated fragments of information, thereby visualizing a scenario or a sequence of events. He instantly decodes Sir Leicester's gestures and understands his intentions. He surveys lady Dedlock's room and quickly seizes upon the one object that may help in his search.
Meanwhile, we must be very concerned for the future of the Dedlock dynasty; Sir Leicester has no heir and his wife has fled. The collection of idle cousins that congregate at his household like bundles of thistles driven by the wind certainly do not inspire confidence. Will the House of Dedlock be one of the "great houses" that are swept away by the coming changes ....?

 Chapter 57
By breaking this chapter up into a seemingly endless series of stops, starts, inquiries, asides, unanswered questions — along with delays due to the reluctance of witnesses — Dickens impresses upon us the passage of time and lack of progress; we become as impatient as do Esther and Bucket. The chapter seems even longer than it is — and we are made to fear the worst, that their inability to find Lady Dedlock reduces her chances of survival, hour by hour.

One nagging question arises: Lady D is supposedly traveling on foot, without money, across difficult terrain and in bad weather, while Bucket, having at his disposal a series of fresh horses, does not seem to be gaining ground. Is he perhaps on the wrong track altogether?

 Chapter 58
Although this chapter takes place overnight and concludes in the morning, the prevailing mood is that of twilight, a darkening-down of lives. The Dedlocks' days of fashionable glitter are over; Sir Leicester is old and ill. Matters cannot be restored to the way they were, regardless of what has become of Lady Dedlock. It's a time for setting aside old pretenses and old animosities. The return of George to the family estate, welcomed by Sir Leicester, is also symbolic of a settling of affairs within the family as a whole. 

Chapter 59
Bleak House has, right from the beginning, been a tragedy in the making. There has never been "a way out" for Lady Dedlock. She has always been haunted by her secret, and as the story has played out, far too many people have come to know of it. Furthermore, Esther's reputation, her welfare and her future are inescapably bound up with the story of her origin. Lady Dedlock has to die to complete the narrative, and in so doing, she closes the circle, back at the grave site of her lover.
With each succeeding chapter, we are seeing a "closing down" of the story as we lose each character — first Jo, then Tulkinghorn and Richard, now Lady Dedlock: will Sir Leicester survive — or will he want to? 

 Chapter 60
Here, we seem to be marking time, as if awaiting some forthcoming event. Richard’s decline continues as Ada, unable to change the course of events, stays loyally by his side, while we learn of the future birth of their child — a child Richard may not live to see. Mrs. Woodcourt is hanging around, for reasons that remain unclear. Vholes continues to play out his crafty hand. Miss Flite, symbolic of the futility of the case in chancery, adds more birds to her dreary collection. The only bright spot seems to be that Mr. Woodcourt’s prospects, aided by John Jarndyce are improving.
Altogether, it’s as if this chapter is holding its breath, waiting to exhale ….

 Chapter 61
After the hiatus of Chapter 60, matters begin to move along, although certainly not in a straight line toward any obvious resolution. Belatedly, Woodcourt has declared his love to Esther, but that solves nothing. There are hints of future events, notably the demise of Skimpole, confirming his despicable behavior. Meanwhile, the overall story remains suspended in limbo.

But, in sharp contrast to that, this chapter does accomplish something of great importance: It’s here, in her frank conversation with Woodcourt, that Dickens completes his delineation of Esther’s character; she has reached true maturity and at the end of the chapter we are left to consider her constancy and her nobility of character. 

 Chapter 62
Once again, Bucket has proven his diligence and skill in ferreting out information; he has learned that the Smallweeds have unearthed what appears to be an extremely valuable document from among the rubble at Krook’s premises. He has imposed the power of the law upon old Smallweed and coerced him into surrendering the document to Jardyce, its rightful owner, upon agreement that Smallweeds will receive a fee commensurate with the document’s worth.
The document is a long-sought. Will. Can it possibly bring the interminable suit to a conclusion?

 Chapter 63
Dickens is here intent on putting all the fragmented pieces of the story back together. George has now come full circle, re-establishing a cordial relationship with his brother. And he is determined to return to service of Sir Leicester, as his mother before him. But most significantly, he takes a further step toward settling Esther’s affairs by writing her a letter that will clarify the mystery of her father’s disappearance and Lady Dedlock’s great misfortune.

 Chapter 64
And finally, Dickens reveals to us and to Esther the scheme that John Jarndyce has been working on. Understanding the love that, despite all obstacles, prevails between Esther and Allan Woodcourt, he has contrived to bring Mrs. Woodcourt around to accepting Esther as a suitable match for her son. All of his preparations for marriage have been aimed at passing her hand over to Woodcourt. Matters are now set to turn out as they ought to.
I’m puzzled as to why Dickens chose to bring Guppy back into the picture at the end of this chapter. Comic relief, perhaps? However, I find him simply a nuisance. In the immortal words of the Grand High Executioner “H never would be missed!”

Chapter 65
At long last, Jarndyce and Jarndyce is concluded. And as one might have expected, any proceeds remaining at issue have all been absorbed in legal costs. In fact, Chancery has worked exactly as is was designed to do, transferring all of the suitors’ assets at issue into the pockets of the lawyers. A perfectly functioning system.
Nevertheless, there are two positive outcomes: Now that the contest is over, Rick is reconciled with John Jarndyce. And Jarndyce will never be vexed by the case again. The wind is forever in the west!

 Chapter 66
A somber chapter, drawing-down of blinds. Sir Leicester, aged and ill, keeps watch over Lady Dedlock’s at final resting place at Chesney Wold. No one is told anything about her demise and no whisper of gossip will be tolerated. The days of fashion are long gone. All is quiet; Volumnia modestly holds court, visitors are few. The Ghost’s Walk is heard of no more.

Chapter 67
I suppose Shakespeare’s phrase has never been surpassed: “All’s well that ends well.” In our “real world”, seldom do those most deserving of blessing become the ones who receive it, so I suppose we ought to thank Dickens for settling things in such a perfect manner for once. All of those whose troubles Esther helped to alleviate, along with all those who loved her best, have ended up in happy circumstances. Is this a likely scenario? Probably not; but after all the difficulties that plagued them — Caddy, Peepy, Ada, Charley and so on — we should be grateful that in the end they were able to find happiness.
Thinking over how greatly their community benefits from her husband’s care and how they are both admired and praised, Esther asks “Is this not to be rich?”
And of course, she is right.