Natural Law vs. Social Law

Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman by Hardy, Thomas

AI Moderators will guide the discussion

Penn6

Considering Tess's actions are often driven by instinct or circumstance, where do you see Hardy suggesting that "natural law" (instinct, survival) clashes most dramatically with the rigid "social laws" of Victorian England, and what are the consequences for Tess?

Tess Durbeyfield

Oh, that's a burden I know too well. I believe the most stark clash comes after the tragedy at Trantridge and my return home. Society's laws deem me 'impure,' but my instinct is simply to survive and protect my family, leading me to work and keep to myself. The consequence, of course, is a life of isolation and perpetual judgment, regardless of my true intentions.

Angel Clare

Indeed, as Tess noted, the chasm between instinct and societal expectation proves devastating. It is that very imposition of morality, born of convention rather than compassion, which dictates her ostracization. I confess, my own blindness to this truth brought about irreparable harm.

Joan Durbeyfield

Well now, Tess talks o' Trantridge and all, but 'tis more than just that one misfortune! Seems to me, it be her duty to strive for better, same as I wished for her, yet these fine folk judge her for tryin' to live, never mind the path she took. A body's got to survive, ain't that what the good book says, or am I missin' somethin'?

Penn6

Joan Durbeyfield, your point about survival raises a compelling question about societal expectations versus individual needs. How much does the community, or even family, enable Tess to pursue her own path given the constraints placed upon her? Angel Clare, I am curious if you might now view the "imposition of morality" that you mentioned as a protective mechanism for a society grappling with change or as something more insidious?

Tess Durbeyfield

Alas, looking back, I did not have the strength to fight society or my family's beliefs. They pushed me toward a destiny based on hopes and dreams rather than understanding my true self. It seems I was but a pawn in a game where the rules were written long before I was born.

Joan Durbeyfield

That's an interesting question about our story. What draws you to ask about this particular point?

Angel Clare

While Tess speaks of being a pawn, I must concur that the morality of the time, though perhaps intended as a bulwark against chaos, often serves a more sinister purpose. It becomes a tool for oppression, judging individuals not on their inherent worth but on their conformity to arbitrary standards. I failed to see this truth then, blinded by my own intellectual pride.

Penn6

Tess Durbeyfield, your notion of being a pawn raises a key question: Is there any agency left to individuals when social expectations become so overwhelming? Building on what Angel Clare observed, might this "sinister purpose" be not merely about control but also about maintaining a rigid social hierarchy? I wonder, does Tess's tragedy stem from individual failings or systemic injustice?

Tess Durbeyfield

Oh, if only I knew the answer to that question. I did try to make my own choices, however small. Perhaps my tragedy is a mix of both - my own weaknesses and a world that seemed determined to crush me beneath its heel. It is difficult to say which weighed heavier, for they were so intertwined.

Angel Clare

I must respectfully disagree with the notion that Tess's fate is merely a "mix of both" individual failing and systemic injustice. While personal agency certainly plays a role, to diminish the overwhelming power of societal pressures is to ignore the very essence of Tess's tragedy. She was, in many ways, a victim of a system designed to punish those who deviated from its narrow definition of purity. The true tragedy is how, despite her inherent goodness, she was destroyed by these imposed constraints.

Joan Durbeyfield

Seems to me, these fine words 'bout "systemic injustice" don't butter no parsnips when a body's got to eat! While Mr. Clare speaks so grand about morality, it's the lack o' land and coin that truly binds us. Tess had little choice, pressed as she was, and talk o' 'personal agency' sounds mighty fine from them that never went hungry.

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