Sexuality In Tess Of The D Urbervilles

Questioning a woman’s right to sexuality, Britney Spears asks “why can’t [society] just let [her] live?” While Spears answers her own question with simply stating, “people can take everything away from you but they can never take away your truth,” not every woman has the ability to reference their sexuality so casually. Balancing virginity and sexuality proves difficult to many women, and as a result many women are ostracized because of their choices. In Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tess serves to show a woman’s sexual history does not necessarily prove detrimental to a woman’s life. Early in the novel, Hardy establishes Tess’ deteriorating social value by frequently referring to affair with Alec as the “disastrous night of [Tess’] undoing” (Hardy 100). While Tess was physically being undone, a piece of her sanity and a large portion of her reputation was being undone as well. Tess’ loss of physical purity serves as a milestone in Tess’ life, for after that night “almost at a leap Tess thus changed from a simple girl to complex …show more content…
Noting “Tess felt the pulse of hopeful life within her,” Hardy suggests the possibility of survival after a traumatic sexual event because of Tess’ will to live despite her deteriorating value to society and her inability to field a stable relationship;(101). Tess can surmount her sexual encounter because experience leads Tess to “find out a short way by a long wandering”(100). Hardy implies in learning from her experiences, Tess has the potential to live a happy and fulfilled life. The “unexpended youth, surging up anew after its temporary check, and bringing with it hope, and the invincible instinct towards self-delight” accompanying Tess’ post traumatic disposition imply a woman can overcome her sexual