Civil rights advocate Maya Angelou once said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.” These words are the epitome of the psychological trauma that haunts Tess Durbeyfield’s entire life in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Unable to ever shake her past, Tess remains a prisoner of her past, a victim of her own mind. In Hardy’s eye-opening novel, he proves that trauma has the capability of completely shattering its victim’s life. This is apparent as Tess suffers through an emotionally tolling upbringing, sexual assault, and ultimately acts out as a result of her unhealed wound. Tess’s emotional trauma starts at a young age
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After Alec repeatedly sexual harasses Tess, asserts his dominance over her, and tries to manipulate her, he finally gets his way and rapes her. The rape incident proves to be the epicenter of Tess’ psychological trauma throughout the novel. She says, “I wish I had never been born” (59). This is a reflection of her internal suffering due to her emotional trauma. At this point in the novel, Tess is severely depressed. “he saw before her a long and stony highway which she had to tread, without aid, and with little sympathy” (65) Tess feels as though her future is hopeless and fully understands the fate of her situation and absence of support she has. Critic Irving Howe writes, “She is a human life stretched and racked. . . . subjected to endless indignities, assaults and defeats . . . . what happens to her signifies what life too often becomes” (421). This is startling commentary about the ability that trauma has to essentially overtake its victim’s lives, specifically victims who are unable to heal. Tess, unable to heal from her rape, feels its repercussions for the rest of her …show more content…
All of her pent up emotions and thoughts, that have been the root of her psychological trauma for years, cause Tess to revert to a defense mechanism called acting out where she engages in an extreme action to relieve the pressure of her piled up emotions. Tess’s demeanor after the homicide indicates that she is not in a clear state of mind and is dissociated to the point where she is unrecognizable. Tess’ figure is described as “pale . . . . breathless . . . . quivering in every muscle . . . . ” (303) and she says, “I have done it – I don’t know how . . . . ” (303). Her sudden loss of memory from the incident indicates that Tess suffers from amnesia after the traumatic homicide that compounds all of the trauma that she endures throughout her life. Not long after the incident, Tess is executed for her crime. Readers grieve over the death of Tess rather than the death of Alec because Hardy paints Tess as the heroine of the story – one who is sacrificed by the disadvantages in society. In a review of the novel critic Gillian Beer writes, “it may be . . . . than those fit for their environment must be less perfect than those who go under . . . . “ (449-450). This indicates that Tess’ death is a reflection of the idea that the most genuinely valuable people in our society and figuratively or in Tess’ case, literally, killed by the disadvantages and
After Alec repeatedly sexual harasses Tess, asserts his dominance over her, and tries to manipulate her, he finally gets his way and rapes her. The rape incident proves to be the epicenter of Tess’ psychological trauma throughout the novel. She says, “I wish I had never been born” (59). This is a reflection of her internal suffering due to her emotional trauma. At this point in the novel, Tess is severely depressed. “he saw before her a long and stony highway which she had to tread, without aid, and with little sympathy” (65) Tess feels as though her future is hopeless and fully understands the fate of her situation and absence of support she has. Critic Irving Howe writes, “She is a human life stretched and racked. . . . subjected to endless indignities, assaults and defeats . . . . what happens to her signifies what life too often becomes” (421). This is startling commentary about the ability that trauma has to essentially overtake its victim’s lives, specifically victims who are unable to heal. Tess, unable to heal from her rape, feels its repercussions for the rest of her …show more content…
All of her pent up emotions and thoughts, that have been the root of her psychological trauma for years, cause Tess to revert to a defense mechanism called acting out where she engages in an extreme action to relieve the pressure of her piled up emotions. Tess’s demeanor after the homicide indicates that she is not in a clear state of mind and is dissociated to the point where she is unrecognizable. Tess’ figure is described as “pale . . . . breathless . . . . quivering in every muscle . . . . ” (303) and she says, “I have done it – I don’t know how . . . . ” (303). Her sudden loss of memory from the incident indicates that Tess suffers from amnesia after the traumatic homicide that compounds all of the trauma that she endures throughout her life. Not long after the incident, Tess is executed for her crime. Readers grieve over the death of Tess rather than the death of Alec because Hardy paints Tess as the heroine of the story – one who is sacrificed by the disadvantages in society. In a review of the novel critic Gillian Beer writes, “it may be . . . . than those fit for their environment must be less perfect than those who go under . . . . “ (449-450). This indicates that Tess’ death is a reflection of the idea that the most genuinely valuable people in our society and figuratively or in Tess’ case, literally, killed by the disadvantages and