[Hardy-l] Apologies

[Rosemarie Morgan]

I would only question the word "mistakes."

"A man can sleep around, no questions asked, but if a woman makes nineteen 
or twenty mistakes she's a tramp." I've been bedazzled many a time but to 
put the act or the fellow into a category of "mistakes" seems callow to say 
the least. Hardy's word "folly" seems more honest given that when one is 
experiencing the act one might have mixed feelings of attraction and 
recklessness (folly)all at once, and surely many of us have shared Tess's 
own sense of bedazzlement commingled with fear and withdrawal, but it would 
be misrepresenting the case (if exculpatory?), I think, to categorise this 
lover with that lover and all other lovers as "mistakes."

Cheers,
Rosemarie

>all the best
>
>Carolyn McGrath
>