[Hardy-l] Re: Thoughts on 'Tess'

[Charles.Anesi at wellsfargo.com]

>While I have tended to look upon Alec as Hardy's stereotyped 
>Victorian melodramatic villain, Hardy does give Alec greater 
>dimension in that having seduced her he genuinely wants to love and
'possess' her 

I agree.  Polanski's Alec reminded me of Snidley Whiplash.  It was nice
to see a believable Alec for a change.  Seems to me that Alec has gotten
a bad rap -- regardless of his motives, Alec did a lot more for Tess and
her family than Angel ever did.  

The thing that has always perplexed me about the novel and its
dramatizations is the innocence of Tess.  Farms girls (or just country
girls) ignorant of the facts of life are extremely rare or possibly
nonexistent, from my observations. This incongruity hit me again as I
heard Tess, in dialogue lifted directly from the novel, complain that
her mother failed to warn her of the perils of men-folk.  Seemed
preposterous.        


Chuck Anesi
charles.anesi at wellsfargo.com
office 480-575-3478
cell 612-940-3345
fax 480-575-3519
 
** These opinions are strictly my own and not necessarily those of Wells
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