[Hardy-l] Tess--What is Joan's fault?

[JoAnna Mink]

As I remember from classroom discussions of the novel (both as student and as teacher) the apparent paradox of how Tess could NOT know the basic facts of life, being a country girl to say nothing of probably having heard her parents having sex (think of the age difference between her and the baby).  But there's a difference between understanding the mechanics of copulation (human or animal) and what she seems to be chiding her mother about.  Hereon I limit my comments only to the tv film, since that's our topic.
 
When Tess upbraids her mother for not telling her about "men-folk" (I don't remember the exact phrase she uses but it pretty much paraphrases what's in the novel), I thought she meant how men could be seducers.  And I do NOT want to imply that I think Tess was seduced in The Chase; she was raped.  I'm talking about all the manipulations on Alec's part leading up to that day/evening--the strawberry episode, encouraging Tess to read the books in the library, stopping by her room/cottage by the hen house, the new dress, presents for her family, the various looks.  That's what Tess could not have had any experience about, either personally or by observation, and surely no village lad had the panache or glibness which Alec employs.
 
Cheers,
JoAnnaJoAnna S. MinkProfessor Emerita of English
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