[Hardy-l] Tess and Alec

[sheskijoan at hotmail.com]

I think Art's approach is an important one, especially with regard to suspending judgment about, not only the event in the Chase, but also the complexity of Tess and Alec's relationship, and above all, Tess herself.  He indicates that Hardy, by omitting conclusive details, is asking us to sustain the tension of unknowing, perhaps so that we will consider more deeply the personal and societal dimensions motivating and restraining Tess.  

Another aspect of his work asks us to identify emotionally with Tess as well as other characters.  I agree with Art about the validity of this process.  Art, I hope you'll post some excerpts about the Chase from your book, so that everyone can benefit from reading them.  I, along with Keith and some others, did not watch the latest visual effort to portray this novel.  There is much layered imagery and information in TH's words to engage my attention on intellectual, philosophic, and emotional terms; I find film portrayals impoverish and reduce these complexities to conclusive banalities.  

To assign carnal innocence or knowledge, to decide whether Tess is child or woman, to assume she either acts independently or not...all such conclusions miss the mark, I believe.  Perhaps Tess, like each of us, contains all these dichotomies.  If we can allow for such contradictions, we can begin to delve more deeply into why this particular woman, this character, means so much to us.  

Joan Sheski

      

> Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 21:02:38 -0500
> From: efron at buffalo.edu
> To: hardy-l at coyote.csusm.edu; efron at buffalo.edu
> CC: 
> Subject: [Hardy-l] Tess and Alec 
> 
> Evidently there still is much disagreement over the passage in the novel 
> that tells about what happened been Tess and Alec in the Chase without 
> telling what happened between Tess and Alec in the Chase. I am impressed 
> once again with  the sincere interest of  the  many readers trying to 
> understand  this passage. It is interest and effort centered on 
> something that matters.
> 
> In my book on  Hardy's novel, I take a different approach to the problem 
> than any I have seen elsewhere. It is not a problem susceptible to 
> simplification. I find no mention of my effort in the many messages I 
> have been reading this past week on this list. Not surprisingly, I 
> believe I made a contribution to understanding. Regardless of whether 
> anyone might concur with what I wrote, may I ask if  anyone here knows 
> about the approach I took?
> 
> This is simply a question.
> 
> --Art Efron
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> 
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