[hardy-l] Tess as Alec's mistress and Joan's complicity with Alec

[David B. Cornelius]

I believe that Jane has summed up the situation between Joan and Tess 
well. Joan is thinking with the practicality of a country wife of an 
indigent tranter with a large family to care for. Tess, on the other 
hand has the ‘benefit’ of a Victorian ‘romantic’ education and looks to 
marry for love. Neither fully understands the other’s point of view. It 
is also interesting to read Jane’s mention of the folk song. I have 
always wondered if Hardy were again ironically tantalising the reader 
with another folk song, “The Foggy, Foggy Dew”, when he brought down the 
mist in the seduction scene [I trust that I don’t rekindle that debate 
that always tends to create more heat than light].
David Cornelius