[Ttha-potm] Tess's Lament

[Rosemarie Morgan]

Yes-- but. I think there are a few "buts" here. First is that the Ist 
person narrator of "Tess 's Lament" need not necessarily  exonerate Angel. 
It could be entirely the opposite.: *this* Tess could go the other way and 
accuse him as forcibly as do his extra-textual critics -- 
surely?  ("J'Accuse")

Not a "but" (agreed,Keith) is that this is also Henchard's cry ("my life 
unbe") . Yes indeed. However, this is difficult and brings me back to its 
being (for Tess) either out of character or an enforced separation on the 
part of her impassioned poet-creator (or a mixture of both) 
--a  psychological alienation effect.. One surely never has the sense that 
Tess (in the novel) is quite as rash, headstrong, stubborn, proud, jealous 
and competitive as Henchard is?. Yes-- his overweening passions, being 
so  intensely governed by his emotions,  is troubling, disturbing and 
endearing all at once  -- and in a sense this is also Tess. But isn't she 
gravely compassionate (caring for her family and even for Alec in a soft, 
susceptible way), and wouldn't this compassion, this thoughtfulness and 
deeply caring part of her nature block any sense that she would ever have 
her "life unbe"?  Could the Tess we know (in the novel) ever inflict upon 
her family, upon Liza Lu or even upon Angel the terrible guilt and misery 
that Henchard inflicts upon Elizabeth-Jane?

      Yet - the Tess of the poem may indeed be capable of this infliction/

   I feel the Marty of Hardy's poem,. as you say, Keith, presents less of a 
disjunction -- or disaffiliation. I must take a closer look, though. Are 
there others we might include in this  strange convergence of twain and ilk?

Cheers.
Rosemarie

>The possible tonal distinction that Rosemarie notes between the Tess of 
>the novel and the Tess of the poem is very interesting on a number of counts.
>Best,
>
>Keith Wilson
>