Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy provides social commentary on many issues prevalent in Victorian society. In particular, Hardy uses Tess's submission to her parents, Alec d'Urberville, Angel Clare, and society as a whole to examine the sexual double standard prevalent in Victorian society. Tess is a strong character, who has endured many hardships in her life; however, this double standard spells doom for Tess as the society she lives in prevents her from successfully rising above her oppressors. Hardy also uses Tess' subjugation and subsequent destruction to parallel other aspects of the society he criticizes, such as the downfall of the rural society that Tess represents. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Tess's primary source of oppression is her parents, John and Joan Durbeyfield, who dream of moving beyond their status as working-class individuals to create an easier life for themselves. The opportunity to receive financial assistance from the aristocratic d'Urberville family sets Tess's destiny in motion. Blinded by their greed, John and Joan send their daughter to marry into the d'Urberville family without a second thought. After her meeting with Alec, Tess returns home only to be scolded by her family for allowing herself to be seduced by the d'Urbervilles. The hypocrisy of the Durbeyfield family's response causes Tess to exclaim, “Why didn't you tell me there is danger in men? Why didn't you warn me? Women know what to defend themselves against because they read novels that tell them about these tricks; but I never had the chance to learn this way, and you didn't help me!” (82). This cry for help is useless. When Tess returns home again after separating from Angel, her parents react angrily, seeing the humiliation Tess has caused them. The Durbeyfields place their daughter's needs far below their own, keeping her submissive by exploiting her whenever she can offer them something and otherwise ignoring her. The second and most important force keeping Tess subdued is Alec d'Urberville. Beginning with her rape, Alec provides the physical and mental oppression of Tess. With his reappearance in Phase Six Alec continues this oppression by blaming Tess for what happened in the woods and making her swear never to seduce him again. When Alec questions Tess about her religious views, he quickly dismisses her answer as her husband's opinion. In these conversations, Alec abuses his position as a man by relying on the subordinate position of women in society as a means of treating Tess poorly. This trend intensifies in the next chapter when Alec's language towards Tess becomes increasingly harsh and he shouts: “Remember, my lady, I was your master once! I will be your master again” (336). The reference to Tess as a slave solidifies her position as subordinate to Alec and all other men. It is also at this point that Tess herself admits her subservience to society by stating, "Once a victim, always a victim: that's the law!" (336). Through the power of Alec's dominant male persona, Tess subdues and accepts her place in society as a victim. Even after his sexual conquest of Tess is complete, Alec abuses his power, treating Tess as a possession rather than a human being. Unlike the Durbeyfields and Alec, Angel Clare plays a much more indirect role in Tess' subjugation. Until their separation, Angel is one of the few positive influences on Tess in the entire novel. Even after Tess told him about herspast, Angel tries not to hurt her. Although his inflexible morals and desertion to Brazil may cause Tess more hardship than any other single event, Angel's actions never lead to the heroine's subjugation. However, Tess's relationship with Angel provides important insight into how other parties, as well as the social beliefs of the time, transformed her into a character subservient to any authority she might encounter. This concept is illustrated when Angel sleepwalks while carrying Tess across a river and placing her in an empty coffin. Even though Angel's actions place both him and Tess in grave danger as they cross the river, Tess is completely subservient to her husband. This unconditional submission provides further evidence that Tess is an irreproachable character and that her tragedy is representative of all women of the time. Based on her position in society as a woman, there seems to be little Tess can do to avoid submitting to men. The double standard used to judge men and women at the time gives Tess no chance to overcome the oppression that rules her life. This idea is discussed by Mary Jacobus when she states: "A sustained campaign of rehabilitation makes Tess's case so blatant a case of double standards of sexual morality applied to men and women, and Tess herself is so blameless, that the tragedy of the ordinary becomes tragedy." of the exceptional blackening of both man and fate in the process. This accusation against men as the source of Tess's tragedy and the idea that Tess is blameless suggest that Tess's subjugation is used by Hardy to shed light on the woman's plight during the Victorian era. Hardy's greatest criticism of the subjugation of women is not the men, represented by John Durbeyfield, Alec d'Urberville, and Angel Clare, but the society that condones their actions. Through the conflict between Tess and the men in her life, Hardy discusses a wide variety of issues with Victorian society. In addition to his literal criticism of women's position in society, Hardy uses the conflict between Tess and the other characters to represent other issues of the time. This example is discussed in Lisa Alther's introduction to the novel, stating that "Tess's life is one of endless toil, and no other novelist writes so convincingly about the grueling demands of farm work... Tess's violation by of Alec parallels the violation of the rights of his region." secular lifestyle by city industrialists, who were introducing mechanized agriculture (like the thresher that Tess powers in Flintcomb-Ash), purchasing family farms, and transforming agriculture.” Tess's submission to Alec represents not only the sexual double standard of the era, but more figuratively the fall of family farms and the rise of the industrial revolution. Hardy suggests that, just as it is impossible for Tess to avoid Alec's advances, rural agriculture cannot survive with the advance of mechanization. The appearance of the thresher in the field after Alec tells Tess that he will be her master again suggests that, like Tess, the land is subjugated to this new form of agriculture. Although generally submissive, there are points in the novel where Tess struggles against her oppressors. Tess's strength contradicts the role expected of women of the time. The baptism of Sorrow is the first evidence of Tess's rejection of social norms. Tess rejects the idea that she and her baby are marginalized with this symbolic act. With her anti-society stance, Hardy describes Tess: "Her figure seemed singularly tall and imposing as she wore her long, 1999