Hmm. Well, Tess doesn't exist apart from her culture, so of course she couldn't shrug off feelings of guilt, but she does move on with her life - taking her baby to the fields with her, moving away from the sad memories of home to find a job after it died, and being extremely happy at her new home both before and after she fell in love with Angel Clare. Of course, then the guilt returned, but I think it would have been incredibly OOC for any 'pure woman', as he subtitled the book, not to feel guilty in that culture about the idea of marrying a man who loved her and thought she was a virgin. I think we're meant to want to reassure Tess that she needn't feel guilty. Then Angel rejects her (which he later regrets) and she feels judged by him, and there I think we're certainly supposed to blame him for her self-loathing and unhappiness.
Hardy doesn't flinch from unhappiness, it's true. I adore his writing, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to read Jude the Obscure again, because it's just. that. depressing. on every. single. count. But he can also write joy and peace, and Far From the Madding Crowd has a happy ending.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-03-07 05:51 pm (UTC)Hardy doesn't flinch from unhappiness, it's true. I adore his writing, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to read Jude the Obscure again, because it's just. that. depressing. on every. single. count. But he can also write joy and peace, and Far From the Madding Crowd has a happy ending.