Coincedences Lead To Consequences

6 Pages 1484 Words

Coincidences Lead to Consequences
When people’s lives are determined by a “greater power” and the belief that the order of things is already decided is called fate. Some people, called fatalists, believe in this and that they have no power in determining their futures. Despite this, others believe that coincidence is the only explanation for the way their lives and others turn out. Thomas Hardy portrays chance and coincidence as having very significant roles in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Three such coincidences were quite influential and had large effects on Tess’ future. The first was that Tess Durbeyfield’s father discovered that their family came from one of the oldest, and (at one time) one of the wealthiest families in England. Another event that takes place by mere chance in Tess’ life is when Tess slips a letter of confession underneath both her lover’s door and (by accident) his carpet, where he could not see it. The final coincidence would be the death of Tess’ father, which not only leaves Tess in a state of deprivation, but also the rest of her family including her mother and six siblings. All of these coincidences had consequences that would change Tess’ life.
For the first sixteen years of her life, Tess Durbeyfield and her family lived in a middle-class situation in the town of Marlott. Since her father was a life holder of the cottage in which they lived, he out ranked the farm laborers. However, John Durbeyfield is not in good health when we meet him and he does not show much interest in working, and instead spends his time drinking. Upon returning home one evening, John meets a man named Parson Tringham who tells him that the Durbeyfield family is the “lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the d’ Urbervilles, who… came from Normandy with William the Conqueror” (Hardy 18). This news suddenly changes John Durbeyfield’s view on his family’s lifestyle and...