Landscape Imagery, Tess Of The Durbyvilles

4 Pages 1051 Words

In the novel, Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, the author uses landscape imagery to convey the message that nature is not the Eden that many believe it is. Nature is not only a perfect place that causes humans to spiritually feel goodness and peace, but in fact, has a dual characteristic of causing humans to also feel pain and suffering. By using descriptions of Tess, the Dairymaids and Angel Clare in The Rally and The Consequence sections, Hardy is able to express the idea that besides producing delight and joy, nature can also causes suffering subjugation in humans.
Through descriptions of Tess, the suggestion that she is tormented by the control over her by nature is revealed and the idea that nature has the dual characteristic of causing tranquility but also suffering subjugation is expressed. Nature is an element that humans cannot control, throughout the book, Hardy makes statements that implies Tess is a part of nature, she is described as the “daughter of the soil” and also the “fresh and virginal daughter of nature.” With the implication that Tess is a daughter of the elements, it is suggested that Tess’ life is also an element in which humans or even herself cannot control. She is the daughter if nature, there for nature is the mother and has the controlling hand over Tess. Much like the way nature has the control over Tess, nature also has control over Tess’ relationship with Clare. Their relationship is described as “converging under an irresistible law, as surely as two streams in one vale.” The words “irresistible law” implicates that Tess and Clare’s union was caused by the uncontrollable law of nature, in which there is never a possibility that they could deny their union. There for Tess and Clare’s relationship is also controlled by mother nature and not themselves. Through these examples that both Tess herself and Tess and Clare’s relationship are uncontrolled by themselves but ...