Name: Tess of the d’Urbervilles
Author: Thomas Hardy

How you explore Tess of the d’Urbervilles on Literah

The cast, the places, the objects, the plot, and the author’s own words — each one a card in a feed you scroll on your phone. One at a time, at your pace, in any order you like.

Built for your phone. Literah is designed for mobile, so your worlds travel with you. On a laptop it shows a QR code to carry the world to your phone.
A feed, not a wall of text. 23 characters, 17 places, 15 objects and 18 plot beats, each its own card with its own illustration.
The author’s own words. 52 passages of Tess of the d’Urbervilles sit in the feed verbatim, exactly as Thomas Hardy wrote them, each with a short reading of what it is doing. The map is ours; the prose is always the book’s.
The same scroll, a better world. The gesture you already give away to feeds, spent on Thomas Hardy instead.

9:41

The Cast

Tess Durbeyfield

Main · Durbeyfield family

A young country woman whose goodness is repeatedly misread by the world around her.

Locations

Marlott and the Vale of Blackmoor

village and valley

A sheltered green valley where Tess is still one village girl among many.

Passage

A sudden claim to nobility turns vanity into a test of belief and obedience.

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The Author’s Pen

Sir John Durberfield

The lath-like stripling frowned. “Who be you, then, John Durbeyfield, to order me about and call me ‘boy’? You know my name as well as I know yours!”

“Do you, do you? That’s the secret—that’s the secret! Now obey my orders, and take the message I’m going to charge ’ee wi’... Well, Fred, I don’t mind telling you that the secret is that I’m one of a noble race—it has been just found out by me this present afternoon, p.m.” And as he made the announcement, Durbeyfield, declining from his sitting position, luxuriously stretched himself out upon the bank among the daisies.

The lad stood before Durbeyfield, and contemplated his length from crown to toe.

“Sir John d’Urberville—that’s who I am,” continued the prostrate man. “That is if knights were baronets—which they be. ’Tis recorded in history all about me.

Reading

John Durbeyfield celebrates his noble blood by lying down in the dirt. He has just been told by a passing parson that he descends from the ancient d'Urbervilles, and his immediate response is to sprawl among the daisies and issue orders to a boy on the road. A man who claims a knight's title cannot even hold himself upright to claim it. His grandeur exists only in his own mouth, and Hardy lets us see, before Tess ever appears, that her father's discovery will be a source of foolishness rather than fortune.

World Index

The Plot

The Blighted NameThe Club-WalkingPrince's DeathSent to Claim KinAlec's PursuitThe ChaseSorrow and ReturnTalbothays and RebirthAngel and Tess Grow NearThe ProposalThe Confession UnreadWedding Night TruthAngel LeavesFlintcomb-AshAlec ReturnsEviction and SurrenderKingsbere and the KillStonehenge and the Flag

The Cast

Tess DurbeyfieldAlec d’UrbervilleAngel ClareJoan DurbeyfieldJohn Durbeyfield’Liza-Lu DurbeyfieldAbraham DurbeyfieldSorrowMarianIzz HuettRetty PriddleReverend ClareParson TringhamMrs d’UrbervilleFarmer GrobyFelix ClareCuthbert ClareDairyman CrickMrs CrickCar DarchNancy DarchMercy ChantYounger Durbeyfield children

Locations

Club-walking field at MarlottCross-in-HandDurbeyfield cottageEmminster VicarageFlintcomb-AshFlooded lane to MellstockKingsbereMarlott and the Vale of BlackmoorMarlott churchyardRoad to CasterbridgeSandbourneStonehengeTalbothays DairyThe ChaseTrantridgeWellbridgeWintoncester

Objects of Note

Alec’s horseAngel’s harpCross-in-Hand stoneMarian and Izz’s warning letterPrince the horseSorrow’s baptismal water and prayer bookTess’s confession letterTess’s later letters to AngelTess’s white dress and red ribbonThe beehivesThe black flagThe carving-knifeThe d’Urberville nameThe threshing-machineThe wedding diamonds

Core Concepts

Beauty without SafetyFemale Solidarity and WitnessLove, Idealization, and TruthMoral Worth versus Social JudgmentNames, Lineage, and Empty InheritancePoverty, Accident, and DestinyReligion without MercyThe Sexual Double Standard

The Author's Pen

The Vale of BlackmoorThe Red Ribbon and DurbeyfieldThe Unchosen TessA Blighted OnePrince Is KilledClaiming Kin for HelpThe Vale Was Her WorldTess and the Younger BranchTess Uneasy Beside AlecTess Meets Mr d’UrbervilleThe Dairymaid TessA Stranger in HarvestLost In The ChaseWhere Was Her Guardian AngelI Never CanBaptizing SorrowA Little Cross and FlowersThe Children Over the HillFrom Simple Girl to Complex WomanExperience Too LateTess Leaves Home AgainThe Gentleman BornWaves of Colour and SoundAnother Year’s InstalmentThey Could Not Help ItAngel Clare AppearsWaxing Fervour of PassionNo Longer CoyTess Beneath the Engine LightYour Heart and HandA Wedding Present For TessThe Essence Had ChangedForgive Me As ForgivenTess Offers ObedienceYou Little FoolNobody Could Love MoreBetween the Brown and White FacesOvertaking Mercy ChantThe Oath on the CrossThe Red TyrantThe Face of D’UrbervilleThe Durbeyfields Must GoRoofless ExposureA Warning to ClareArrival at KingsbereSearching for Mrs ClareToo Late for AngelThe Gentleman In Bed Is DeadThe Humming Stone StructureTess Is TakenThe Black Flag

Plot point 01

The Blighted Name

A poor haggler learns he descends from knights, and the news will cost his daughter everything.

Objects of Note

The d’Urberville name

A great old name that promises rescue and hands Tess her ruin instead.

The Cast

Alec d’Urberville

Main · Stoke-d’Urberville household

A wealthy false kinsman whose pursuit of Tess changes names, costumes, and language but not its pressure.

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Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy

The cast, locations, objects of note, core concepts, and selected passages in the Author’s Pen - at your own pace.

One of 128 classics in the Literah library

The Tess of the d’Urbervilles feed, as it appears in your mobile

The plot of Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The story beat by beat, as Literah maps it.

The Blighted Name
The Club-Walking
Prince's Death
Sent to Claim Kin
Alec's Pursuit
The Chase
Sorrow and Return
Talbothays and Rebirth
Angel and Tess Grow Near
The Proposal

The author's pen in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The passages themselves, Thomas Hardy's own words, as Literah maps it.

Sir John Durberfieldch. 1
The Vale of Blackmoorch. 2
The Red Ribbon and Durbeyfieldch. 2
The Unchosen Tessch. 2
A Blighted Onech. 4
Prince Is Killedch. 4
Claiming Kin for Helpch. 5
The Vale Was Her Worldch. 5
Tess and the Younger Branchch. 6
Tess Uneasy Beside Alecch. 8
Tess Meets Mr d’Urbervillech. 8
The Dairymaid Tessch. 8
A Stranger in Harvestch. 10
Lost In The Chasech. 11
Where Was Her Guardian Angelch. 11
I Never Canch. 12
Baptizing Sorrowch. 14
A Little Cross and Flowersch. 14
The Children Over the Hillch. 14
From Simple Girl to Complex Womanch. 15

The characters of Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Who is who, as Literah maps it.

Tess Durbeyfieldmajor
Alec d’Urbervillemajor
Angel Claremajor
Joan Durbeyfieldmajor
John Durbeyfieldmajor
’Liza-Lu Durbeyfieldmajor
Abraham Durbeyfieldsupporting
Sorrowsupporting
Mariansupporting
Izz Huettsupporting
Retty Priddlesupporting
Reverend Claresupporting
Parson Tringhamsupporting
Mrs d’Urbervillesupporting
Farmer Grobysupporting
Felix Clareminor

The locations in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Where it happens, as Literah maps it.

Marlott and the Vale of Blackmoorvillage and valley
Club-walking field at Marlottmeadow
Durbeyfield cottagecottage
Road to Casterbridgeroad
Trantridgeestate village
The Chasewood
Marlott churchyardchurchyard
Talbothays Dairydairy farm
Flooded lane to Mellstocklane
Emminster Vicaragevicarage
Wellbridgemill and lodging
Flintcomb-Ashfarm
Cross-in-Handroadside stone
Kingsberetown and ancestral burial place

The core concepts in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

What the book keeps returning to, as Literah maps it.

Moral Worth versus Social Judgment
Names, Lineage, and Empty Inheritance
Beauty without Safety
Love, Idealization, and Truth
The Sexual Double Standard
Poverty, Accident, and Destiny
Religion without Mercy
Female Solidarity and Witness

The objects of note in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The things that carry meaning, as Literah maps it.

The d’Urberville name
Prince the horse
The beehives
Tess’s white dress and red ribbon
Alec’s horse
Sorrow’s baptismal water and prayer book
Angel’s harp
Tess’s confession letter
The wedding diamonds
Tess’s later letters to Angel
Marian and Izz’s warning letter
The threshing-machine
Cross-in-Hand stone
The carving-knife

The offer

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How you explore Tess of the d’Urbervilles on Literah

The plot of Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The author's pen in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The characters of Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The locations in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The core concepts in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

The objects of note in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Explore Tess of the d’Urbervilles. And 127 more.

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