Purity in the Aby

Reading 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles', I feel a sense of melancholy in my heart. Tess was originally a simple and virtuous peasant girl, but she was pushed step by step into the abyss by poor families, hypocritical nobles, and cruel secular ethics. The stain of losing her virginity and the betrayal of her lover led her to despair and ultimately to destruction. Hardy referred to her as a 'pure woman', which is the most powerful indictment of that era of moral rigidity. Tess's tragedy is never a personal fault, but the bitter fruit of prejudice and injustice, which is heartbreaking to read.