The characters in ‘Tess of the D’Ubervilles’, especially Tess, are well-rounded three-dimensional characters (although towards the end of this novel Hardy appears to have grown sick of all the other characters but Tess). Tess is a powerful and beautiful heroine who through out the novel exhibits generosity, resourcefulness, endurance and vulnerability in everything that she does. An example of Tess’ generosity is how she always puts others first.

Even though Tess despised Alec she went back to him so that her brothers and sisters would be properly taken care of and provided for. Through out the novel Tess’ vulnerability and innocence is an attribute to her womanliness. It was these characteristics that first attracted the attentions of both Alec and Angel. Angel described Tess as ‘a rosy warming apparition, an exceedingly novel, fresh and interesting specimen of women kind’ (Pg. 186). Both Alec and Angel realize that Tess is unique straight away but even through all the distress she experiences it still doesn’t destroy the tenderness that she has for others. For instance when Angel leaves her, she still thinks of him as her husband and she refuses to say a bad word against him or let others bring his character into disrepute despite all the hardship that he puts her through. Alec and Angel are significantly changed by their times in Tess’ presence. In the middle of the novel Alec and Angel appear to swap roles with Angel becoming the cruel unforgiving man and Alec becoming the caring and sensitive man. Alec completely changes his behaviour after taking advantage of her, he becomes a Evangelist who travels around teaching others of his salvation, but unfortunately for Alec his lustful obsession with Tess forces him to give up his religious ways. Alec does become a nicer person by offering to take care of Tess’ brothers and sisters but it still doesn’t make up more all the pain and suffering that she went through because of him. Angel changes from a caring liberated man into a cruel,

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