It seems that in the later portion of the novel, Angel and Alec exchange roles. Regardless of this trend, one must recognize the fact that both men add to the turmoil and heart-brake in her life and push her to make decisions that will result in her demise. .
Initially, Alec is clearly Tess's antagonist. Alec robs Tess of her youth and idealism in the act of raping her, followed by a chain of events set off by his actions. The naive Tess, with child, sets off for home. She must go to work to support her family and baby, whom, soon after, grows sick and dies. Alec later insinuates that Tess's home setting was not good enough for his child and that it was the cause of the little one's illness. Hardy adds even more guilt (Herman 76) and confusion to Tess's life that she finds hard to handle when confronted with this "monster" from her past. Alec, the "monster" is bluntly contrasted with Tess's "savior" Angel. In the beginning, Angel seems to be a part of the novel exclusively to end Tess's suffering. Their meeting of fate, as the novel opens, and then later, seem to make the reader believe that the two were meant for each other. She does fall deep in love with Angel despite her loathing surrounding men. With several life lessons learned from her tragic encounter with Alec, Tess is reluctant to fall truly give of herself to Angel, but she realizes to give herself up, is to receive love. Angel shows her that love is not something forced or stolen. .
As love is should not be forceful, marriage should not be considered a burden or an obligation. Marriages should be based on total trust and "togetherness," and without this, marriage cannot last. (Gottman 85) It is about knowing the good as well as the bad, the thrills and joys versus the pain and sadness. But, knowing Hardy's belief of fate allows a reader to quickly realize the story's outcome. Tess's trails inevitably are lost and she will be ruined.