I have sat for many nights trying to think how to approach this assignment. Looking for something new and individual but without lapsing into writing a literature essay. My attention then wandered to study more closely the life of Thomas Hardy as a man, rather than to scour his literary achievements, and whilst doing so, I began to realise that each of his novels played out a slight autobiographical account of his life.
             In fact, on further reading into Hardy's life, I discovered that he was a man who saw mass social changes such as the expansion of the British transport system, which consequently led to the industrial revolution, and the breakdown of religion as Darwin revealed his theory of evolution. These changes impacted greatly not only on the social classes but also on the writers and other artists during that time.
             To support my findings I will be closely examining the novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" whilst considering the motives behind the writing and the sacrifices made in order to be published.
             Let me begin by identifying the protagonist. Tess is a simple, but educated, peasant girl who is neither a virgin nor a whore, but both. Education is very important whilst identifying Tess, as the level of education was a device used to separate social classes. Tess being the exception to the rule as, although she comes from a working class background, she is well educated and therefore has two native tongues, her home dialect and the educated Sixth Standard English. She often acts in accordance with nature she is aware of restricting social conventions, and whilst herself being a victim she is also a murderess.
             If we now turn our attention to the reason why Hardy chose to use a female protagonist, we begin to get a sense of authorial manipulation. By this I mean that Hardy was aware that by using a woman, to whom these social discord's occurred to, that we, as the reader, would show more sympathy ...