Tess of the d’Urbervilles

by Thomas Hardy

Aims: -to assess the benefits of the whole film approach

-to provide an opportunity for the Ss to make predictions, develop the skills of listening for specific information and identify extended contexts

-to provide an opportunity for group work and critical thinking

- to develop moral character features and values such as empathy, respect, integrity, non- discrimination – with the help of literature

Activity 1 : Brainstorming

(to assess the benefits of the whole movie approach)

Answer the following questions:

1.What have you learned from the movie “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” ?

2.What is your favourite scene from the movie“Tess of the d’Urbervilles” ?

Activity 2 : Speaking and ListeningA. Predict the two missing words in each of the sentences below:1."I'm ------------of that. Will it do us any good, -----------------?"2."'Tis all my doing , all mine!" the girl cried, gazing at the spectacle. "No excuse for me-none. What will ----------------and ----------------- live on now?3. "I shouldn't care to do that," says Tess. "If there is such a ----------- ----, 'twould be enough for us if she were friendly , not to expect her to give us -----." 4. "I didn't ---------------- you ever sent them -------------------!" she murmured, much moved. "I almost wish you had not--yes, I almost wish it!"5. "Then I don't ------ you!" she burst out, "and I'll never come to your-------no more!"6. "O yes, yes! And I would rather be yours than anybody's in the--------," returned the sweet and honest voice of the distressed girl. "But I CANNOT--- -you!" 7. "It cannot. O no, it cannot!" She jumped up joyfully at the hope. "No, it cannot be more --------------,certainly," she cried, "because 'tis just the ----------! I will tell you now." 8."I waited and waited for you," she went on, her tones suddenly resuming their old fluty pathos. "But you did not come! And I ------------------to you, and you did not come! He kept on saying you would never come any more, and that I was a foolish woman. He was very kind to me, and to mother, and to all of us after -----------------------'s death."

Activity 2 : Listening and Speaking

B. Listen to the eight fragments, check your predictions and identify the extended contexts in the novel for each fragment, taking into account the following:- the setting- the characters- the plot sequence

Activity 3 : Group –work

- to practise making assumptions, giving advice, expressing opinions

Work in groups of 4/5 to discuss 8 episodes/ influeces in the life of the main character. (Timing : 5 mins)

When you complete the tasks, a spokesperson from each group will have 2 minutes to introduce your answers to the class.

Group 1:Tess is a simple country girl who had a basiceducation growing up, but had little exposure to theworld outside Marlott. She is unschooled “in theways of the world” and therefore unable to protectherself. Tess scolds her mother for not telling her thetruth about a less-than-kind world: “Why didn’t youtell me there was danger in men-folk?” Would her life have been different if she had had

some life experience? Was her innocence or her ignorance the cause of

her fall? Do children nowadays have more life skills?

Group 2:

Tess is attractive to all men, and even her attemptsto change her appearance are not enough to hide hernatural beauty.

Would things have been different if she hadn’t been so beautiful?

In her case, was beauty a blessing or a curse? What about today? (Do you know/ have anyprejudices about beautiful women?)

Group 3:

Tess realizes that she and her family are in an evenworse situation when Prince - the family horse- iskilled, she accepts blame for its death and she mustgo to the Stoke-d’Urbervilles for financial recovery.

Do you think she was guilty? Why? Why not? How should her parents get over their financial

difficulties? What would happen today if a child did something

similar?

Group 4:Tess is seduced by Alec d’Urberville, returns homeruined and bears a child. She baptizes her childherself as her father prohibits her to go to the localparson.Her infant, dies only a couple of days after itis born. She doesn’t tell Alec about the child.

Are public opinion and public acceptance soimportant? Should Alec have been informed about thepregnancy or later about Sorrow’s birth? Why? Whynot? What would you have done in her situation?

Group 5 :

Tess leaves home three times in her life to “test the

waters of the world” outside her village.

Were these good decisions? Why? Why not? Is it better to look for happiness far away from

where you are born? Should she have considered the saying: ”Bloom

where you are planted!”

Group 6 :

Tess makes several attempts to rectify her“mistakes”, among which her refusal to ask Angel’sparents for money during Angel’s stay in Brazil.

Did her dignity and/or pride make her Alec’svictim again? Was being an independent woman an impossibledream in those times? What would you have done in her place after Angel’s leaving?

Group 7:

Tess has a great willingness to undergo great pains in

order to make her family’s life better.

Should she have refused to leave home and work

at such a young age? Should she have ojected to Alec’s financial aid? Would you sacrifice yourself for the sake of your

siblings?

Group 8:

Tess falls in love with Angel, refuses his marriageproposals for quite a while trying to find a way to tell himabout her past with Alec d'Urberville. She confesses her pastmistake only to find out that the way he feels about her haschanged completely.

Why does he change his opinion about/ feelings for her? Should she have hidden her past indiscretion from him?Why? Why not? Do you think the mistakes of the past are relevant in thepresent? Why? Why not?

Activity 4: Role play

to illustrate and discuss the double standard

A. Working in pairs, try to re-create the scene

after Tess confesses her past mistake to Angel.

Activity 4: Role play

to illustrate and discuss the double standard

B. Now exchange roles/ imagine a modern version

of the same episode.

HomeworkImagine a

different ending to the novel using

no more than 150 words.

`In the name of our love, forgive me!' she whispered with a dry mouth. `I have forgiven youfor the same!' And, as he did not answer, she said again-- `Forgive me as you are forgiven! I forgive you,Angel.' `You - yes, you do.' `But you do not forgive me?' `O Tess, forgiveness does not apply to the case! You were one person; now you are another.He paused; then suddenly broke into horrible laughter - as unnatural and ghastly as alaugh in hell. `Don't - don't! It kills me quite, that!' she shrieked. `O have mercy upon me - have mercy!' He did not answer; and, sickly white, she jumped up. `Angel, Angel! what do you mean by that laugh?' she cried out. `Do you know what this is to me?' He shook his head. `I have been hoping, longing, praying, to make you happy! I have thought what joy it will beto do it, what an unworthy wife I shall be if I do not! That's what I have felt, Angel!' `I know that.' `I thought, Angel, that you loved me - me, my very self! If it is I you do love, O how can it bethat you look and speak so? It frightens me! Having begun to love you, I love you for ever –in all changes, in all disgraces, because you are yourself. I ask no more. Then how can you,O, my own husband, stop loving me?' `I repeat, the woman I have been loving is not you .' `But who?' `Another woman in your shape.'

Additional info : Chapter 35 – ” The Woman Pays ”