The discovery of belonging to the noble clan of the D’Urbervilles alters John Duberfield’s air and dealings with his neighbors. Capitalizing on the newly found information, the patriarch of the economically deprived brood sends his eldest daughter Tess to make their existence known to their prestigious relations. John sees his aristocratic pedigree as an opportunity to gain respectability and social standing for himself as well as for his brood. At her parent’s urgings, the reluctant Tess goes to Trantridge to ask the D’Urbervilles Trantridge for money. From the start, her mission it is doomed to failure. The erstwhile relative, turn out to be bogus. The residents of Trantridge took on the name D’Urbervilles in order to hide of the origin of their wealth. She meets Alec, the son of the erstwhile D’urberville.a known womanizer. The young man is smitten by the simple country girls’ charms. Alex humors Tess and her
family into thinking that he has accepted them as kinsman and
offers Tess to work in their estate. Elated at the turn of events, they misconstrue his generosity towards their family. Their dreams of better circumstance are quickly dashed when Tess returns to their village and disillusioned. She had fallen victim to Alex’s seduction. A child aptly named Sorrow is born of this union. It dies during infancy Feeling ostracized by the villagers and to escape To escape the wagging tongues of the villagers, Tess leaves the village for a further place to start anew. At Talbothay Dairy, she works as a milkmaid. The
days at Talbothay dairy are idyll and she finds
love with the minister’s son, Angel Clare. He is thoughtful and open-minded. They fall in love and despite her concern about her past, Tess marries him. Confident of her husbands professed love and understanding, Tess confesses her past. Angel having put Tess on a pedestal reacts in disbelief. He reveals an unforgiving side to his nature. Tension arises between the newlyweds. Angel goes to Brazil to forget his disappointing marriage. Tess is left to survive by herself Tess hides their marital strain from her relatives. In the believe thatTess married a wealthy man, her family turns to her for their financial needs. Desperate and unhappy over her sad plight, Tess attempts to reconcile with Angel by writing him letters of supplication. Tess runs into Alec D’Urbervilles again, who had become a preacher. Alec becomes obsessed with trying to win her back. Upon hearing of her sad plight on his account, he tries to set things right. Alec offers to marry her. Tess refuses all of Alec’s advances in the hope to be reconciled with her husband someday. The death of John Duberfield leaves her siblings homeless and penniless.Alec persistence and the kindness he offers her family finally convinces Tess. Angel Claire’s unsuccessful stint in Brazil and the hardships he suffers brings him in a pensive mood. He reconsiders his decision to abandon his wife. Convince of the harshness of his action he returns to Tess.He finds her married to Alec d’Urbervilles and is deeply hurt. Fearful of having loss Angel forever.Tess stabs Alec in an act of desperation. Angel Claire and Tess reconcile after she murders d’Urbervilles. They share a brief romantic interlude. She persuades Angel to marry her sister whom she considers to be more worthy of her husband. When the authorities finally catch up with the lovers, Tess submits dozily with an air of resignation and accepts the punishment for her crime. Tess is executed a few days later. At which point Angel marries her younger sister
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