"Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented" is a novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891. The novel explores the life of Tess Durbeyfield, a young woman from a rural working-class family who is sent to claim kinship with the wealthy d'Urberville family. Tess's life is forever changed by this connection, leading to a series of tragic events. Hardy's work critiques the social mores of Victorian England, particularly concerning the themes of gender, religion, morality, and the injustices of the class system. Tess's story is one of innocence beset by societal and personal misfortune, and the novel is considered one of Hardy's masterpieces and a landmark in literary realism.
