Chapter 3
Synopsis of chapter 3
The dancing continues late into the evening but Tess is concerned about her father and returns home early. The narrative describes the house and Tess's rather chaotic family, especially her mother, Joan. Mother and daughter share good looks, but are the opposite in terms of responsibility. Mother is happy-go-lucky; Tess, as the eldest child, feels the weight of the family. Including Tess, there are seven children, the youngest a baby of twelve months.
Meanwhile, Tess's father, Jack, has gone off to the local pub, having told her mother the ‘good news' about the family origins. Joan goes off to help him celebrate. Tess is mindful her father has to set off at 1 a.m. the next day to deliver some goods to the market. So she sends her younger brother, Abraham, to get their parents. When he does not return either, she sets out herself to find them.
Commentary on chapter 3
‘the soft torments....': an untraced quotation
‘The Spotted Cow': a folksong, wherein a man offers to help a girl find a cow, but ends up making love to her in a wood (significant in the light of future events in the novel). Hardy was part of a folk band and knew many of these songs by heart himself, just as Joan does.
therefore unknightly, unhistorical: as Tess has inherited her good looks from her mother, rather than her father, Hardy is ironically suggesting the ancestral inheritance of a name is nothing compared to good genes.
The sixth standard in the National School: The narrative is set before the Education Act of 1870, so schools were run by voluntary societies with state subsidies. The sixth standard would have been the exam taken by the highest year in most village schools. The National Schools were those run by the Church of England. This village school was run by a teacher trained at one of the London Training Colleges, and hence was reasonably well-taught. Hardy is trying to show Tess was both as educated as any village girl could expect to be, and apt to learn.
Oliver Grumble, Saint Charles: Hardy is making fun of the information Jack Durbeyfield received in Ch.1. The malapropism is a typical comic device, used by Shakespeare in many of his comedies.
The whole pedigree of the matter: in fact, Parson Trimble told Jack the family were extinct as such. Both Joan and Jack, tragically, forget this.
Consumption: T.B. or tuberculosis, a common nineteenth century disease. The comic treatment of disease again emphasises the Durbeyfields' carefree attitude to life.
Complete Fortune Teller: This, rather than the Bible, is obviously the family's holy book, residing in the outhouse (toilet). Such books were still popular in Victorian times.
The Revised Code: from 1862 the Government tried to establish a common curriculum for primary schools, similar to the national testing done today. Schools were paid subsidies according to how well their students fared in the annual examinations based on this national syllabus or code.
Jacobean and Victorian: The reigns of James I (1603-25) and Victoria (1837-1901): as Hardy says, a gap of 200 years.
‘Nature's holy plan': the poet is the Romantic poet, William Wordsworth. The line is taken from his poem ‘Lines Written in Early Spring' (1798).
one-handed clocks: These were still in use in country areas. Hardy suggests that time moves slowly and approximate times are all that is needed. In any case, parish churches typically had a clock that struck the quarter hours.
Place
The first two chapters were outdoors. This chapter follows Tess indoors. The cottage is not the poorest, but is disorganised. Monday was the traditional washing day, but Monday's washing is still lying around at the end of the week.
The cottage has a stone floor and is lit by one candle only; the toilet is in an outhouse. This would be typical of a village dwelling.
Themes
Tess is contrasted with her parents, especially in terms of responsibility and organisation.
The theme of ‘prodigal parents' is typical of Victorian novels. Dickens makes use of it frequently, as in David Copperfield and Little Dorrit. Hardy deliberately reverses Jesus' parable of The Prodigal Son in the Bible (Luke 15:11-32), as the parents are wasting the family's money, rather than the children.
Vocabulary
Much of Joan's speech is dialect, as opposed to Tess's.
appurtenances: additions, accessories
concretions: something put into concrete form (opposite of abstractions)
diment: diamond
diurnal: daily
'ee: thee, the usual familiar term for you.
fess: proud
fetishistic: a fetish is some object that is feared because it is believed to have a sacred power
gallopade: a lively dance (rhythm)
larry: light-hearted celebration
limed: trapped (from bird-catching)
mampus: crowd
mid: might
mommet: scarecrow
occidental: western
plim: to swell
pocketing: to repeatedly put something into a pocket
scutcheons: or escutcheons: coat-of-arms
vlee: one-horse carriage
Investigating chapter 3
Hardy focuses on the social dimensions of Tess's family.
- List some examples of the family responsibility and organisation Tess undertakes.
- Hardy stresses the use of dialect and received pronunciation in Tess's family.
- What points do you think he is making?
- How does the modern sit with the traditional in the chapter?
- Compare the folk-song at the beginning of the chapter and Hardy's reference to Wordsworth's poem at the end
- With which does he seem more sympathetic, and why?
- Think about the metaphor he uses of ‘the Durbeyfield ship'
- What is the force of the image?
- What further do we learn about Tess in this chapter?
- How does it complement what we learned from the previous chapter?
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. 3So he told them this parable: 4What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. 11And he said, There was a man who had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. 25Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound. 28But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29but he answered his father, Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him! 31And he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.
1Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 11And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
The first piece of government legislation which dealt specifically with the provision of schools in England and Wales.
The 'Established' or state church of England, the result of a break with the Catholic church under Henry VIII and further developments in the reign of Elizabeth I.
Selection of a word similar - but humourously incorrect - for the meaning intended
Name given to priest, usually those in charge of a parish.
The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament scriptures inherited from Judaism, together with the New Testament, drawn from writings produced from c.40-125CE, which describe the life of Jesus and the establishment of the Christian church.
In English Literature, it denotes a period between 1785-1830, when the previous classical or enlightenment traditions and values were overthrown, and a freer, more individual mode of writing emerged.
Main church within a parish.
The name given to the man believed by Christians to be the Son of God. Also given the title Christ, meaning 'anointed one' or Messiah. His life is recorded most fully in the Four Gospels.
In the Bible, the term given to stories that Jesus told as part of his teaching.
The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament scriptures inherited from Judaism, together with the New Testament, drawn from writings produced from c.40-125CE, which describe the life of Jesus and the establishment of the Christian church.
1. A regional form of a language with particular features of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. 2. A way of speaking characteristic of a particular group.
Often viewed as the standard form of English pronunciation, based on middle-class speech from southern England
An image or form of comparison where one thing is said actually to be another - e.g. 'fleecy clouds'.
