Chapter 8

Synopsis of chapter 8

The viewpoint now shifts to Tess on the gig with Alec. He is in daredevil mood and drives as fast as possible down several steep hills. Tess is terrified and clutches on to him, pleading for him to go more slowly. Alec will only do so if he can kiss her. Tess wipes the kiss off her cheek, then lets her hat fly off.

When Alec stops the gig to let her pick it up, she refuses to re-mount, saying she will walk the six remaining miles to 'The Slopes'. She even considers turning round and abandoning the whole enterprise, but feels she has committed herself. Alec, at first annoyed by her resistance, now seems to like her even more for it.

Commentary on chapter 8

The opening of the chapter is a good example of Hardy's use of bird's-eye viewpoints. The colour symbolism of green and grey is significant, too. The main emphasis of the chapter, though, is the link between journeying and danger, already hinted at in Tess's first journey.

'protect me as my kinsman': a kinsman is a near relative. Traditionally, such a person would be the first person to call upon in times of need. The book of Ruth in the Bible is the subtext to show the role of kinsman (See Ruth 3:9-13). Ironically, Alec is in reality not a kinsman, and certainly feels no protectiveness towards Tess.

d'Urberville exhibited a sort of fierce distress... : Hardy is setting up a pattern of behaviour for Alec: attempts at mastery and recklessness followed by a sort of repentance. It is the quality of the repentance that needs to be examined as much as the pattern of mastery preceding it.

Place

Hardy is stressing the steep descents and Tess's feeling of danger, a clear example of his symbolic geography. Notice the name 'The Slopes' chimes in with words of steepness, such as acclivity and declivity.

Vocabulary

holmberry: holly berry

raillery: teasing mockery

vacillating: frequently changing one's mind

Investigating chapter 8

What could you see the bird's eye view at the beginning of the chapter as symbolising?
'It was my fate':
- Is it really 'fate' or is it Alec's character?
  - What does the whole chapter show us of Alec's character?
How does Hardy create a sense of danger for Tess?
Discuss the meaning of the sentence: 'This dressing her up so prettily by her mother had been to lamentable purpose'?
'hardly yet aware of her own modesty':
- How does Hardy's description stand in opposition to what Alec thinks of 'cottage girls'?
How physically possible is it to undo a kiss?
- How does this attempt anticipate other acts of Tess later on?
What is the implication behind Tess agreeing to ride with Alec, then refusing to?
- Is there an inner conflict, and if so, what exactly is it?
  - How does this situation anticipate future events?

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? ²Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. ³Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do. ⁵And she replied, All that you say I will do. ⁶So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. ⁷And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! ⁹He said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. ¹⁰And he said, May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. ¹²And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. ¹³Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning. ¹⁴So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. ¹⁵And he said, Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out. So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. ¹⁶And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, How did you fare, my daughter? Then she told her all that the man had done for her, ¹⁷saying, These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law. ¹⁸She replied, Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.

¹Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? ²And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. ³Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. ⁴And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. ⁵And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. ⁶And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. ⁷And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. ⁸And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. ⁹And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. ¹⁰And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. ¹²And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. ¹³Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning. ¹⁴And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. ¹⁵Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. ¹⁶And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. ¹⁷And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. ¹⁸Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

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Tess of the d'Urbervilles Contents