Masculinity In Tess

The most obvious theme of the novel is the way men dominate women, exercising authority over them connected mainly to their masculinity. Occasionally this command is decisive, in the man’s full understanding of his mistreatment, as when Alec admits how immoral he is for seducing Tess for his personal pleasure. Alec’s deed of abuse, the utmost life changing occurrence that Tess experiences, is obviously the most severe example of male dominance over a female. However there are more, examples of women’s unresponsiveness toward dominant men. Once Angel tells that he chooses Tess, Tess’s friend Retty attempts suicide and her friend Marian becomes an alcoholic, which makes their crush on Angel seem disturbing.