1 Tess of d’Urbervilles Angel Clare
1.1 Angel's struggle to reconcile his love for Tess
Angel is a character who is torn between his desires and his sense of morality. He struggles to reconcile his love for Tess with his belief in traditional moral values, which causes him to reject Tess when he learns about her past.
When Angel first meets Tess, he is struck by her beauty and intelligence and is drawn to her. However, his sense of morality and his belief in traditional values make him hesitant to pursue a relationship with her.
Angel's struggle to reconcile his desires with his sense of morality comes to a head when he learns about Tess's past relationship with Alec d'Urberville. Despite his love for her, he ultimately rejects her because he believes that her past makes her morally impure.
Angel's rejection of Tess illustrates the limitations and challenges of Victorian society and the cultural and societal constraints placed on women during this era. Despite his love for her, he is unable to see beyond her past and is ultimately driven by societal and cultural expectations.
Angel's eventual forgiveness of Tess underscores the importance of empathy, compassion, and forgiveness in the face of personal and societal struggles. His realization of the complexity of human nature and the impact of societal constraints on individuals underscores the need for greater empathy and understanding.
1.2 Angel’s idealism and belief
Angel is a character who is driven by his idealism and his belief in the power of education and intellect. He is educated and well-read, and he aspires to use his knowledge and talents to make a positive impact on the world.
Angel's education and intellect are central aspects of his character. He is well-read and has a deep appreciation for art, music, and literature. His education has instilled in him a strong sense of idealism and a belief in the power of knowledge and talent to make a positive impact on the world.
Angel's idealism is reflected in his rejection of his family's religious beliefs and his desire to pursue a career in farming rather than the church. He believes that he can make a positive impact on the world through his work and through the development of new farming techniques.
Angel's belief in the power of education and intellect is reflected in his admiration for the great thinkers and writers of his time. He is particularly drawn to the works of William Wordsworth and sees in them a reflection of his own idealism and belief in the power of nature and the human spirit.
Angel's desire to use his knowledge and talents to make a positive impact on the world is reflected in his desire to help Tess overcome the limitations and challenges of her background. He hopes to use his education and intellect to help her achieve greater social and economic mobility and to break free from the constraints of Victorian society.
1.3 Angel’s family and growing experience
Angel's character is shaped by his experiences growing up in a family that is deeply religious but also morally flawed. He rejects his family's hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes but also struggles to find his own moral compass.
Angel's family is deeply religious, and his father is a preacher. However, Angel is troubled by his family's hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes, particularly their condemnation of Tess when they learn about her past.
Angel's rejection of his family's hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes is a central aspect of his character. He sees their moral failings as a reflection of the limitations and challenges of Victorian society and is determined to find his own moral compass.
Angel's struggle to find his own moral compass is reflected in his rejection of traditional moral values when he falls in love with Tess. He is torn between his desire for Tess and his belief in traditional moral values, which causes him to reject her when he learns about her past.
Angel's eventual forgiveness of Tess illustrates his development as a character and his growing understanding of the complexity of human nature. He realizes that his family's moral failings and judgmental attitudes are not representative of all individuals and that the complexity of human experience requires greater empathy and understanding.
1.4 Angel’s flaws
Angel is a character who is deeply flawed and struggles to accept the complexity of human nature. He is quick to judge others and often fails to see the depth and complexity of their experiences.
He initially judges Tess based on her working-class background and later rejects her based on her past relationship with Alec d'Urberville, without fully considering the impact of societal and cultural constraints on her experiences.
Angel's failure to accept the complexity of human nature is reflected in his idealism and belief in traditional moral values. He struggles to reconcile his love for Tess with his belief in these values and is ultimately unable to see beyond her past and the societal and cultural constraints placed on her as a woman.
Angel's flaws are underscored by his actions, particularly his rejection of Tess when he learns about her past. His judgment of her illustrates the limitations and challenges of Victorian society and the societal and cultural constraints placed on women during this era.
Angel's eventual forgiveness of Tess and realization of the complexity of human nature underscores his growth as a character and his development of greater empathy and understanding. He realizes the limitations and flaws of his own judgments and the need for greater empathy and understanding in the face of personal and societal struggles.
2 Conclusion
In "Tess of the d'Urbervilles", Angel Clare is a complex and multi-faceted character whose struggles to reconcile his idealism with the limitations of Victorian society, and the complexities of human nature are central to the novel's themes. Angel's belief in the power of education and intellect, his rejection of his family's hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes, and his flaws and struggles to accept the complexity of human nature all serve to underscore the novel's commentary on the societal and cultural constraints of Victorian England. Through his character, the novel offers a powerful commentary on the need for greater empathy, compassion, and understanding in the face of personal and societal struggles and a reminder of the importance of acknowledging the complexity of human nature in our interactions with others.
