Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. He was a Victorian Realist and gained fame as the author of such novels as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters whose novels have become classics of English literature. She published her works under the pen name Currer Bell.

3. THOMAS HARDY
 BORN – 2 JUNE 1840 at Higher Bockhamptom,
Dorsetshire, Dorchester, England
 DIED – 11 JANUARY 1928 (aged 87)
Resting Place – Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey
Notable Works – Tess Of The D’Urbervellies (1891)
Far From The Madding Crowd (1874)
The Mayor Of Casterbridge (1886)
Jude The Obscure (1895)
Collected Poems

4. Classification Of Hardy’s Novels
 Novels Of Character and Environment
 Under The Greenwood Tree
 Far From The Madding Crowd
 The Return Of The Native
 The Mayor Of Casterbridge
 The Woodlanders
 Tess Of The D’Urbervillies
 Jude The Obscure
 Romances and Fantasies
 A Pair Of Blue Eyes
 The Trumpet Major
 Two On A Tower
 The Well-Beloved
 Novels Of Ingenuity and Experiment
 Desperate Remedies
 The Hand Of Ethelberta
 A Laodicean

7.  Tess Of The D'Urbervilles
: A Pure Woman
Faithfully Presented is a
novel by Thomas Hardy
published by British
illustrated newspaper The
Graphic in 1891 and in
book form in 1892.
 It is set in rural England,
during Long Depression of
1870’s, Wessex.

8. It is Structured in Seven Phases:
Phase the First: The Maiden (1–11)
Phase the Second: Maiden No More (12–15)
Phase the Third: The Rally (16–24)
Phase the Fourth: The Consequence (25–34)
Phase the Fifth: The Woman Pays (35–44)
Phase the Sixth: The Convert (45–52)
Phase the Seventh: Fulfilment (53–59)

9. Major Characters
Angel
Clare
Teressa Durbeyfield
(Tess)
Alec Strokes

10. Tess Durbeyfield is the eldest child of the family, living in the
village of Marlott. Her father, John Durbeyfield is a haggler by
profession. He is a careless head of the family who loves drinking
and does not work hard to run the family.
Joan Durbeyfield, the mistress of the house, is a hard working
lady, always trying her best to see the family happy. The other
children of the household are Abraham, Liza-Lu, Hope, Modesty, a
boy of three and a baby.

11. One evening, the local priest Parson Tringham informs
John Durbeyfield that he is descended from the
aristocratic and Knightly family of the d’ Urbervillies.
Tess’s mother persuaded her to visit Mrs. d’
Urbervillies at Trantridge.
While working for the d’Urbervillies Tess meets Alec, who
commits rape on her and thus she loses her virginity.

12. Later, Tess gets a job as a Dairy maid at
Talbothays dairy. Here she meets Angel Clare
who is the son of Vicar of Emminster.
They both falls in love with each
other and decides to marry…

13. Alec, who has become a preacher, finds her again
and he persuades her to live with him, even if she’s
legally married to Angel…
On the very day, Angel recounts the story of his
forty-eight hours’ dissipation with a stranger in
London, and asks her to forgive him. But On
hearing the confession of Tess, Angel is shocked
and decides to separate for some time.
Tess visits Flint-comb-Ash farm and gets a job there.

14. Suddenly Angel Clare returns back and he
finds Tess at home with Alec…
But Tess makes him go away because it was too late
for staying together…
Soon after his departure, she begins to weep bitterly
and accuses Alec of deceiving her and in a fit of anger
and desperation, she kills Alec with a Knife.

15. Soon, she reaches Angel and tells him that she has
murdered the man who had ruined their lives. He
supports her but soon they were captured by the
policemen at Stonehenge.
Tess requests Angel to marry her sister Liza-Lu if
anything happens to her. After a formal trial, Tess is
sentenced to death on charge of murder. Thus, ends
the tragic story of Tess.

18. Charlotte Bronte
Born - 21 April 1816
Thornton, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died - 31 March 1855 (aged 38)
Haworth, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Pen name - Lord Charles Albert
Florian Wellesley
Currer Bell
Notable works - Jane Eyre (1847)
Shirley (1849)
Villette (1853)
The Professor ( posthumously in 1857)

19. Jane Eyre
 Jane Eyre: An Autobiography was published on 16 October
1847 under the pseudonym Currer Bell.
 The Plot of Jane Eyre follows the form of a Bildungsroman.
There are five distinct stages of development:-
# Jane’s childhood at Gateshead-hall, home of he Reeds.
# Her education at Lowood School, where she comes
under the influence of Mr. Brocklehurst, Miss Temple and
Helen Burns.
# Her time as a governess at Thornfield, where she falls in
love with Mr. Rochester.
# Her time with the Rivers family at Morton and at Moore
house, where St. John Rivers proposes to her.
# Her union with and marriage to Mr. Rochester.

20. Jane Eyre
◊ All events are told in the past from Jane’s point
of view.
◊ The setting is early 19th Century England.
◊ Jane Eyre is classified as both a Gothic and a
Romantic novel.

21. Major Characters

22. Jane Eyre
 She is the protagonist and
narrator of the novel.
 She is an intelligent, honest,
plain-featured young girl that
has to face oppression,
inequality, and hardship.
 There are Critics who regard
character of Jane Eyre very
similar to that of Character of
Charlotte Bronte.
 Jane Eyre in the novel
resembles Bronte in physical
appearance and emerges as a
symbol of independence and
self-worth.

23. Mr. Edward
Rochester
 Jane’s Employer and the master
of Thornfield.
 He is a wealthy, passionate man
with a dark secret that gives the
reader much of the novel’s
suspense.
 He is unconventional, ready to
go against polite manners, and
consideration of social class, in
order to interact with Jane.
He is rude and his problems are
partly the result of his own
recklessness but described as a
suffering character because of
his early marriage to Bertha.

24. Reed Family
 Jane’s family on her
father’s side.
 Mrs. Reed is Jane’s cruel
aunt who sends Jane to
Lowood school; she locks
Jane in the “Red Room”
for punishment.
 John, Eliza, and Georgiana
are Jane’s spoiled cousins;
they are rude and selfish;
they either torture Jane or
ignore her.

25. Rivers Family
o Jane’s caretakers when she
leaves Thornfield – are her
cousins on her mother’s
side. Described as Jane’s
benefactor, giving her food
and shelter.
o St. John – Minister at
Morton, tries to get Jane to
be his missionary wife.
o He is well-mannered man,
fair and blue-eyed.
o Diana and Mary – kind and
independent women, serve
as role models for Jane.
St. John
Rivers

26. Bertha Mason
Bertha is locked in the attic
at Thornfield.
Starts the bedroom fire, and
eventually burns the house
down.
Kills herself in the house
fire.
She is a complex presence
and obstacles Jane’s
happiness, but also
increases the growth of
Jane’s self-understanding.

27. Mrs. Fairfax
 Housekeeper at Thornfield.
Serves as a mother figure/role
model for Jane.
Tells Jane about secrets of
Thornfield and the Rochesters.
Thornfield Manor

28.  Helen Burns –
Jane’s friend at
Lowood, teaches her
character, dies in
Jane’s arms.
 Mr. Brocklehurst –
cruel and dishonest
master of Lowood
School.
 Miss Temple –
Jane’s favorite teacher,
positive female role
model/mother figure.
Other
Characters
Helen
Burns
Mr. Brocklehurst
Miss Temple

29. Other
Characters
• Grace Poole – Bertha’s
mysterious keeper, serves as
Bertha’s scapegoat.
• Adèle Varens – Jane’s pupil,
daughter of Rochester’s old
mistress, Celene.
• Richard Mason – Bertha’s
brother, exposes the secret
marriage.
• Blanche Ingram – socialite
after Rochester’s money,
opposite of Jane.
Adèle
Blanche
Ingram