1. Agriculture and Industrial Revolution in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. By Kaynat, Resna, Hannah and Chloe.

2. Hardy lived during a period of agricultural change. England’s economy changedfrom an agricultural based one to an industry based economy. The Historical context of ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. To using machines. Tess of the D’Urbervilles was published during the IR – (1750-1900). From employing labourers. Industry was changing. And so we can see how Hardy presented his views.

3. England was rapidly changing from an agricultural society. Since factories had replaced workshops, the people had to move. The social context of Tess of the D’Urbervilles. To one that produced many goods. People stopped living in the countrysideto large cities.

4. Many AGRICULTURAL societies comprised of FEMALES. Most jobs available were milking which was mainly done by women. Agriculture and industrial societies during Hardy’s lifetime. So women lived agriculturally (like Tess) and males lived more industrially (like Alec). The few males present would milk and churn butter as it was ‘too hard’ for females at that time. The INDUSTRIAL societies had more MEN than women.

5. Alec represents modern industry and Tess represents the agricultural way of life. How agriculture and Industrial change influenced Hardy to create certain aspects of the characters Tess and Alec. Men worked in the towns and in factories, just like Alec went to London for work. Tess is also poor comparing to Alec who is rich. Which implies how living the industrial way of life will mean being wealthier(like Alec) and vice versa. Tess worked in a farming industry, just like the women of the period lived agriculturally.

6. Hardy uses Tess and Alec to illustrate the effects of industry on agriculture. How industrialism is symbolically presented in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Which symbolises the way that farmers were forced to move to the cities. Alec made Tess impure. Which symbolises how the industry made the atmosphere dirty and impure too. Tess was compelled to marry Alec.

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