View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Tess overhear talking about Angel?

2. Who comes to fetch Tess and take her to Tantridge?

3. Talbothays is located very close to ______.

4. Angel's father refused to send him to college. Why?

5. When Tess first sees Angel, what is her reaction?

Short Essay Questions

1. Angel receives different treatment from the Cricks than the other farm help does. How? Why does Hardy mention this in some detail?

2. Why does Tess tell Angel she will explain everything to him the next Sunday?

3. Angel uses the phrase "Three Leahs to get to one Rachel." What does he mean by this?

4. How does Tess deal with her situation in Chapter 13, when she is living at her parents' home, and is pregnant and shunned by the community?

5. How does Tess learn that Angel is in love with her, and what is her reaction?

6. Tess tries once more to get the courage to tell Angel the truth. In Chapter 30, what happens when she tries?

7. What prompts Tess to leave the dance early, and what does this scene tell readers about her character?

8. How is Mrs. D'Urberville described?

9. How is Mr. Durbeyfield portrayed in in the first chapter?

10. Why does Tess go to work at Talbothays, and what does she hope will happen once she is away from home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tess has been portrayed throughout as a good and moral person with a great deal of integrity who is consistently trying to do the right thing. However, when she arrives at her parents' house and finds that they are angry at her for leaving Angel, she leaves them half her money and goes away, telling them she is joining Angel at a new farm. In other words, she lies. Is this consistent with her earlier behavior? Or, does this suggest that there are other things motivating her, as well as moral 'right'? If so, what?

Essay Topic 2

Thomas Hardy's subtitle refers to a 'pure' woman. Discuss this idea of 'purity' with respect to the main character. Is Tess a 'pure woman' - why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

When Tess decides to go to Talbothays Dairy to work as a dairymaid, it is clear that she wants to get away from the past. But Hardy says that she is also partially motivated by "the invincible instinct towards self-delight." Discuss what he means by this, and whether you think it applies to Tess. Make sure you use concrete examples from the text to back up what you say.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,252 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample