Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Novel | Thomas Hardy
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How does Tess fall into the fire from a frying pan?

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How does Tess fall into the fire from a frying pan? [NU: 2015, 21]

The saying “from the frying pan into the fire” means going from a bad situation to a worse one. This saying fits Tess’s life very well in Thomas Hardy’s (1840-1928) novel “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” (1891). Tess tries to escape one trouble, but ends up in a bigger problem.

Tess is Sent to the d’Urbervilles: Tess’s family is very poor. Her parents send her to the rich d’Urbervilles to seek help. There, Tess meets Alec d’Urberville. Alec is a lustful man. He takes advantage of Tess and rapes her. This ruins her life. She becomes pregnant and her baby, Sorrow, soon dies. After that, Tess never became happy. One trouble follows another.

A New Life: Tess tries to start a new life at Talbothays Dair

y farm. There, she meets Angel Clare. Angel is a kind and honest man. He respects Tess and falls in love with her. However, Tess thinks she is not worthy of him because of her past. She feels guilty. She rejects Angel’s marriage proposal, saying:

“I am not good enough—not worthy enough.”

Tess also deeply loves Angel. She does not want to lose him. So, she decides to write a letter telling him everything about her past. But Angel never reads it before marriage.

Angel Leaves Tess: When Tess tells Angel about her tragic past after marriage, Angel abandons her. He thinks Tess is not a pure woman anymore. He says:

“You were one person; now you are another."

He cannot forgive Tess. He says: “O Tess, forgiveness does not apply to the case!” He leaves for Brazil. Tess feels broken and helpless again.

Alec Returns: Tess becomes very poor. Her family becomes homeless. Then, Alec returns in Tess’s life to make her suffer more. He pretends to be a religious man. He takes advantage of Tess’s poverty and makes her his mistress. This ends Tess’s final chance of happiness. Finally, Tess is hanged for the murder of Alec.

Hence, Tess keeps falling from one painful situation to another. She escapes one trouble but enters a worse one. Her life clearly shows the meaning of “from the frying pan into the fire.”

 

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Thomas Hardy
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