more sinned against by the accident of her birth Manipulation by Alec D'Urberville Alec d'Urberville a wealthy and entitled man takes advantage of Tess's innocence and vulnerability He seduces her under pretenses It leads to her loss of innocence Tess is not morally offended by the traumatic event that changed her life Abandonment by Angel Clare Angel Clare Tess's love interest initially appears to be a morally upright character However when he learns of Tess's past he abandons her Angel says Forgiveness does not apply to the case You were one person now you are another My God how can forgiveness meet such a grotesque prestidigitation as that It shattered her hopes for a better life Tess's love for Angel is sincere and her willingness to confess her past shows her desire for honesty Angel's abandonment leaves her ruined and betrayed The Double Standard of Morality Tess's sin of having had a sexual encounter before her marriage is viewed through a harsh lens of Victorian morality However the double standard of the time allows men like Alec to escape societal judgment while Tess bears the stress of the slander This societal hypocrisy makes Tess a victim of the prevailing moral norms Familial Pressures Tess shoulders the responsibility of providing for her impoverished family Her parents and siblings depend on her earnings She feels deeply obligated This domestic pressure leads her to work at the D'Urberville mansion It sets the tragic events in motion Tess's sense of duty and selflessness illustrate her as a victim of circumstances beyond her control Persecution by Society As Tess struggles to rebuild her life after her traumatic experiences society continues persecuting her Her community expels and judges her Whip me crush me you need not mind those people under the rick I shall not cry out Once victim always victim that's the law It makes it nearly impossible for her to escape her past and start anew This inflexible societal judgment makes her a victim of a harsh and unforgiving world The Tragedy of Coincidence Tess is plagued by unfortunate coincidences throughout the novel These chance occurrences such as meeting Alec again and Angel's delayed return conspire against her Tess cannot control these twists of fate It emphasizes her victimhood in a world where randomness plays a significant role Tess's Desperation and Ultimate Act As Tess's life unravels she is pushed to despair While morally ambiguous her actions in the later part of the novel can be seen as desperate attempts to escape the relentless cycle of suffering and societal condemnation She views these actions in the context of her victimization rather than solely as moral sin is crucial To conclude Tess is a victim of her social class manipulative individuals the double standards of morality familial pressures societal persecution and a series of unfortunate coincidences While she may not be without moral flaws the fatal load of external forces and circumstances makes her more sinned against than sinning Tess's tragic story serves as a powerful critique of the societal norms and injustices that can crush the lives of those trapped in its net