Thomas Hardy subtitled Tess of the D'Urbervilles a pure woman. What do you understand by this description of Tess and what relevance does it have in the novel as a whole"

Hardy added the subtitle A Pure Woman to this novel and ever since its appearance it has created problems for some of the novel's readers and critics. This is particularly due to the Victorian background in which this novel appeared, as people's morality was different those days. Calling the main character Tess, a young woman who has been cruelly mistreated and seduced at a young age, `a pure woman' seemed unacceptable.

Tess is the daughter of a rural working class family, but as her father learns that their family is supposed to be the descendents of an ancient noble family, the D'Urbervilles, Tess is sent to claim kinship with the apparent wealthier side of the family. Her...