Tess of the d'Urbervilles Chapter 11

Tess rides along with Alec and she realizes that he's not taking her home; he's gotten them lost. He professes his love for her and tells her that he's sent her family gifts, trying to win her through them. Although she's grateful for his help for her family, she's still not interested in him. She insists that she's going to walk home, but it's quite late at night and the fog has set in, making it difficult to see very far in front of her. Alec promises that if she'll just stay with the horse, he'll wander around and find a landmark to get his bearings and take her home. She helplessly agrees to his plan. As she waits with the horse, he takes his time finding his way around and she falls asleep on a nest of leaves near the horse. When he finds his way back to Tess in the dark and fog, she is sleeping there and he takes that opportunity to have his way with her.

"But some might say, where was Tess's guardian angel? Where was the providence of her simple faith? Perhaps, . . . he was talking, or he was pursuing, or he was in a journey, or he was sleeping and not to be awaked . . .. As Tess's own people down in those retreats are never tired of saying among each other in their fatalistic way: 'It was to be.'" Chapter 11, pg. 71-2

Topic Tracking: Fatalism 4