Religion

The novel focuses early on religion to show that fervent faith is not always right, and one should be given the chance to choose what to believe of their own volition.

First, it is important to establish how oppressive the religion of Tess’ mother is compared to other beliefs in the novel. From the opening section, it is clear that St. Vitt, the saint her mother worships, is one of punishment. When Tess is caught in the same bed as Kenneth, her mother tells her “if you won’t renounce temptation, O woman, there is no saving you. The Infernum burns hottest for the unrepentant harlot, says St. Vitt, Heaven told him” (11). Furthermore, it is clear that St. Vitt teaches inequality between men and women, particularly when it comes to physical lusts and responsibility. Tess addresses this near the end of the book when she explores...