Imagine Tess's story taking place in today's U.S. society and analyze how her story would have ended up differently or the same, refer to specific scenes from the novel in your analysis.

Research late-19th century British laws then, playing the role of either the prosecuting or defense attorney, plan your defense or prosecution of Tess for the murder of Alec d'Urberville using details from the novel.

Compare American novelist William Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County with Hardy's Wessex, examining the personality and physical description of each literary environment.