As the novel progresses and events start to unravel, we begin to see a change in Tess which is immediately shown in the chapter title “Maiden No More”. This title is very dramatic in the space of a few words as it is showing Tess is not who she used to be and she can never go back.
Firstly, Hardy uses his recurring colour motif to present that Tess is not the same. The colour of her eyes are described as a mixture of “black”, “blue”, “gray” and “violet” this colours juxtapose her “sparkling” eyes in the first extract. These colours could be alluding to a loss of something in her life, such as her virtue, and therefore it’s almost as though sadness is everywhere she looks.
Furthermore, Hardy describes Tess as “an almost standard woman” showing Tess’s story may be a “standard” story, representing a deeper and larger experience than that of a single individual. The use of the word “almost” shows that there is still something out of the ordinary about her it’s just not noticeable at first glance. It depicts Tess as a mystery. In addition she’s described as a “woman” whereas in ‘The Maiden’ she is referred to throughout as a “girl” which juxtaposes this and is Hardy blatantly showing that Tess has lost the innocence that a girl possesses and has been brought into womanhood.
Moreover, Hardy often tends to describe Tess as an object rather than a person as due to the social conventions at the time women were objectified by men. Tess is described as “not an existence, an experience, a passion, a structure of sensations, to anybody but herself.” Hardy’s use of syntax is very powerful here as it shows how Tess can be a mixture of things to people yet still she isn’t seen as a person. The words Hardy uses could be referring to how men view her, in particular events that happened previous to this chapter. Hardy frequently reminds us that Tess is seen as “only a passing thought” which builds up and emotive response towards her from the reader.
In conclusion, this passage shows how Hardy’s novel is written as a bildungsroman as we see Tess moving from being a child to a woman. It shows the blatant juxtaposition of her appearance and the view of her from other’s perspectives. The tone of the narrative is laced with sadness reflecting the mood of Tess and foreshadows more sadness to come.