. She has now become a victim of Angel’s idealization as her individuality is becoming further suppressed by his imaginative and ethereal reasoning. As the spring season progresses so, does Angel and Tess’s romance and eventually she succumbs to Angel’s charms. After failing to tell Angel of her past, she writes him a letter, which is placed beneath his door. In a cruel twist of fate, the letter slides beneath the mat and there it remains - unread. Tess and Angel’s marriage is marred by ill - omen. Hardy gives reference to the gnats that know nothing of their brief glorification - as Tess herself cannot fathom the potent fatalism that will cause her such sorrow. Hardy’s continual use of ill -omen gives the impression of the extent of Tess’s victimization to fate, the D’urberville coach and the crow of the cock symbolizing the death of their relationship. On their honeymoon, traditionally a joyous occasion, Tess confides in Angel the nature of her past. Before this confession, Tess is horrified by the portraits she sees hanging on the walls. Angel beholds a similar quality within Tess - an arrogance and ferocity which is the truth linked to her past. On hearing of Tess’s unfortunate past, Angel withdraws from reality by refusing to admit that she is the woman that he loved. ‘You were one person; now you are another’ Angel’s departure to Brazil leaves Tess almost as a widow. Angel ‘s physical rejection of Tess has subjected her to the cruelty of love, a victim once again - she is broken both spiritually and emotionally. It is at this point in the novel that she begins to understand that her beauty is part of the cause of her destruction. In answer to this, she dons her oldest field gown, covers half her face with a handkerchief, and snips off her eyebrows to “keep off these casual lovers.” Tess has realized that part of the victimization she ...
