Thomas Hardy, the author, defends her as "A Pure Woman- until the end despite what views society took on him. ... Hardy defended Tess as one of the "good women-. ... Hardy in all the writings he does regarding this book defends Tess. ... (Hardy) Hardy believes that was not stripped of her purity when Alec first raped her. ...

• Word Count: 1929
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School