During the time of Victorian England, women were treated unfairly by today's standards. They became victims because society treated them differently than they did men. The character Tess from Tess of the d'Urbervilles was one of these victims. Victorian society used the concept of purity, a theory of adultery and divorce, and feminine sexuality to trap women. In Tess of the d'Urbervilles, both Alec d'Urberville and Angel Clare make Tess a victim. Tess is also a victim of her own sexuality. Thomas Hardy, the author, defends her as "A Pure Woman- until the end despite what views society took on him. .
In Victorian Society, there were two types of women: Fallen women and Good women. Good women were women who were usually virgins upon marriage. They were married or going to be married, had very little education, were trained in domestic affairs (sewing, cooking, housekeeping, etc.) and they had little or no voice over what was asked of them to do. These women were looked upon as pure and innocent, like children. They would fall into the care of their husbands and would not try to do anything independently or not of their husbands' will. Hardy defended Tess as one of the "good women-. .
Fallen women could fall into a variety of categories. Some fallen women were prostitutes, but not all. Married women were considered to be "fallen- if they had committed adultery. A widow was fallen if she decided either not to marry, or pursued a position independently. Some women like Tess were labeled as fallen if they had a baby or committed a sexual act before marriage. An act of this kind stripped a woman of her purity and forced her to become a victim because she would not be able to absolve herself of her sins. These "fallen- women rejected the path that society had paved for them and went on their own path. Through their unwillingness to follow the constraints of society fallen women became feared by society.