CLASS AND SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION IN THOMAS HARDY'S TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of class and social discrimination in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The research examines how the rigid class structure of Victorian society determines individual fate and limits opportunities, particularly for those from lower social backgrounds. Through textual analysis of the protagonist Tess Durbeyfield's life, the paper demonstrates how economic dependence, lack of education, and social prejudice work together to restrict human potential. The findings show that Hardy presents class discrimination not as an isolated issue but as part of a larger system of inequality embedded in the structure of society itself. The study concludes that Hardy uses Tess's tragic fate as a powerful critique of a social hierarchy that values status over personal merit, and that his critique of Victorian class injustice remains one of the most important aspects of his literary contribution.