Thomas Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles and John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman both have a strong theme exploring their views and opinions on religion, the church, and morals in Victorian society. Both writers convey similar opinions on the subject. By manipulating characters and situations, the two novelists are able to express their opinions on Morality in society, as well as Christianity and Darwinism.
In Tess of the dUrbervilles, class, religion and morality are closely linked. Tess and her family are of the lower classes, they are country folk and Hardy presents them as people with looser morals than the higher classes. For instance John Durbeyfield makes suggestions that his daughter should have sex with Alec Durberville as a way of securing him as a husband, all for financial gain. If he wont afore, he will after. Obviously this is not a very Christian way to behave, but there are many instances where the Durbeyfield family do not appear to be very Christian at all, Joan consults a book to tell fortunes, which she keeps in the garden because she is afraid of its power. This is not something that a gentleman or a lady of high class would be likely to do in a novel of this genre. The thing which epitomizes Hardys opinion of Tess class is the way she is accepted back into her society after having a child out of wedlock.
She might have seen that what had bowed her head so profoundly the thought of the worlds concern at her situation- was founded on an illusion. She was not an existence, an experience, a passion, a structure of sensations, to anybody but herself.
The lower classes are shown to have a simple view on morality; they do what is required to make ends meet and are not educated to know differently; for this reason Hardy does not present them in a way which appears evil, or immoral.
Fowles presents the lower classes in a similar way to Hardy, as people with a less strict view on immoral behaviour. Mary and Sam are both servants and have a sexual relationship with one another within a short time of meeting and outside of marriage. However, in keeping with the rest of his novel, he does not conform entirely to the Victorian way of presenting characters. Although Fowles has a warm affection for Sam and Mary, they are not the usual simple hard working lower classes expected. Sam is a man of ambition, and to this end he eventually blackmails Charles to kick-start his dreams. Simple differences like this really set the two novels apart, where Hardy conforms more strictly to some Victorian conventions, Fowles; writing in a different era is free to experiment with his own writing techniques.
Alec Durberville is of the burgeoning middle class, he has originally come from a lower class but has been educated and is wealthy. He is presented as a vicious controlling man, he preys on Tess with the knowledge that she is of a simpler background. He scares her as he drives her to his house to work for him,
Let me put one little kiss on those holmberry lips, Tess; or even on that warmed cheek, and ill stop on my honour, I will!
He does this only to gain power over Tess and use it to his sexual advantage. He makes assumptions about Tess nature, and therefore how he would be able to use her for his own pleasure; You are mighty sensitive for a farm girl! Worst of all, Alec eventually rapes Tess and impregnates her. Hardy presents Alec DUrberville with distain, as a man without religion or morals. Although the lower classes that Tess comes from are simpler in their view of morals they are essentially good people, and Hardy presents them with a certain fondness. Alec DUrberville, and therefore his class on the other hand, are not.
In comparison, we are presented with the Clare family, Reverend Clare being at the head of the family, and Christianity at the centre. Initially we meet Angel Clare, a gentleman learning the trade at the dairy where Tess resides. He is instantly captivated by Tess but he, being a true gentleman unlike Alec, treats her with the utmost respect and courts her in the most appropriate manner. Hardy also refers to Angels parents with affection; he refers to them as unselfish Mr and Mrs Clare even though they display some undesirable characteristics in their judgements of Tess later in the novel.
Fowles has created a complex character in Charles, he is a stereotypical Victorian gentleman from a rich background who has not worked a day in his life. Fowles mocks this kind of character at times. For instance, when he goes looking for fossils in the most inappropriate clothing possible, Fowles appears to be mocking his whole approach and lifestyle. However at other times, it could be argued that Charles is shown to be a victim of society and his situation, he has limited options, particularly when he wants to break off his engagement. He constantly fights between what he wants to do and what would be the socially acceptable decision. Eventually he breaks off the engagement to suit his conscience, and he is publicly disgraced for his actions, even though he made the decision which was morally sound. Charles obviously does some things which are immoral, but Fowles shows the human side of his actions, constantly making the reader aware of his moral dilemmas. This could possibly be put down to the writer living in the 20th century where his actions are far more accepted in society.
Hardy in fact, presents the Victorian gentleman in a far less forgiving manner. After the marriage, Angel makes a confession to Tess of his sexual deviance, and the supposed high morals that come with being upper class and religious are thrown out of the window. Not only that, but he is shown to be a hypocrite, and void of Christian values which he was brought up with. Hardy
Forgiveness does not apply to the case. You were one person; now you are another. How can forgiveness meet such a grotesque prestidigitation as that?
Hardy presents Angel to the reader in a way which causes them to dislike him, even though up until this point, he has appeared in every sense to be Tess saviour. Hardy presents everyone in this novel with faults and imperfections of character, in spite of religious beliefs or class.
Alecs reaction to Tess revelation displays the most notable difference between the upper class and the peasant class, in attitudes toward sin, or sinful behaviour. Fowles holds a stereotypical view of upper class Victorian society, and portrays this through Mrs. Poulteney. Her reactions to anything outside of strictly Christian behaviour are extreme to the point of comedy.
I have something unhappy to communicate mam. She has taken to walking mam, on Ware Commons. Such an anticlimax! Yet Mrs. Poulteney seemed not to think so. Indeed her mouth did something extraordinary. It fell open.
This reaction is a prime example of how Fowles satirises the Victorian age and their moral values, particularly in the upper classes.
John Fowles uses stereotypical characters from Victorian literature to highlight faults in the society of the time. Mrs Poulteney in particular is a tyrannical dictator over her household and its inhabitants. She takes it upon herself to cast moral judgement over those in Lyme based on hearsay and gossip, with no real evidence to back up her conclusions. She finds support at times from the local vicar. Who is presented as a moral man, however he has to adhere to and bow to every whim of Mrs Poulteney because of her generous donations to the church. He says, to give is a most excellent deed which sums up how Fowles viewed the representatives of the church; men who spend too much time at the beck and call of parishioners and not enough time with the poor and the sick.
Hardy has a similarly unappreciative view of the representatives of the church. In particular the vicar of Marlott; Tess home town. Hardy shows the human side of the vicar, the man and the ecclesiastic fought within him, and the man won he told Tess that her makeshift baptism was enough for her child, but then for liturgical reasons he would only allow sorrow to be buried along with the drunkards and suicides. Hardy clearly detests the strict, unforgiving nature of the Victorian church.
However, Hardys feelings on Christianity as a whole seem to be mixed; he clearly does not appreciate the established church or its representatives, however it is clear that Alecs warm feelings toward the church are probably a mirror image of his own. Whereas Fowles feelings are made quite clear:
she saw through the follies, through the vulgar stained glass, the narrow literalness of the Victorian church.
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