Tess of the d’Urbervilles · Chapter
Explanatory Note to the First Edition explained
Thomas Hardy explains the publication history of the novel, which appeared in serialized form in The Graphic, Fortnightly Review, and National Observer, and is now presented complete as originally written.
What happens
Thomas Hardy explains the publication history of the novel, which appeared in serialized form in The Graphic, Fortnightly Review, and National Observer, and is now presented complete as originally written. He defends the sincerity of his work and its truthful depiction of life, quoting St. Jerome to justify revealing uncomfortable truths.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Angel Clare’s int…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Suffering and Resilience
Hardy frames the novel as a sincere attempt to depict truth, implying the suffering of his characters is part of a larger, unvarnished reality.
Key passages
“If an offence come out of the truth, better is it that the offence come than that the truth be concealed.”
It is better to cause offense by telling the truth than to hide the truth to avoid offense.
Hardy uses St. Jerome's maxim to justify the novel's candid portrayal of social and moral issues.
