Interdit, non-dit et transposition dans Tess of the d'Urbervilles de Thomas Hardy

International audienceA study of the suppressions from the first published version of Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles is revealing as to the prudish considerations behind 19 century censorship. The field of unspoken connotations obliged to remain unexpressed is vast, including the major part of the human anatomy and some clothing, literally considered to be “unmentionable” as well as everything touching love and reproduction of humankind. Certain passages of the novel, however, contain a wealth of unspoken meaning that amply convey by transposition the forbidden information while successfully eluding editorial vigilance. This skilful exploitation of the unspoken element of language is a hitherto unnoticed element of Hardy’s craftsmanship