Fate and Feminism in Hardy's Novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Fate is a main protagonist in the novels of Hardy. Fate is the form of antagonist force that works against human beings. Hardy’s novels show that fate plays hostile especially to women. Fate appears to be a patriarchal tool that pushes Tess to tragedy. Fate in nexus with the male dominated civilisation, conspire to undermine the proposition of women. Fate and feminism are pinned in opposition to each other in Hardy’s novels particularly in Tess. Tess is reduced to a beautiful object merely tagged to physical virtue, showing predominance of look over all other senses. Chastity becomes the main virtue of Tess eclipsing all other virtues, her innocence, her benevolence, her love, pity and mercy