Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy was written and set in late 19th century England. The Victorian era was a time of great change, as the English economy transitioned from an agricultural to an industrial economy. This period of modernization led to the examination of traditional ways of thinking and the examination of many foundations of English society such as class divisions, religion and gender roles. Hardy uses the characters and events of Tess of the D'Urbervilles to comment on his world. Throughout his work, Hardy particularly demonstrates moral sympathy towards the lower classes of England. Hardy became famous for his compassionate and often controversial depiction of young women as victims of the sanctimonious rigor of English social morality, exemplified by the novel's protagonist, Tess. (Background, 5/22/14)Hardy uses characters who step outside of their socially accepted class norm to express the changing moral standards of society. The Durbeyfields play an important role in describing how social classes were no longer valued according to the same standards as in the Middle Ages. Tess Durbeyfield, who has an education that her uneducated parents lacked, does not quite fit into the traditional rural culture of her ancestors. Her diction is better than her mother's but not quite on the same level as Alec's or Angel's, showing that she is on the edge both socially and culturally. Hardy uses Tess in this way to represent the indistinct and unstable notions of class in 19th century England. In the Victorian era, old family lines were dying out and being discarded. Pure wealth became more important than lineage or inner nobility. This explains how Simon Stoke, Alec's father, could... middle of paper ...... er a woman (Themes, Motifs and Symbols, 05/25/14). Hardy also expressed male dominance in the Victorian era using the relationship between the characters Tess and Angel. Hardy seems to be particularly critical of the concept of moral double standards (Why Should I Care, 5/28/14). This can be seen when Angel, unaware of her past, compares Tess to ancient Greek goddesses calling her "Artemis" and "Demeter", due to her physical beauty. He also states that he considers himself a lucky man to have her as his own. However, as soon as he learns of Tess's loss of virtue during their confession, Angel is not willing to forgive her and even asks her: "How can forgiveness meet with such a grotesque prestidigitation as that!" (Hardy, 1981, p.228). This reflects the fact that social biases in favor of chastity have formed to the advantage of men, where their forgiveness has minimal cost..