Exploring Hardy's Presentation of Sorrow as an Illegitimate Infant in Victorian England

Write at least 750 words exploring Hardy's presentation of Sorrow as an illegitimate infant in Victorian England

In the Victorian era, people believed that in the concept of Heaven and Hell after death. They would get into Heaven if they were baptised, charitable, if they avoided sin and definitely if they were not an illegitimate child. As for Tess’ newborn Sorrow, he is considered an illegitimate infant as he is a child born out of wedlock and, as he grows sickly and death nears in the novel, Tess fears that her infant will be sent to hell after death and this leaves her panic-stricken.

First and foremost, Hardy perceives Sorrow’s illegitimacy as the infant being objectified, almost as if his felonious existence does not deserve to have any feelings or human identity. This is portrayed in the quote where Tess “found that the baby was still worse. It was obviously dying – quietly and painlessly, but none the less surely.” This emphasises that his death is inevitable and it is almost as if fate chose for him to die, possibly because he is illegitimate. It shows a lack of empathy towards the infant’s suffering, especially when it states he is dying “quietly and painlessly”; this directs the suffering more so on Tess as a current shifting focaliser is on her and not on Sorrow. Hardy states that the baby is an “it” and that he uses the term “the baby” rather than Sorrow’s name itself. This objectifies the infant as, even though this is several weeks or even months after his birth, Tess still hasn’t named him and only names him last minute when she needs to baptise him. Her love/hate relationship with the baby is made prominent here as it is obvious she is grieving over his grave illness, yet she still refuses to name it until it is absolutely necessary.

Next, Tess panics and over-exaggerates what may happen to her son if he dies. Hardy writes “The clock struck the solemn hour of one, that hour when thought stalks outside reason,” which shows how Tess is still awake at an absurd time of morning, her head full of worrying thoughts and fears. It is relatable for the reader as people tend to exaggerate at night from restlessness, which is what Tess is experiencing at this point in the extract. The personification of the hour stalking makes this time seem viciously slow and taunting to Tess, which may add to her current stress. The specific verb used, “stalks”, makes it out to be very secretive and hidden, almost forbidden, which links to the theme of Sorrow being illegitimate. Time being secretive and Sorrow being shunned from society seem to go hand in hand.