Weblinks and videos for use with 9182 – Tess of the D'Urbervilles: Activity Pack for A Level

Activity 1

Activity 1

  • Narrated and Unabridged Reading of the novel

    • Activity 4

    Activity 6

  • Martha Brown, the Dorset hanging that influenced Thomas Hardy

    • Activity 7

  • Life after rape
  • Summarise each paragraph of this article: 'You Ain't Ruined': How Thomas Hardy Took On Victorian-Era Purity Culture

    • Activity 11

    Extension Task 1

  • Hardy’s poem ‘The Ruined Maid’

    • Extension Task 2

    Activity 36

    Extension Task 9

  • Revelation, Nonsense or Dyspepsia: Victorian Dream Theories

    • Activity 49

  • About Stonehenge

    • Activity 68

    Extension Task 22

  • Hyper-Concordance

    • Activity 72

  • ‘It might have annoyed Hardy and literary scholars that readers had such a literal response to Tess, but after 25 years of teaching creative writing, I can only note how rare a gift it is: to create a character that readers care vehemently about and who lives beyond the page. - Jill Dawson
  • ‘We never learn exactly and directly how Tess responds to Alec’s sexual advances in the Chase. But in my judgment, the case for seduction decisively outweighs the case for rape. Critics who would argue the opposite must assume a formidable burden of proof: must explain why she chooses to stay with Alec for weeks after their night in the Chase; why she remembers her sojourn with him in terms of mild arousal (‘stirred to confused surrender awhile’), and why she tells Alec that he has “won [her] back” with “cruel persuasion.”’ ‘Cruel Persuasion’: Seduction, Temptation, and Agency in Hardy’s Tess James A W Heffernan
  • ‘And yes, I know it [Tess of the d’Urbervilles] was very progressive for its time, but that doesn’t mean I can read it without wanting to give her a slap - Gwan, in the comment boxes

    • Activity 74

  • ‘Fate is an important factor in the novel but Tess should take control of her own destiny.’ How far do you agree? (page no longer exists)

    • Indicative Content:

    Activity 5

  • Thomas Hardy Society: Timeline
  • Victorian Era Major Events Timeline

    • Activity 40: Extension Task 11

  • Thomas Hardy's Religious Beliefs

    • Activity 43

  • Malthusian Theory of Population Growth: Definition & Overview

    • Webography

  • Revelation, Nonsense or Dyspepsia: Victorian Dream Theories
  • Feminist interpretations
  • Fifty Shades of Grey's nod to Tess is a mark of guilt